When I saw this recipe on TheKitchn last week, I had a vision of a perfect sunny Sunday brunch: bright sunlight streaming into our apartment, fresh local coffee and good music, and warm lemony rolls that taste like molten summer. Cooking frequently transports me to a creative, zen headspace, but baked goods inspire me toward my highest domestic ambitions. If stovetop cooking is like painting, baking is like building a house.
This vision of baking the perfect breakfast was so determined, in fact, that I came home last night at 11pm, more than slightly intoxicated, and got to work. Fortified with one iced coffee and two glasses of Prosecco leftover from my rooftop mimosas that morning, I made the dough from scratch, waited for it to rise (while watching episodes of Weeds on Netflix), and kneaded it into a compact, smooth mound with the single-mindedness of a long-distance runner. I zested, greased, rolled and cut until 2am, and then dropped into bed while my sticky buns of great potential waited in the fridge.
This morning, unable to sleep in anticipation and with a clearer head, I pulled the rolls out of the fridge for the second rise, and decided to take some creative liberties with the recipe. Zach was still sleeping as I whisked together the glaze with goat cheese and a pinch of chopped rosemary, and sprinkled the rolls with olive oil and pine nuts before popping them in the oven. As I poured steaming water over the Gorilla grounds in our French press, and prepared to wake Zach with coffee and the smell of baking lemon, I had that distinctly satisfying feeling of orchestrating a perfect meal, of my drunken domestic zeal having paid off. We took our first bite, and he grinned and cooed, "This is amazing."
Lemon Roll Dough
1 envelope (0.25 ounces, or 2.5 teaspoons) yeast
3/4 cup milk, warmed but not boiling
1 stick unsalted butter, very soft
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4.5 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 lemons, zested
2 eggs
Lemon Filling
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
In a bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk and let it sit for a few minutes. Stir in the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and one cup of the flour. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Stir in the eggs and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft yet sticky dough.
On a floured surface, knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, pliable, and stretchy. (This video from The Kitchn is great for first-timers like myself.) Lightly coat the dough with olive oil, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel, and let the dough rise until nearly doubled - about an hour.
In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the nutmeg and ginger, then add lemon zest. Whisk in the juice of 1 lemon until smooth.
Lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking dish. On a floured surface, roll or pat the dough out into a large yet still thick rectangle — about 10x15 inches. Spread evenly with softened butter, then pour and spread the lemon-sugar mixture over top. Roll the dough up tightly, and cut into 12 even rolls, and place them, cut side up, in the prepared baking dish.
Cover the rolls with a towel and let them rise for an hour or until puffy and nearly doubled. (This is where you can refrigerate them overnight like I did. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to bake, remove the pan from the fridge, and let them rise for an hour-I needed to warm them up on the stove while I preheated the oven to get them to rise.)
Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly baste the risen rolls with olive oil, and sprinkle the pine nuts over the pan--I also put a couple of sprigs of rosemary in the baking dish with the rolls. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Rosemary Goat Cheese Cheese Glaze
1/4 cup (2 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (2 oz) chevre goat cheese, softened
Juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 lemon, zested
1/4 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped fine
1/4 cup pine nuts
While the rolls are baking, prepare the glaze. Whip the cream cheese and chevre together until light and fluffy, then add the lemon juice and rosemary and blend until well combined. Incorporate the powdered sugar a little at a time, blending until smooth and creamy. I don't like super sweet frosting, so I always measure less sugar and adjust to taste.
When the rolls are done, drizzle them with the glaze, and sprinkle the zest of 1 additional lemon over top to garnish. Serve warm.
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