Lemon Poppy Seed Rolls
There is just something magical about a warm tray of lemon poppy seed rolls fresh out of the oven. Soft, fluffy, buttery, and layered with the most bright and zesty lemon flavor in every single bite. These giant lemon rolls are sunshine in dessert form and honestly might be one of my favorite things I’ve baked all year.
Servings: 8 Rolls
Calories: 279kcal
Ingredients
Yeast:
- 180 ml Nonfat Milk (110°-115° F)
- 12 g Sugar
- 10 g Instant Yeast (Fleischmann’s)
Wet:
- 46 g Liquid Egg Whites
- 75 g 0% Milkfat Greek Yogurt (Fage)
- 16 g Zero Calorie Sweetener (H-E-B)
Dry:
- 240 g All-Purpose Flour (King Arthur)
- 60 g Vanilla Protein Powder (Quest)
- 30 g Vital Wheat Gluten (Anthony’s)
- 3 g Salt
- 35 g Poppy Seeds
- 1 tsp Lemon Zest
To Knead:
- 30 g All-Purpose Flour (King Arthur)
- Olive Oil Spray
Filling:
- 16 g Zero Calorie Sweetener (H-E-B)
- ½ tsp Lemon Zest
- 21 g Unsalted Butter (Vital Farms)
- 3 ml Vanilla Bean Paste (Nielsen Massey)
- 3 ml Sugar Free Syrup (Mrs Buttersworth)
Baking:
- 7 g Unsalted Butter
- 60 ml Half & Half Milk (Nutpods)
Cream Cheese Icing:
- 113 g Neufchâtel Cream Cheese (Philadelphia)
- 60 g Powdered Sugar (Whole Foods)
- 4 ml Vanilla Extract (Nielsen Massey)
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
Toppings:
- Lemon Zest
Instructions
Yeast:
- Add your milk to a microwave safe dish and heat for just around 30 seconds. If possible, use a food thermometer to ensure it is between 110°-115°F.180 ml (0.75 cup) Nonfat Milk
- Add the milk to a large mixing bowl along with your sugar and instant yeast. Give it a quick mix and then let it sit for 5-7 minutes. It should get nice and frothy.12 g (3 tsp) Sugar, 10 g (0.83 tsp) Instant Yeast
Wet:
- To the bowl, add all your wet ingredients and mix.46 g (tbsp) Liquid Egg Whites, 75 g (0.33 cup) 0% Milkfat Greek Yogurt, 16 g (4 tsp) Zero Calorie Sweetener
Dry:
- Then sift in your dry ingredients besides the poppy seeds and lemon zest, directly on top. Give it a quick mix.240 g (2 cups) All-Purpose Flour, 60 g (2 scoops) Vanilla Protein Powder, 30 g (0.25 cup) Vital Wheat Gluten, 3 g (0.5 tsp) Salt
- Add in the poppy seeds and lemon zest. Use a dough spatula or stand mixer to bring the dough together. It should be loose and shaggy.35 g (0.33 cup) Poppy Seeds, 1 tsp Lemon Zest
To Knead:
- Add some flour to your countertop and pour out the dough. Start to knead it with the base of your palms, pushing and pulling and rotating. Add flour as needed to prevent it from sticking (I used about 3/4th of the kneading flour). Do this for at least 7-10 minutes either by hand or in your stand mixer. It should be relatively smooth and round but not perfect.30 g (0.25 cup) All-Purpose Flour
- In the same bowl, lightly spray with olive oil and wipe any excess. Add the dough ball and cover with a towel. Place in a warm spot in your home or in the oven with just the light on. Leave for at least 30 minutes but not longer than 45-60 minutes otherwise it could over proof.Olive Oil Spray
- Once ready, it should be about 30%-50% larger in size. For that satisfying feeling, punch it down and then remove from the bowl on top your floured countertop using the remaining 1/4th kneading flour.
- Rub some flour on a rolling pin and start to roll your dough out in to a rectangular shape. Adding flour to the top of the dough as well as below to prevent it from sticking to the counter. It doesn’t have to perfect. Mine was roughly 14.5” x 11” in size.
Filling:
- In a small dish, add your zero calorie sweetener and lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the two to really allow the lemon flavor to release.16 g (4 tsp) Zero Calorie Sweetener, 1/2 tsp Lemon Zest
- Add in softened butter, vanilla bean paste, and syrup. Mix together until a smooth paste forms.21 g (0.25 cup) Unsalted Butter, 3 ml (0.5 tsp) Vanilla Bean Paste, 3 ml (1 tsp) Sugar Free Syrup
- Spread it evenly onto the rectangular dough. Use a pizza cutter to cut 8 long strips. Start to roll up each one in to a spiral, just how a roll would look.
Baking:
- Place each roll in a large baking dish (11”x7.7”) that has been rubbed down with butter. Repeat for each roll. Then cover and let them rise again for 30-60 minutes.7 g (0.5 tbsp) Unsalted Butter
- Add the milk to all the tops of the rolls. This will help create moisture as they bake. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.60 ml (0.25 cup) Half & Half Milk
- Once baked, let them cool for at least 20-30 minutes before icing.
Cream Cheese Icing:
- In a deep mixing bowl, add your ingredients and use a hand mixer to create a silky smooth icing.113 g (4 oz) Neufchâtel Cream Cheese, 60 g (0.5 cup) Powdered Sugar, 4 ml (1 tsp) Vanilla Extract, 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- Add dollops over each roll and smooth out evenly.
Toppings:
- Sprinkle with more lemon zest, grab a roll and enjoy!Lemon Zest
Nutrition Information
Lemon Poppy Seed Rolls
Serving Size
1 Roll
Amount per Serving
Calories
279
% Daily Value*
Fat
8.5
g
13
%
Saturated Fat
4.5
g
28
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
1.2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
0.3
g
Cholesterol
21.9
mg
7
%
Sodium
114.5
mg
5
%
Potassium
142.2
mg
4
%
Carbohydrates
43
g
14
%
Fiber
1.4
g
6
%
Sugar
3.7
g
4
%
Protein
17.5
g
35
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe.