• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • Cookies
  • Bread
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Cookies
    • Birthday Cake Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans
  • Shop

Lemon Poppy Seed Breakfast Rolls

January 28, 2022 by Joy the Baker 29 Comments

Jump to Recipe

Close up of lemon poppy seed rolls in the baking pan.

These Lemon Poppy Seed Rolls are good enough for print but too good to keep from you here on The Internet.

This recipe is one of the most popular recipes in Joy the Baker Magazine Winter 2021 which, as it so happens, is leaving newsstands this weekend.  If you meant to snag one and haven’t gotten your mitts on a copy yet – last chance! – grab one online  here!  I put so much love into these magazines! I mean for them to live on your cookbook shelf forever as a little piece of my heart.

But THESE ROLLS tho!  Think: cinnamon roll (-cinnamon) (+lemon zest) (+poppyseeds) plus/minus the square root of b(squared) minus 4ac divided by 2a.

Kidding on that last part. I’m just still looking for a reason to have learned the quadratic formula, you know?

Small plates with lemon poppy seed rolls and a cup of coffee.
A whole pan of frosted lemon poppy seed rolls.


These are OVERNIGHT rolls, meaning the shaped rolls rest overnight in the refrigerator before baking the following morning.  You can skip this step if you need the rolls in a hurry, but I love the overnight option to develop the flavor of the yeasted dough and to let me sleep in while still flaunting an amazing morning pastry.

If you’d like to FREEZE the unbaked rolls, double wrap the shaped rolls and freeze for up to 1 month. The night before you’d like to bake, transfer the frozen rolls to the refrigerator to thaw. Allow the rolls the rest at room temperature to warm and rise as directed below before baking.

These rolls are also delicious with meyer lemon or orange zest instead of classic lemon.

Rate and comment this recipe if you’ve made it and leave any baking questions below! xo

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Close up of lemon poppy seed rolls in the baking pan.

Lemon Poppy Seed Breakfast Rolls

★★★★★ 5 from 10 reviews
  • Author: Joy the Baker
  • Prep Time: 2 hours + overnight
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes + overnight
  • Yield: 12 rolls 1x
  • Category: breakfast, brunch
Pin Recipe
Print Recipe

Description

A sweet and citrusy warm and gooey breakfast roll. The dough rests in the refrigerator overnight for fresh pastries in the morning!


Ingredients

Scale

For the Dough:

  • 1 cup whole milk, warmed to just warmer than body temperature about 105–110 degrees F.
  • 1-package (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
  • 1/3 cup (66 grams) granulated sugar
  • 4 1/3 cups (574 grams) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick, 113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into large chunks
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature and beaten to combine

For the Filling:

  • ½ cup (1 stick, 113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • Zest of two lemons (about 2 ½ tablespoons)
  • ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar

For the Glaze:

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup (4 tablespoons, 56 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • Zest of two lemons (about 2 ½ tablespoons)
  • 1 1/2 cups (150 grams) powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  1. To make the dough, sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk. Add a pinch of sugar from the 1/3 cup sugar and allow the yeast to activate. After 5 minutes, the yeast mixture should be foamy and fluffy.
  2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add remaining sugar, flour, poppy seeds, and salt. Stir with a spatula to combine. Add the butter chunks, beaten eggs and finally the yeasty milk mixture. Stir again with a spatula to combine into a shaggy dough.
  3. Place the mixer on medium speed and allow to knead for 3 minutes. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and return to medium speed to knead for another 5 minutes. The dough should mostly come into a cohesive ball that gathers around the dough hook. The bottom of the dough may stick to the bowl. If the dough seems too sticky to do this, add a few more tablespoons of flour.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead my hand a few turns just to ensure the dough is smooth and bouncy. Lightly grease a bowl (you can absolutely use the bowl you mixed the dough in), place the dough in the greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to proof until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  5. To make the filling, in a small bowl combine lemon zest and sugar. Rub together with your fingers until evenly combined and fragrant.
  6. To make the glaze, place cream cheese in a medium bowl. Make sure that the cream cheese is very well softened and if not, microwave it for a few seconds to make sure it’s supremely softened. Use a spatula to spread the cream cheese around the bowl, making it super pliable. Add the softened butter and stir until no lumps from either the cream cheese or butter remain.
  7. Add the lemon zest, powdered sugar, poppy seeds, and salt and slowly work to combine. Drizzle in lemon juice and stir until smooth. Cover and set aside.
  8. When the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter and press gently. Use a rolling pin to roll into a 14×20-inch rectangle, with the longest side facing you.
  9. Spread with softened butter. Sprinkle generously with lemon sugar. Starting from the long side nearest you, roll into a tight coil ending seam side down. Slide a piece of plain dental floss under the middle of the dough and bring the ends of the floss up and around the log and pull together to cut the dough cleanly. Use the same technique to divide each half log into six equal pieces, about 1 ½-inches thick, for 12 rolls total. Arrange rolls in a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
  10. Remove the rolls from the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature and proof slightly for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Place a rack in the upper third or center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover the rolls and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and puffed and cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. While still warm, top with half of the glaze mixture. Allow to soak in. Cool the rolls even further, 15-20 minutes, and glaze once again. Serve warm and enjoy! Rolls are best the day they are made but last up to 3 days. For best results the day after baking, toast in a toaster oven before serving.

Notes

  • To make these rolls without the overnight rest, shape the rolls, cover with plastic wrap and allow t0 rise for 30 minutes while the oven preheats. Proceed with baking as detailed above
  • To freeze the rolls, double wrap the shaped rolls and freeze for up to 1 month. The night before you’d like to bake, transfer the frozen rolls to the refrigerator to thaw. Allow the rolls the rest at room temperature to warm and rise as directed below before baking.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

Photos with Emily Ferretti for Joy The Baker Magazine

Previous PostNext Post

Filed Under: Bread, Breakfast, Recipes

Previous Post: « 5 Tips For Making The Best Cream Cheese Frosting
Next Post: »

Reader Interactions

All Comments
I Made This
Questions
  1. Kay

    January 3, 2023 at 10:18 am

    Absolutely incredible! Love the tart citrus combined with the creamy and sweet icing. I made this for my mothers’s birthday brunch and it disappeared in record speed. Already planning to make another. :)

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Gilbo

    December 25, 2022 at 5:42 pm

    AMAZING

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Liz

    July 22, 2022 at 5:56 am

    These are deadset amazing and worth the effort. Thanks for this great recipe

    ★★★★★

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN Bread

inside of warm cinnamon roll on plate
How To Make The Best Single Serve Cinnamon Roll

Micro batch baking – the invitation is to get all the way into it with me!  This is all very Kristin Wiig  making herself a single, sad cupcake in the movie Bridesmaids, save for the fact that there is absolutely zero sadness in me eating a single cinnamon roll over the kitchen sink in my…

Read More

Orange roll on a plate with a fork.
Christmas Morning Orange Rolls

Think of tender breakfast rolls and cinnamon rolls without the cinnamon, scented with heavenly orange and just the right amount of warming nutmeg and ginger. Honestly if cinnamon rolls disappeared from the world, we’d all be just fine – these orange rolls hit the spot. I’m headed back to Los Angeles for the Christmas weekend…

Read More

Baked pull apart garlic bread baked in a loaf pan.
Erin’s Roasted Garlic Herb Pull-Apart Bread

What’s better than a fresh baked loaf of bread? Making that loaf pull-apart in buttery sheets scented with herbs and laden with butter. This pull apart garlic bread is a contender for any dinner table, but would be especialy impressive instead of store bought rolls this Thanksgiving! Let’s bake! At the Wilson family Thanksgiving table,…

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Jump to Recipe

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Jump to Recipe

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

Jump to Recipe

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

Jump to Recipe
joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

JOY @ WILLIAMS SONOMA

Jump to Recipe

SHOP THE CAKE LINE OF CAKE MIXES!

DRAKE ON CAKE

Jump to Recipe

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

Check it out on Instagram

Drake on cake instagram.

 

BREADS YOU’LL LOVE

inside of warm cinnamon roll on plate

How To Make The Best Single Serve Cinnamon Roll

Orange roll on a plate with a fork.

Christmas Morning Orange Rolls

Baked pull apart garlic bread baked in a loaf pan.

Erin’s Roasted Garlic Herb Pull-Apart Bread

LET’S MAKE COOKIES!

Raspberry linzer cookie recipe stacked on baking sheet.

Raspberry Lemon Linzer Cookies

Iced Oatmeal Cookies layered on a cooling rack.

Eggnog Iced Oatmeal Cookies

My 12 Best Christmas Cookie Recipes

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

📚Baker and author of books and magazines
🎂Creator @drakeoncake
💁🏻‍♀️Classes with me @thebakehousenola
🍰 Products with @williamssonoma

joythebaker
🙋‍♀️ if you buy bananas just so they can 🙋‍♀️ if you buy bananas just so they can languish on the counter long enough to be baked. ⁣
⁣
These Almond Flour Banana Bread cookies are stacked with walnuts and chocolate and one of the best way I know how to celebrate a speckled banana. Find the recipe linked in the profile! xo #bananabread #glutenfreerecipes #joythebaker #cookies #bakingrecipes
Just tryna get the most cheese on my most simple s Just tryna get the most cheese on my most simple small-batch bagel recipe. Get in on this with me: ⁣
⁣
2 Easy No Yeast Bagels⁣
1/2 cup self-rising flour⁣
4 tablespoons greek yogurt (plus a teaspoon or two more if needed)
1 large egg, beaten for egg wash⁣
1/3 - 1/2 cup grated gouda or gruyere⁣
Everything bagel seasoning⁣
3 tablespoons baking soda with 2 cups of boiling water. ⁣
⁣
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray the paper lightly with nonstick spray. ⁣
⁣
In a small bowl, use a firm spatula to work together the flour and yogurt. Add a few teaspoons of yogurt if it feels dry and knead into a cohesive ball for 5 minutes or so. Sprinkle with a bit more flour if it gets overly sticky. Cover with a damp paper towel and gather your toppings. ⁣
⁣
Divide dough in two and roll each piece into a roughly 8-inch rope. Bring the ends around and pinch into a circle. ⁣
⁣
Sprinkle the bottom of the prepared pan with grated cheese in two spots.  Pour boiling water over the baking soda and float each bagel in the water for 20 or so seconds.  Use a slotted spot or spatula to transfer the bagels on top of the cheese.  Brush lightly with egg. Sprinkle with more cheese and everything bagel seasoning. ⁣
⁣
Bake for 20 - 22 minutes until deeply golden and bubbling.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and smearing with cream cheese.
Here to remind you that you can mix a few ingredie Here to remind you that you can mix a few ingredients together tonight and have a hot little loaf of bread in the morning. ⁣
⁣
This easy, nearly no-knead Rye Bread is essentially a magic trick. I’ll leave the recipe linked and big love to my friends @lecreuset for the most elite bread pot!
Cinnamon Rolls but make ‘em Mardi Gras. 💜💛 Cinnamon Rolls but make ‘em Mardi Gras. 💜💛💚⁣⁣
⁣⁣
For the rolls: ⁣⁣
• 3/4 cup lukewarm milk⁣⁣⁣
• 1 large egg⁣⁣⁣
• 1 large egg yolk⁣⁣⁣
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened⁣⁣⁣
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting⁣⁣⁣
• 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast⁣⁣⁣
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar⁣⁣⁣
• ¾ teaspoon salt⁣⁣⁣
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
For the filling:⁣⁣
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened⁣⁣⁣
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed⁣⁣⁣
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
For the icing:⁣⁣
• 4 ounces softened cream cheese⁣⁣⁣
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar or glazing sugar⁣⁣⁣
• 1 tablespoon milk⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
1. To make the dough, place all of the dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low until the dough begins to come together. You may want to speed up the process by first mixing all of the ingredients together by hand with a spatula before putting the bowl on the stand mixer. This will help the dough hook work. The dough will come together into a soft, though not too sticky dough ball after several minutes of hand mixing and stand mixer mixing.⁣⁣⁣
2. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and lightly dust the top of the dough with flour. Let rise for 60 minutes while you prepare the filling and icing.⁣⁣⁣
3. To make the filling: Combine the butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon into a paste. Set aside.⁣⁣⁣
4. To make icing, whisk together cream cheese and sugar. Add the milk and whisk until smooth.  Place in a small bowl and refrigerate. ⁣⁣⁣
5. Roll the dough into a 18 x 12 inch rectangle.⁣⁣⁣
6. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough.⁣⁣⁣
7. Beginning with one long edge, roll the dough into a log. Cut the log into 8 or 10 equal slices. Place the slices in a greased 9×13-inch baking pan, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 30 minutes. ⁣⁣⁣
8. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.  Bake the rolls for 30 to 35 minutes, until they’re golden brown and bubbling. Remove the rolls from the oven.⁣⁣⁣
9.  Drizzle icing over the warm buns and enjoy! ⁣
I’ve taken these Little Banana Pancakes on as a I’ve taken these Little Banana Pancakes on as a personality trait. ⁣
⁣
Full recipe linked in the bio or just take the concept and a box of pancake mix and I’ll see you at the kitchen table. Xo
This recipe is an essential life skill. Not an und This recipe is an essential life skill. Not an understatement. Two Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe linked in the bio, babes. Xo 🍪
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up