Poppy Seed Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Icing
If you’re a poppy seed lover like me, these soft Poppy Seed Rolls with bright lemon flavor and a homemade feel are simply irresistible. I love how soft and fluffy the dough turns out, with just a hint of lemon in every bite. It makes the whole kitchen smell amazing while they bake.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ tsp (7g) active dry yeast , or 25g fresh yeast
- 1 ¼ cup (300ml) lukewarm milk
- 1 tbsp (15g) sour cream
- 2 tbsp + 1 tsp (35g) sugar
- 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
- 1 tsp (5g) salt
- 3 egg yolks
- 4 tbsp (60g) unsalted butter , softened
- lemon zest of a lemon
Poppy Seed Mixture
- 12 oz (350g) ground poppy seeds
- 1/3 cup (80ml) milk
- 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
- lemon zest of a lemon
- 3 egg whites
- 1/4 tsp (1g) salt
- 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
Cream Cheese Lemon Icing
- 7 oz (200g) cream cheese
- 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
- lemon zest of a lemon
Instructions
Prepare the dough.
- In a medium bowl add yeast, 1 tsp (5g) sugar and 1/4 cup lukewarm milk. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes to activate the yeast.
- Add the flour, sugar and salt. Add the remaining milk, egg yolks, lemon zest and sour cream.
- Start kneading it until smooth.
- Add butter.
- Continue kneading until it slightly pulls away from the sides of the bowl. You can knead the dough by hand or use a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
- Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.
Prepare the poppy seed filling.
- In a bowl, mix the ground poppy seeds, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.
- Stir in the milk. Mix to combine.
- Add salt over the whites and start beating the egg whites until foamy.
- Gradually add the sugar.
- Continue whipping until you get soft to medium peaks, glossy, smooth meringue.
- Add the meringue to the poppy mixture in 2 additions.
- Fold gently with a spatula.
Shape the rolls.
- Transfer the dough to an oiled or floured surface.
- Roll the dough into a 12×18 inch (30x45cm) rectangle.
- Add the poppy seed mixture over the dough.
- Spread the poppy seed mixture over the top of the rectangle.
- Cut the dough into 12 equal strips.
- Roll each strip up tightly.
- Place the rolls on a parchment paper-lined (9×13 inch – 23x33cm) tray with 1 inch (2cm) distance between them to allow them to rise.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise in a warm place for about 1-hour, until doubled in size. (if the tray is not too tall, you might need to grease the plastic wrap so it doesn't stick.)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180C).
- Bake the rolls for about 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.
- In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese with powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon zest.
- Mix to combine and spread over the warm rolls.
- Enjoy while they are still slightly warm.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 rollCalories: 495kcalCarbohydrates: 58.99gProtein: 13.44gFat: 23.61gSaturated Fat: 7.977gTrans Fat: 0.168gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 338mgPotassium: 343mgFiber: 7gSugar: 19.52gVitamin A: 412IUVitamin C: 0.8mgCalcium: 483mgIron: 5.2mg