Lemon Sweet Rolls with Tangzhong Milk Bread Dough

Lemon Sweet Rolls

Lemon sweet rolls are soft, fluffy rolls built on a milk bread dough, filled with a lemon sugar mixture layered with lemon curd, then finished with a tangy lemon cream cheese frosting.

They are shaped and baked the same way as classic cinnamon rolls, but there is no cinnamon anywhere in the recipe.

What you get instead is fresh lemon balanced with just enough sweetness to stay cozy and comforting, which makes these rolls feel lighter and brighter than a typical cinnamon roll.

A tangzhong starter is what gives the dough its extra softness. Cooking a small amount of flour and water into a roux before mixing the dough changes the texture of the crumb, so the baked rolls stay tender and pillowy instead of dry.

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The filling doubles down on citrus by rubbing zest into sugar, and the frosting stays bright rather than heavy.

These rolls fit spring baking, weekend brunches, and any morning that deserves something special. The same base dough and method also work for orange cream cinnamon rolls with a different curd, so once you have made this recipe once, you have a template you can play with.

This article is adapted from the Lemon Sweet Rolls recipe from Cambrea Bakes.

How to Make Them Step by Step

Here is the whole process at a glance before you get into the details. The order matters more than speed, so read it through once and then work at your own pace.

1. Make the tangzhong. Cook part of the water and flour together until it thickens into a roux, then set it aside to cool slightly while you gather everything else.
2. Knead the dough. A stand mixer does the heavy lifting here. You are looking for a smooth ball of dough that is soft and elastic, not shaggy and sticky.
3. Roll and fill. Roll the rested dough out, spread the lemon sugar filling across the surface, then add lemon curd on top. Homemade lemon curd is lovely here, and store bought works in a pinch.
4. Cut and roll. A pizza cutter gives you clean swirls. Floss can squash the layers, so the cutter is the better tool for this dough.
5. Rise. Place the rolls in a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with a little space between them, cover with plastic wrap, and let them rise in a warm spot.
6. Check for readiness. The rolls are ready to bake when they have doubled in size and the dough feels airy and bubbly when you press it lightly.
7. Bake. They go into a 325°F oven until the tops turn light golden brown.
8. Make the icing. Whip the lemon cream cheese icing until it is light and fluffy so it spreads easily without tearing the warm rolls.
9. Finish. Cool the rolls briefly on a wire rack, then frost them and add more lemon curd on top.

Most of the time in this recipe is hands off. There is a short rest, a longer rise, and a bake, which makes it a good project for a slow weekend morning when you want the kitchen to smell like citrus and butter.

Once you are comfortable rolling and cutting dough this way, the same shaping technique carries over to other swirled rolls, including these Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls.

Ingredients

This recipe is built from four components: a tangzhong, a roll dough, a lemon sugar filling, and a lemon cream cheese frosting. Read through all four groups before you start so you can measure everything once and work without stopping. Take a look at the measuring guidance in the notes before you scoop any flour.

For the tangzhong

• 2/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup bread flour

For the roll dough

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 3 2/3 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
• 1/3 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• the tangzhong from above
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cool room temperature

For the lemon sugar filling

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cool room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon curd, store bought or homemade

For the lemon cream cheese frosting

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 ounces cold cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• extra lemon curd for the tops

Bread flour is the backbone of this dough. Its higher protein content builds the structure that holds all that butter, cream, and milk, and it is what keeps the rolls tall and tender rather than flat.

Bringing the cream, milk, and egg to room temperature helps the dough come together evenly, and cool room temperature butter blends into the dough without breaking it.

Zest is the other ingredient worth a moment of attention. You want only the bright yellow outer layer of the peel. The white pith underneath is bitter, so grate lightly and stop before you reach it.

Instructions

1. Make the tangzhong. Whisk 1/4 cup (32 g) bread flour with 2/3 cup (155 g) water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens into a roux, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer it to a bowl and set it aside.
2. Perfume the sugar. Rub 1 tablespoon lemon zest into 1/3 cup (66 g) granulated sugar until it looks like wet sand. Rubbing the zest into the sugar releases the citrus oils and carries lemon flavor through the entire dough.
3. Start the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together 3 2/3 cups (485 g) bread flour, the lemon sugar, 2 teaspoons (6 g) instant yeast, and 1 teaspoon (4 g) fine sea salt. Add 1/3 cup (78 g) heavy cream, 1/3 cup (78 g) whole milk, 1 (55 g) large egg, and the tangzhong.
4. Mix. Knead on low speed with the dough hook for 2 minutes, until a rough dough ball forms.
5. Add the butter. With the mixer running on low, add 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, letting each addition fully incorporate before adding the next. Then knead for 12 minutes more, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
6. Rest. Form the dough into a smooth round ball and place it seam side down in a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set it aside to rest for 30 minutes.
7. Make the filling. Combine 12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter, 3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste until smooth.
8. Roll and spread. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 21 by 15 inch rectangle. Spread the lemon sugar mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1 inch border clean along the top edge. Then spread 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (100 g) lemon curd over the sugar mixture.
9. Cut and shape. Use a pizza cutter to cut twelve strips, each about 1 3/4 inches wide. Roll each strip away from you, then carefully transfer the rolls to a 9 by 13 inch baking pan lined with parchment or lightly buttered.
10. Rise and preheat. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise for 1 to 2 hours, until they have doubled. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C).
11. Bake. Bake the rolls for 30 to 35 minutes, until the tops are light golden brown.
12. Frost and serve. While the rolls bake, make the frosting. In a stand mixing bowl, beat 4 ounces cold cream cheese and 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter until combined. Mix in 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar and keep beating on low speed until light and fluffy, then mix in 2 teaspoons lemon zest and 1 tablespoon heavy cream. Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, spread the frosting over the rolls, add extra lemon curd on top, and serve warm.

Notes

Measure the flour the right way. Never scoop a measuring cup straight into the flour, because that compresses the flour and adds more than the recipe calls for.

Instead, fluff the flour first, then spoon it into the cup or the measuring spoon, and level it off. A kitchen scale is the most reliable option, and with bread flour it is worth the extra step.

Storage. Because these rolls are topped with lemon curd, keep them in the refrigerator when you are not serving them. A covered container works well, and the baking pan wrapped tightly does the job too.

Make ahead. Assemble the rolls, cover the pan with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, let the rolls double in size at room temperature for a few hours before baking. Do not make the rolls more than one day in advance, or the yeast will begin to ferment and the flavor will turn.

Reheating. Warm them in the microwave or the oven until they are gooey and melty again before serving. Straight from the fridge, the frosting is firm and the rolls lose some of their charm.

A quick takeaway: the rise is the one step that decides your result. Let the rolls truly double, and everything else falls into place.

If citrus baking is your thing, these Lemon Cream Cheese Muffins use the same bright lemon and creamy tang in a much quicker format.

Recipe details

Nutrition per serving, based on the source recipe values:

See the additional source.

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Lemon Sweet Rolls Lemon sweet rolls are soft, fluffy rolls built on a milk bread dough, filled with a lemon sugar mixture layered with lemon curd, then finished with a tangy lemon cream cheese frosting. They are shaped and baked the same way as classic cinnamon rolls, but there is no cinnamon anywhere in the recipe.

• Total Time: 150 min
• Yield: 12 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Tanghzong
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup bread flour

For the Roll Dough
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 2/3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature
1/3 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
Tangzhong from above
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cool room temperature

Lemon Sugar Filling
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cool room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons lemon curd, store-bought or homemade

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
4 ounces cold cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2 teaspoons lemon zest
Lemon curd for the tops

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Instructions

1-First, make the tangzhong: First, make the tangzhong. Whisk the water and flour in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened into a roux, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2-Rub the lemon zest into the sugar: Rub the lemon zest into the sugar until it looks like wet sand.
3-Whisk together the flour, lemon sugar, yeast,: Whisk together the flour, lemon sugar, yeast, and salt in a stand mixing bowl. Add the heavy cream, milk, egg, and tangzhong. Knead on low speed with the dough hook for 2 minutes until it forms a rough dough ball.
4-With the mixer running on low, add: With the mixer running on low, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, letting it fully incorporate before adding more. Then, continue kneading for 12 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
5-Form the dough into a smooth round: Form the dough into a smooth round ball. Place it seam-side down into a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
6-Combine the butter, brown sugar, lemon zest,: Combine the butter, brown sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla until smooth.
7-Roll out the dough on a lightly: Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 21×15-inch rectangle. Evenly spread the lemon-sugar mixture across the dough, leaving a 1-inch border at the top clean. Then spread the lemon curd on top.
8-Use a pizza cutter to cut twelve: Use a pizza cutter to cut twelve 1 3/4-inch strips. Roll each strip away from you, then carefully transfer them to a parchment-lined or buttered 9×13 baking pan.
9-Cover the pan with plastic wrap and: Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set it aside to rise for 1-2 hours or until the rolls double. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325°F/162°C.
10-Bake the rolls for 30-35 minutes or: Bake the rolls for 30-35 minutes or until the tops are light golden brown.
11-While the rolls are baking, make the: While the rolls are baking, make the cream cheese frosting. In a stand mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter until combined. Then, mix in the powdered sugar. Keep beating on low speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, then mix in the lemon zest and heavy cream.
12-Let the pan cool on a wire: Let the pan cool on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes, then spread the cream cheese frosting on top. Top with extra lemon curd and serve warm!

• Prep Time: 120 min
• Cook Time: 30 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 546kcal
• Sugar: 33g
• Sodium: 251mg
• Fat: 29g
• Saturated Fat: 18g
• Carbohydrates: 66g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 7g
• Cholesterol: 91mg