Author Notes
I. Love. Lemon. And this is the ultimate lemon recipe. The soft, tender dough is a perfect vessel for the sweet, sticky lemon curd. Rolling these guys up was a bit messy, sure, but it was completely worth the effort. Plus, you get to lick all of the residual deliciousness off of your fingers when you're done! —CrepesofWrath
Ingredients
- Lemon Curd
-
1
whole egg, room temperature
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3
egg yolks, room temperature
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1 cup
granulated sugar
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2/3 cup
lemon juice (about 2-3 lemons)
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zest of 2 lemons
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4 tablespoons
unsalted butter, room temperature
- For the Lemon Curd Rolls
-
1 cup
whole milk, warmed to 115 degrees F
-
1/2 cup
granulated sugar
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3 teaspoons
yeast
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1/3 cup
unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
-
2
eggs, room temperature
-
5 cups
all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon
kosher salt
-
3 tablespoons
unsalted butter, melted
-
juice of 1 lemon
-
1 1/2 cups
powdered sugar
Directions
- Lemon Curd
-
In a medium sized pot, whisk together your egg and egg yolks, then whisk in the granulated sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Place your pot over medium heat and whisk constantly for 8-10 minutes, until the mixture has thickened.
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Remove the mixture from the heat and add in your cubed butter, a piece at a time, until it has been fully incorporated. Press the curd through a mesh sieve to remove any extra bits of zest or butter into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour. The curd will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- For the Lemon Curd Rolls
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Place your sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer (or just a regular bowl if you are doing this by hand). Heat up the milk to about 115 degrees F. Add the warm buttermilk to the sugar, then sprinkle your yeast on top. Allow the yeast to sit for 8-10 minutes, until it becomes foamy (sometimes this may take more than 10 minutes if you have older yeast, but if it doesn't foam at all, you're going to have to start over).
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In a small bowl, whisk together the melted and cooled butter, eggs, and salt, then add them to the bowl with the foamy yeast and milk. Mix until well combined. In another bowl, whisk together 3 cups of flour and salt, then gradually add that to the bowl, until just moistened.
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Using a dough hook, turn the mixer to low and add in an additional cup of flour, and when that has been incorporated, add in the 5th cup of flour. Continue to knead for 8 minutes or so, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough in that bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot. Allow the dough to rise for 90 minutes, until about doubled in size.
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Generously butter two 8-inch cake pans. When you're ready to roll out your dough, lightly flour your work surface, your hands, and your rolling pin, and punch down the dough. Roll out the dough into an 18x20-inch rectangle, adding more flour as needed. Brush your 3 tablespoons of melted butter over the dough, leaving about 1 inch of space around the outside. Spread your lemon curd over the dough, again, leaving a little room around the edges so that all of the curd doesn't squeeze out as your roll it up.
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On the long edge, roll the dough up tightly and lay the dough seam side down (some curd will have squeezed out in the process - it's fine). Cut the rolls into 1-1/2 inch pieces, and place them in your prepared pans. Cover with plastic wrap and/or a kitchen towel and allow to rise for another 45 minutes.
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Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F, and when you're ready, remove the towel and plastic wrap from the rolls and bake for 25-30 minutes, until nicely golden. Whisk together your lemon juice and powdered sugar, and drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls. Serve warm or room temperature. These will keep well, covered with foil and refrigerated, for up to 2 days.
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