Lemon Poppyseed Sugar Roll Recipe

ByKelsey Wheeler

There are some recipes you make once, enjoy, and move on from. And then there are the ones that quietly become part of your life. The ones you think about days later. The ones people text you about. The ones that somehow feel both special occasion-worthy and absolutely necessary on a random weekend morning.

These lemon poppyseed rolls fall firmly into the second category.

I first made them on a whim, mostly because I love lemon baked goods and I trust anything Sarah from Broma Bakery puts into the world. I posted them casually on Substack, not thinking much of it, and then my inbox filled up with the same question over and over: can you share the recipe?

So before we go any further, I want to be very clear and very transparent.

This is not my recipe.
I did not develop it, test it, or tweak it. This recipe comes directly from Sweet Tooth by Sarah Fennel, and I’m sharing it here because it is that good and because I truly believe everyone should make it at least once.

If you love baking and don’t already own her book, I highly recommend it. It’s one of those cookbooks that actually gets used, not just admired on a shelf.

That said, I also know how annoying it can be to see a recipe, crave it immediately, and then hit a paywall or a vague “just buy the book” moment. So consider this me passing along something delicious that brought a lot of joy into my kitchen.

Why These Rolls Are Worth Your Time

If cinnamon rolls are cozy and nostalgic, these are their bright, citrusy cousin. The dough is soft and lightly sweet, speckled with poppy seeds, rolled up with a lemon sugar filling that somehow manages to be bold without being sharp. And then there’s the frosting.

Cream cheese frosting can be heavy. Too sweet. Too much. This one is not. It has that creamsicle-adjacent balance where the lemon cuts through the richness just enough to make you want another bite. And another.

If you love these rolls, please support her work. Buy the book. Follow her. Save the recipe. Make it for people you love.

Now let’s get into it.

Lemon Poppyseed Rolls

Recipe by Broma Bakery (from Sweet Tooth)

Makes: 12 rolls
Prep Time: 1 hour
Rise Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 4½ cups all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for rolling
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
  • 1 packet (2¼ teaspoons) instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1½ cups whole milk
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds

For the Lemon Filling

  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (personal preference, but I found the 4 ounces to be a bit too creamy cheesy, so I only use 2 ounces now)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
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Instructions

Make the dough:
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add 2 cups of the flour, the granulated sugar, lemon zest, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed until combined.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the milk and butter. Microwave until warm to the touch and the butter is melted, about 45 seconds. The mixture should not be steaming or hot, as that can kill the yeast.

Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture, add the egg, and beat on low speed until combined. Gradually increase the speed to high and beat for 2 minutes. The dough will look more like a thick batter at this stage, which is exactly what you want.

Switch to the dough hook attachment. Add 1½ cups of the remaining flour and knead on low speed until combined. Add the remaining 1 cup of flour and the poppy seeds and continue kneading on low speed, stopping occasionally to redistribute the dough, until it begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl and form a ball.

Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and supple, about 10 minutes. The dough is ready when you can stretch a small piece between your fingers and see light through it without tearing.

Transfer the dough to a large bowl lightly coated with nonstick spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Make the filling and assemble:
In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub the mixture together with your fingers to release the oils from the zest.

Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and roll into a 12 x 18-inch rectangle, with the long side facing you. Spread the butter evenly over the dough, then sprinkle the lemon sugar mixture on top, gently pressing it into the butter.

Starting from the long edge, roll the dough into a tight log. Seal the seam, then cut into 12 even rolls using a sharp knife or floss. Place the rolls into the prepared pan.

Cover and let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour.

Bake:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly while you make the frosting.

Make the frosting:
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add more milk if needed to reach your desired consistency.

Spread generously over warm rolls and serve.

If you make these, I’d love to hear about it. And if you fall in love with them the way I did, please go support Broma Bakery. Some recipes deserve to be shared, and this is absolutely one of them.

Tools and appliances I use when baking these:

xo,

Kelsey

This post may include affiliate links. I never recommend anything I wouldn’t use in my own kitchen or home. Thank you for being here!

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