Blueberry Lemon Sourdough Sweet Rolls

Sourdough Baker’s Timeline

A sample baking schedule helps me when baking with sourdough. Sourdough takes much longer to rise than commercial yeast breads. This schedule helps me plan my bake.

A few notes: This schedule assumes the dough temperature is 78-80°F throughout the process. If you’d like to make blueberry lemon sourdough rolls all on the same day, skip the cold bulk fermentation and go straight to shaping the rolls (you will still need to make the levain the night before and let it rise overnight). Check out the recipe notes for more make-ahead options.

Important Ingredients in Blueberry Lemon Sourdough Sweet Rolls

• Sourdough Starter: Use a ripe & active sourdough starter to make a stiff sweet levain. This is what will leaven your blueberry sourdough rolls instead of commercial yeast.
• Blueberry Lemon Sweet Roll Dough: This blueberry lemon roll dough is based on my favorite sourdough cinnamon rolls. Use bread flour, whole milk, eggs, sugar, salt and a stiff sweet levain.
• Blueberry Compote: Fresh or frozen blueberries are cooked down to jammy consistency in this sweet and delicious blueberry compote. Let cool before adding to the rolls.
• Lemon Filling: Granulated sugar, lemon zest, butter and a pinch of salt are mixed together to spread on the dough before filling with blueberry compote.
• Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting: Cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and a little salt are whipped together to creamy perfection. Make it a drizzle or a dollop on top of each lemon blueberry sourdough roll.

How to Make Blueberry Lemon Sourdough Sweet Rolls

Make Stiff Sweet Levain

I use a stiff sweet levain for enriched breads like this cinnamon sugar babka or these sourdough cinnamon rolls. A stiff levain is a levain that mixes up to a firm consistency and is anywhere from 50%-65% hydration. It adds elasticity to dough and helps temper the acid in the sourdough, which gives all the benefit of sourdough fermentation without the tang. The sugar in the levain helps counteract the acidity and creates a more mild flavor. To make a stiff sweet levain:

• Use 100% hydration sourdough starter at its peak
• Add 10 grams of ripe sourdough starter to 50 grams of all-purpose flour, 25 grams of water and 10 grams of sugar. Mix together.
• A stiff levain will be a little more difficult to mix together, because it forms a dough ball instead of a batter. Knead the ball of dough a few times until smooth.
• Place the stiff sweet levain in a liquid measuring cup and set in a warm (76-78°F) spot for 10-12 hours.
• Stiff Sweet Levain is ready to use when it has doubled in size and has a rounded top. Using it right when it reaches its peak will help decrease the acidity in the dough.

Mix the Dough

Use a stand mixer to mix this dough. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use your hands to knead the dough, though it will take longer. Add 3-5 extra minutes of kneading time to the dough if kneading by hand. Add all the dough ingredients to the mixer and fit it with a dough hook. Reserve a little bit of the flour to add toward the end of mixing the dough as needed. Weight measurements are always more accurate than volumes, but I like to reserve a bit of flour (about a half cup) so I don’t over-flour my dough. Varieties of flour and weight of eggs can impact the amount of flour that should be added to dough, so I play it safe.

Mix the dough on low speed for about 3-5 minutes. Add the reserved flour as needed. The dough should be tacky, not overly sticky. Continue kneading about 5 more minutes until smooth, elastic and it passes the windowpane test. Place in a container or bowl for bulk fermentation.

When to Shape the Dough

After the initial 4 hour bulk fermentation is finished, you have a few options for when to shape the dough:

• Option 1: Put the roll dough in a covered container in the refrigerator overnight. Shape the rolls and let them rise the following morning (usually 3-4 hours rise time). 
• Option 2: Shape the rolls. Let them rise and bake them. Reheat in the morning.
• Option 3: Shape the rolls. Let them rise. As soon as they have puffed up and risen almost all the way, cover them and stick in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, pre-heat your oven and bake right away.

Blueberry Lemon Sourdough Roll Filling

Blueberry Filling: To a small saucepan add the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice. Set over medium heat and mash the berries while cooking for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle cornstarch over the berries and whisk together over the heat for about 10-15 seconds until thickened. Pour into a bowl and set aside to cool.

Lemon Filling: Mix together softened or melty butter with sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. It should form a thick paste.

Shaping and Proofing Blueberry Lemon Rolls

Shaping: This recipe makes 8 blueberry lemon sourdough rolls. Prepare a 9 by 13 pan with parchment paper or use a non-stick pan. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured countertop or pastry mat about 16 by 12 inches. Spread the lemon filling all over the dough. Top the lemon filling with the blueberry compote. Starting with the dough closest to you, roll up the blueberry rolls and pinch together the seam. Flip the roll over, seam side down. Cut the long log of the roll dough into 8 equal pieces. Place the rolls in the baking pan, nestling them in together if needed.

Proofing: Blueberry lemon sourdough sweet rolls are made with 100% sourdough starter, so they are going to take a much longer time to rise than a roll made with commercial yeast. They also require a warm environment to get the rise they need in a 3-4 hour time period. Cover the rolls and place them in a warm spot (oven with the light turned on is my go-to – or a bread proofer or dough mat). Let them rise for about 3-4 hours until puffed up and airy. Do NOT bake these rolls if they haven’t risen and feel dense. They will feel light and airy and should have risen to touch each other in the pan before baking.

Baking Blueberry Lemon Sourdough Sweet Rolls

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for about 30 minutes if the rolls are nestled and touching each other. Be aware of your oven – some ovens bake hotter in the back and cooler in the front. If you want an even bake on your rolls, rotate your pan 180 degrees after the first fifteen minutes of baking. This will keep half of your rolls from getting too dark or the other half being too light. Check the center of one of the rolls after baking to make sure that the middle isn’t raw.

Frosting and Topping the Rolls

Whip together the frosting ingredients until a smooth and thick, creamy frosting comes together. Set aside until the rolls have baked. Top the warm rolls with creamy frosting and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions