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Soft, fluffy, and packed with bright lemon flavor—these Sourdough Lemon Rolls are a fresh take on a breakfast favorite. Think: pillowy rolls filled with sweet-tart lemon filling and topped with a light lemony cream cheese frosting.
The whole family loves these—especially in the sweet summertime when we want something special for breakfast. Based on my family favorite recipe for The Best Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls, but with a citrus upgrade – if you love lemon desserts, this one’s for you. And if you want to take it even further, try my Blueberry Lemon Sourdough Sweet Rolls next—they’re just as good.
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Why You’ll Love Sourdough Lemon Rolls
- Soft & Fluffy– You’ll love how these sourdough lemon sweet rolls are so soft and filled with a sweet sugary lemon filling – all with the added benefits of sourdough. And you’ll also want to try my Lemon Sourdough Focaccia to see how they compare!
- Versatile– You can make these as written or use my sourdough discard cinnamon roll dough recipe for a quicker version. Either way, you can swap in seasonal fillings—try my Sourdough Strawberry Rolls for another springtime favorite.
- Perfect for a Special Breakfast– Whether it’s a holiday, weekend brunch, or summer morning treat, these rolls feel special every time. Bonus: the dough freezes beautifully, so you can prep a few days ahead and bake fresh.
- Bright Lemon Flavor – You can’t beat the bright lemon flavor in these rolls. They’re perfectly tart, fresh, and full of that classic lemon flavor I love—just like my lemon crinkle sourdough cookies.
New to Sourdough? If you are new to sourdough, learn how to make a sourdough starter from scratch and check out my Free Sourdough Beginner Guide. Using naturally fermented sourdough will take much longer, but you will love the fermentation benefits and the flavor!
Important Ingredients
- Levain – This recipe uses a stiff sweet levain that combines ripe and active sourdough starter, flour, sugar, and room temperature water and is left to rise before using.
- Lemons: Sweet, tart, lemon is the forward flavor in these rolls. Use fresh lemons instead of lemon juice or a lemon emulsion for best flavor.
- Lemon Filling – These rolls are filled with a lemon filling made up of butter, granulated sugar, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt.
- Lemon Cream Cheese Icing – Top these rolls with a light and fluffy icing made by mixing unsalted butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, salt, and lemon zest. This recipe would also be delicious with the lemon glaze I use on my Lemon Poppyseed Sourdough Scones.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Substitutions
- Bread Flour: Substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour – you may need to add a little extra flour to the dough. I have not tried freshly milled flour, but my guide to using whole wheat flour can help you make those substitutions and I think subbing up to half whole wheat flour would work well.
- Whole Milk: 2% milk can be substituted instead of whole milk if you prefer.
- Butter: My recipes typically call for unsalted butter. If you prefer using salted butter, decrease the salt in the recipe
- Sourdough Starter: You can substitute ripe, active sourdough starter for the levain in this recipe. Just keep in mind you’ll need to add a bit of extra flour to account for the additional water in your starter. Also, keep a close eye on your dough—using starter instead of a freshly built levain can cause it to ferment more quickly and may lead to a tangier flavor or overproofing if you’re not careful.
- Vanilla Extract: Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste for even more flavor in the frosting.
Sourdough Baker’s Timeline
A sample baking schedule helps me when baking with sourdough. Sourdough takes much longer to rise than traditional bread. This schedule helps me plan my bake.
Note: This schedule assumes the dough temperature is 78-80ºF throughout the process. If your dough is colder, the process will move slower. If your dough is warmer, the process will move faster.
One more thing: Sweet rolls are best enjoyed in the morning, which can make timing tricky with sourdough. I’ve included a few options for making morning rolls in the recipe card—check those out and choose the one that works best for you.
This sample schedule follows the method I use most often: shaping and rising the rolls the night before, refrigerating overnight, then baking fresh in the morning.
| Day 1 | Levain |
| 8 PM -8 AM | Make Stiff Sweet Levain. Let rise overnight. |
| Day 2 | Mixing/Bulk Fermentation |
| 8 AM | Mix Dough |
| 8:15 AM | Begin Bulk Fermentation |
| 12:15 PM | End Bulk Fermentation |
| 12:15 PM | Shape Lemon Rolls |
| 12:30 PM – 8:30 PM | Proof at 78-82ºF |
| 8:30 PM | Refrigerate Risen Rolls Overnight or Bake |
| Day 3 | Bake |
| 8:30 AM | Bake and frost. Serve warm. |
How to Make Sourdough Lemon Rolls
Mixing the Levain
Step 1: Mix a stiff sweet levain. Combine ripe sourdough starter, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and water. Knead levain and then allow the cohesive ball to rise for 10-12 hours at 78ºF. (Images 1 & 2)
Why Use a Stiff Levain? A stiff levain helps reduce the sour tang and gives these lemon rolls a milder flavor with a soft, fluffy texture. It lets the lemon filling shine without competing with the acidity of a traditional sourdough loaf. You can use ripe starter instead, but you’ll need to add a bit more flour and keep a close eye on fermentation—it can move faster and overproof more easily.
Mixing the Dough
Step 2: Mix Dough. Combine warm milk, sugar, eggs, salt, bread flour, and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (Images 3 & 4). Knead until dough is tacky, but not overly sticky (Image 5). Put the dough in a container and cover (Image 6).
Don’t Have a Stand Mixer? You can knead this dough by hand instead for about 8-10 minutes until the gluten is well-developed and the dough forms a strong, cohesive ball.
Bulk Fermentation or First Rise
Step 3: Bulk Fermentation. Let the dough rise in a covered container at 78-80ºF for about 4-5 hours until puffed up, slightly aerated and cohesive (Image 8). While the dough is rising, mix together softened butter, sugar, lemon zest, and salt to form lemon filling mixture and set aside (Images 7).
Shaping the Lemon Rolls
Step 4: Shape. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large rectangle and spread the lemon filling all over the dough (Images 9 & 10). Roll dough tightly and pinch seam together (Images 11 & 12).
With the seam side down, use a bench scraper or sharp knife to cut the long log into 12 equal pieces for large lemon rolls (Image 13). Place roll dough in a 9 by 13-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap to proof (or rise) (Image 14).
Proofing the Dough
Step 5: Proof Rolls. Place rolls in a warm (80ºF) place to rise. Temperature plays an important part in how long the rolls will need to rise. Rolls kept at a lower temperature (76-78ºF) will often take overnight to rise. Rolls kept at a higher temperature (82-85ºF) can rise in 3-5 hours. Whatever temperature you choose, make sure the rolls have doubled in size and are light, airy and puffy (Image 15) before baking them (Image 16).
Refrigerate and Bake Sourdough Lemon Rolls
Step 6: Refrigerate and Bake. Place the covered, just risen/doubled rolls in the fridge overnight or until you are ready to bake them (within 12-18 hours). Pull rolls out of the refrigerator and bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes until the rolls register 190ºF – 195ºF (Image 16).
Do I have to refrigerate the rolls? No. The refrigeration step is optional but can help you time the rolls to have freshly baked sourdough lemon rolls in the morning. You can bake them right away if you prefer.
Step 7: Frost. Whip together the lemon cream cheese frosting and frost the lemon rolls while they are still warm (Image 17). Serve and enjoy!
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover sourdough lemon sweet rolls can be stored for a few hours at room temperature. After that I like to freeze them in an airtight container or ziplock bag. When you want a cinnamon roll, pull it out, defrost it and warm it up just a little bit in the microwave. Enjoy!
Amy’s Recipe Tips
Mixer: If you don’t have a stand mixer, knead the dough together by hand for 8-10 minutes. The long fermentation/rising of sourdough also helps strengthen the dough just by resting. A stand mixer is convenient, but not necessary.
Tuck the Ends: If you ever have wispy ends that you wish wouldn’t be “wispy,” tuck the end of the rolled dough under itself so they don’t come loose during the bake.
Make Ahead: Freeze sourdough sweet roll dough a few days before or use my tips for making rolls ahead of time to plan ahead for a busy morning.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, BUT, I highly recommend trying out the stiff levain for this recipe. A regular starter doesn’t have the same proofing window (it’s shorter) and can result in more sour flavored cinnamon rolls that don’t rise quite as high. If you want to substitute it, use the same amount as called for in the recipe but you’ll need to add a little more flour to the dough so it feels tacky – not sticky when mixed.
Yes! You have to be more careful freezing sourdough sweet roll dough and it has a shorter lifetime in the freezer than dough made with commercial yeast, but it is definitely possible.
Yes! You will love my recipe for sourdough discard cinnamon rolls and substitute the lemon filling and lemon icing for the cinnamon and maple frosting/filling.
Dense sweet rolls usually means your dough needed to rise more. Make sure your dough has doubled in size and is light and airy before baking. If it’s not like this, warm them up! Temperature has a huge impact how long it takes for sourdough to rise. I use a dough mat or a bread proofer to help keep the temperature consistent. If your dough hasn’t risen, give it more warmth and time. Also, double check that you used starter and levain when they were ripe and active.
They need to bake longer. Sometimes the outside of the sweet roll will be finished baking before the inside. Bake them a little bit longer until the middle of the sweet rolls reach an internal temperature of 190-195ºF. I also like to gently pull up the middle of one of the rolls and check if it’s baked through (no one notices once it’s covered with icing).
Sweet Sourdough Roll Recipes
If you tried these Sourdough Lemon Rolls or any other recipe on my website leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Happy Baking!
Sweet Sourdough Lemon Rolls
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Ingredients
Sweet Stiff Levain (10-12 hours/overnight at 78ºF)
- 12 grams sourdough starter, about 2 teaspoons
- 12 grams granulated sugar, about 1 Tablespoon
- 60 grams all purpose flour, scant 1/2 cup
- 30 grams water, about 2 Tablespoons
Sourdough Lemon Roll Dough
- 110 grams stiff sweet levain, all of it
- 270 grams whole milk, about 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons
- 70 grams unsalted butter, melted, about 5 Tablespoons
- 70 grams granulated sugar, about 1/3 cup
- 2 large eggs, about 100 grams
- 8 grams salt, about 1 teaspoon
- 5 grams lemon zest, about 1 Tablespoon
- 600 grams bread flour, about 4 1/2 cups
Lemon Filling
- 70 grams unsalted butter, about 5 Tablespoons
- 80 grams granulated sugar, heaping 1/3 cup
- 8 grams lemon zest, about 1 1/2 Tablespoons
- pinch of salt
Lemon Cream Cheese Icing
- 70 grams unsalted butter, softened, about 5 Tablespoons
- 55 grams cream cheese, softened, about 5 Tablespoons
- 150 grams powdered sugar, about 1 1/4 cups
- 30 grams lemon juice, about 2 Tablespoons
- 2-4 grams lemon zest, about 1-2 teaspoons (optional)
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Levain (10-12 hours, overnight at 78ºF)
- Mix together ripe sourdough starter, all purpose flour, granulated sugar and water. Knead the levain until it forms a cohesive ball. Place in a clear jar and set in a warm 78ºF place. Cover and let rise for 10-12 hours until the levain has doubled in size and the top is rounded.
Sourdough Lemon Rolls
- Mix the Dough: Warm the milk in the microwave (about 1 1/2 minutes full power) or on the stove. It should be around 90-100ºF, no warmer than that. To the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, add the ripe levain, warmed milk and melted butter.
- Add the sugar, eggs, salt, lemon zest and most of the bread flour. Turn on the dough hook and knead for a few minutes. Add the remainder of the bread flour as needed. The dough should be tacky, not overly sticky and should all cling to one side of the bowl (or away from the edges depending on your mixer). Knead for a total of 5-7 minutes until the dough is smooth.Alternatively you can knead this dough by hand if you don't have a stand mixer.
- Bulk Fermentation: Put the dough in a container and cover. Set the dough in a warm, 78-80ºF place for 4-5 hours. Take the temperature of the dough as needed to make sure the dough temperature stays right around 78-80ºF. This temperature is optimal for fermentation. At the end of about 4-5 hours, the dough should be puffed up and feel very elastic. If it doesn't feel this way, let it bulk ferment for another half hour and check again.At this point you can refrigerate the dough overnight, shaping and proofing the rolls the following morning if desired.
- Mix up the Filling: Near the end of bulk fermentation, mix up the lemon filling. To a small bowl, add the softened butter, granulated sugar, lemon zest and salt. Mix together. Set aside.
- Shaping: Line a 9 by 13 pan with parchment paper. Roll the dough out into an approximate 16 by 12 rectangle. Spread the lemon filling all over the dough with your fingers, making sure to cover up to the edges of the dough. Starting with the dough closest to you, roll up and pinch together the seam. Flip the lemon roll over, seam side down. Cut the long log of roll dough into 12 equal pieces. Place the rolls in the parchment lined pan in a 3 by 4 grid.
- Proofing: Cover the pan and let rise in a 78-80ºF place until puffed up, doubled in size and the dough feels light and airy, about 6-8 hours. Do not bake these rolls if they have not risen. At this point the rolls can be baked right away OR for morning lemon rolls, cover them and stick in the refrigerator overnight to be baked straight from the fridge the next morning.
- Baking: Preheat the oven to 350º F. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the center of the lemon rolls is 190-195ºF and they are baked all the way through. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 5 minutes.
- Lemon Cream Cheese Icing: Use a hand mixer to whip together softened butter and cream cheese. Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Whip together for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The frosting should be light and fluffy.
- Spread icing over the tops of the lemon rolls while they are still warm and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello. Can you add dried blueberries?
I haven’t tried that, but I think it should work!
How do you get your dough to 78 degrees? It’s cold outside and we keep our house on the cooler side. We do have a heating mat that we use when we make sourdough bread. Would that work?
The heating mat could work! You can also try turning the oven light on (with the oven turned off) as a makeshift proofing box.