2.18.11 Sticky Lemon Rolls

At least that's what I thought I was baking.  The end result was more like sticky lemon dumplings.

It's been a week since I made these and I'm still upset.  Why?  Because I know where I went wrong, and I knew it as I was making the dough.  It was the yeast stage.

I would say that at this point, I'm a pretty good baker of cookies, brownies, and cakes; but, not bread.  I've only used yeast once before for the chocolate bread and that was it.  Yeast just seems like a hassle to me.  You have to wait around for the proofing stage, and then wait a little longer to let the dough rise several times.  I prefer the faster gratification that I get with cookies and such.

 Anyway, I decided to give yeast another try with this recipe.  I had a bunch of lemons lying around, and since Sarah didn't want lemon sugar cookies ("They're boring," she said), I thought this would be interesting to make.

I should've known that the end result would be a disaster.  I failed at the proofing stage when the yeast didn't rise at all.  The milk that I dumped the yeast did slightly grow, but the mixture didn't foam at all.  My instinct told me to throw the mixture away and try again, but a tiny part of me didn't want to.  I didn't like the thought of throwing away precious milk and yeast.  Then, a friend who was over told me that it was okay if the mixture didn't foam.  As I wondered if I should throw it all away, she said "I just used yeast to make challah, I didn't wait for it to foam, and they turned out fine!"  Though wary, I decided to trust her.

And it turned out to be a BAD decision.  Of course the yeast didn't wake up, so the dough turned out hard.  It was oddly colored and extremely unappetizing, even at dough stage.  But, I had already made the dough and I felt like I was wasting it all, so I figured maybe it would be better to see the rolls through the end.

So I rolled them out, sprinkled butter, lemon, and sugar for the streusel, and put the rolls in the oven.  When they came out, they hadn't changed one bit.  They looked like sad, hard, rolled pieces of play-do, and they sort of had the texture of one too.

Sarah and I ended up finishing most of it (the syrup at the bottom of the pan definitely helped alleviate the toughness of the dough), but I must say that it was pretty painful.

 

For next time:

1. PROPERLY PROOF THE YEAST. PROPERLY PROOF THE YEAST. PROPERLY PROOF THE YEAST. PROPERLY PROOF THE YEAST. PROPERLY PROOF THE YEAST. PROPERLY PROOF THE YEAST. PROPERLY PROOF THE YEAST. PROPERLY PROOF THE YEAST. PROPERLY PROOF THE YEAST. PROPERLY PROOF THE YEAST. PROPERLY PROOF THE YEAST.

2. DO NOT melt the butter for the filling.  And DO NOT use all 2 lemons-worth of juice.

Here's to hoping that they turn out better the next time I try them again.  If I ever do...

 
Sticky Lemon Rolls

Dough:
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast


3/4 cup milk, warmed to about 100°F or warm but not hot on your wrist
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 lemons, zested
2 eggs

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk and let it sit for a couple minutes. With the mixer paddle, 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.

2. Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is elastic and pliable. If you do not have a stand mixer, stir together the ingredients by hand, then turn the soft dough out onto a lightly floured countertop. Knead the dough by hand for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, pliable, and stretchy. 

3. Spray the top of the dough with vegetable oil, and turn the dough over so it is coated in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and let the dough rise until nearly doubled - about an hour. 

Filling:
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground nutmeg

2 lemons, zested (and juice 1)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft

4. In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the nutmeg and ginger, then work in the lemon zest with the tips of your fingers until the sugar resembles wet, soft sand. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon. (Reserve the juice of the second lemon for the glaze.) 

5. Lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking dish with baking spray or butter. On a floured surface pat the dough out into a large yet still thick rectangle — about 10x15 inches. Spread evenly with the softened butter, then pour and spread the lemon-sugar mixture over top. Roll the dough up tightly, starting from the top long end. Cut the long dough roll into 12 even rolls, and place them, cut side up, in the prepared baking dish.

6. Cover the rolls with a towel and let them rise for an hour or until puffy and nearly doubled. (You can also refrigerate the rolls at this point. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to bake the rolls, remove the pan from the fridge, and let them rise for an hour.)

7. Heat the oven to 350°F. Place the risen rolls in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into a center roll reads 190°F.

recipe from thekitchn