Breakfast just got a whole lot tastier with these lemon raspberry swirl rolls, packed with fresh berries and smothered in a lemon glaze. Soft, fluffy and super easy to make, the no-prove dough is perfect for saving time in the morning!
What is a lazy weekend breakfast without sweet and sticky buns? Add in the smell of them baking and you’ve got the perfect start to the day!
Just me? As that’s what I thought as the fruity, zesty aroma of these beauties filled the house, and I impatiently waited for the oven timer to go off, so I could get stuck in!
These little doughy delights are quite possibly one of the best things to come out of my kitchen – zesty fluffy spirals, filled with sweet, sticky raspberries and smothered in a lemon cream cheese glaze.
Tempted? I certainly am!
Before you go skipping to the recipe, let me tell you a secret…
Not only are these lemon raspberry swirl rolls one of the best things you should add to your brunch table, but they are also super simple and easy to make, and need no-proving at all.
So there’s no excuse not to whip a batch up next weekend! What are you waiting for?
Do I have to prove the dough?
Nope!
There’s absolutely no proving going on with these swirls. The recipe is so quick and simple and ready to pop into the oven in 30 minutes, so if you don’t have time to spare they’re great for weekend brunches.
And before you think what’s the catch, are they made with pre-made dough? There are no shortcuts here, the dough is made completely from scratch.
Can I prove the dough, if I want to?
Yes! By all means, if you have the time and are not in a rush you can prove the dough. Pop it into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or cling film and keep in a warm place.
After about an hour, the dough will have doubled in size and be ready to shape. Remember to knock it back to deflate it before rolling out.
Even if you haven’t proved the dough, the yeast still helps to give the rolls that lovely soft and pillowy texture that we’re looking for.
How to make no-prove swirl rolls
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card
Making the dough
I make my dough using a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, but you can knead the dough by hand if you prefer.
Before starting the dough, active the yeast by adding it to lukewarm milk and leave to stand for 10 minutes. It’s important to make sure it is not too cold or too hot, else the yeast will not activate properly.
In the stand mixer bowl, add milk, melted butter, lemon zest, sugar, an egg and half the flour, then begin to combine on low speed.
Once mixed together, add the yeast mixture and the remaining flour, and continue to mix on medium speed for 5-7 minutes. The dough should come together, building elasticity as it mixes. If the dough is the right consistency the sides of the bowl will be clean. If it is too wet and leaving a residual, add a tablespoon of extra flour to help the dough mix properly.
When the dough has finished kneading, lightly flour your work surface and turn out the dough. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
Filling the dough
After the dough has rested, roll out the dough into a rectangle about 9 inches by 13 inches, and about 1 cm thick. Don’t roll out the dough too thin otherwise you won’t get those fluffy dough walls in your swirls.
Spread a layer of raspberry jam all over the dough and scatter over fresh raspberries. If you want to, add extra lemon zest here as well.
Rolling the dough
When you’re ready to roll the dough, tuck over one of the long edges to start the swirl and keep the filling in place. Then gently continue to roll until the dough forms a long sausage.
Slice the dough sausages into rounds about 1 inch thick and place in your baking dish and remember to leave room for them to spread as they bake. Continue until all the dough has been cut.
Leave the swirls for a further 10 minutes, and then bake for 20-25 minutes at 180C/350F until golden in colour.
Frequently asked questions
Let the dough rest on a lightly floured surface for at least 10 minutes before you roll it out.
Yes, if you’re not in a rush to get the swirls in the oven, place the dough ball into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or cling film. Keep it in a warm place for an hour, when the dough will have doubled in size. Before rolling out, knock back the dough to deflate it.
The swirls are best served when they are still warm from the oven and drizzled with lemon glaze. If you’re eating them on the following day, pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm them through.
The swirl rolls are best kept wrapped tightly with plastic wrap or clingfilm and stored at room temperature. You can also keep in the refrigerator but you may find they dry out.
They are best eaten within 2-3 days of baking.
Yes! If you’re keeping the swirl rolls for more than a 3 days, they are best kept in the freezer. Place the rolls in a freezer bag, with as much air squeezed out as possible. They will freeze for up to 2 months. Remember to completely thaw and warm up before eating.
Top tips for making the best swirl rolls
Don’t you just love big, pillowy swirl rolls? Here’s some top tips to help you make the best lemon raspberry swirl rolls…
- Don’t overheat the milk – This is crucial to allow the yeast to do its thing. If you go straight in with fridge-cold milk, the yeast won’t be able to grow. If it’s too hot when heated, the yeast will die. In either of these, your dough won’t rise. What you’re looking for is lukewarm milk, that will allow the yeast to become active and grow and give you the fluffy dough that you’re after.
- Use very soft, room temperature butter – This is my key secret to beautifully soft swirl rolls, and it makes the butter so much easier to incorporate into the dough. Take your butter out of the fridge a couple of hours before you plan to make the dough. If you plan to make them in the morning, take the butter out the night before; it’s perfectly fine and won’t go off.
- Tacky to the touch dough – When all the dough ingredients are combined and kneaded together, your dough should be slightly tacky to the touch and will pull away from the sides of the bowl without leaving any residual. If your dough is too wet and sticky, add a little extra flour until the dough feels tacky.
- Leave the dough to rest for 10 minutes – Although the dough is no-prove, I highly recommend giving it at least 10 minutes to rest before you start rolling it out – it will make it easier to work with. Lightly flour the surface you will roll out on, and turn out the dough. Leave it to rest whilst making the filling, by which time it will be ready to shape.
- Get the perfect cut with dental floss – Believe it or not, the best way to get that perfect cut edge without squashing the end of your rolled-up dough is to use dental floss. Place a strand underneath your dough, lift both ends and cross over the top, pulling down so that they cut through the dough for the perfect cut every time.
- Give the rolls room to grow – When placing the swirl rolls in your baking pan or dish, don’t be tempted to place them side by side, not sure there is some space between them. When they are baking, the heat of the oven will cause them to fluff up and out, filling in the gaps. If they are too close together, they will rise upwards and you can get an uneven bake.
Recipe Variations
One of the best things about these swirl rolls, is that once you’ve cracked the dough you can tweak and change the filling and flavours really simply. Here’s some of my favourites…
- Cinnamon Sugar– The true classic! Switch out the raspberry filling and brush the dough with melted butter before adding a generous helping of sugar and cinnamon.
- Chocolate Hazelnut – Easily add a chocolate touch by spreading the dough with a chocolate hazelnut spread like Nutella before rolling up. You could even add a sprinkling of chopped hazelnuts for a little extra texture.
- Raspberry White Chocolate – Simply adapt these lemon raspberry swirl rolls, by leaving out the lemon zest in the dough. Then sprinkle over chopped white chocolate before rolling the dough. You could also add some melted white chocolate into the glaze for more chocolate!
- Apple and Pecan – Give the swirl rolls a Fall flavour with a layer of cooked apples or apple butter. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar and scatter over chopped pecans before rolling up the dough.
More deliciously easy recipes to try
If you liked this lemon raspberry swirl rolls recipe here are some other recipes that I think you’d enjoy…
Lemon Raspberry Swirl Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 275 ml Whole Milk
- 2.25 tsp Dried Yeast Easy or Active
- 50 g Caster sugar or Superfine Sugar
- 500 g Plain Flour or All Purpose Flour
- 1 Eggs Medium
- 40 g Butter Unsalted, Melted
- 1 Lemon Zested
- 100 g Raspberry Jam
- 100 g Raspberries Optional
For the Glaze
- 50 g Cream Cheese Full-Fat
- 150 g Icing Sugar or Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice Optional
VIDEO
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C or 350°F, and lightly grease or line a 9 x 13 baking pan.
- To make the dough: Gently heat 200ml of milk in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. It should be lukewarm, not hot. Stir in the yeast, and leave to stand for 10-15 minutes.
- Add the remaining milk, sugar, egg, melted butter and lemon zest into a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment.
- Add half the flour, and mix together on low speed until a sticky, thick dough begins to form.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and add the remaining flour and the yeast mixture.
- Mix together on a medium speed for 5-8 minutes, until the dough forms a smooth ball. The sides of the bowl should be clean. If the dough is too sticky, a residue will be left on the bowl. Add an extra tablespoon of flour and continue to knead.
- When the dough has formed, lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
- To fill the dough: When rested, roll the dough out into a rectangle, approximately 9 x 13 inches, and 1cm thick.
- Using an angled spatula, spread the raspberry jam over the rolled out dough, and scatter over the raspberries.
- To make the dough roll: Gently fold over one of the long edges of the dough rectangle, to begin the swirl.
- Continue to gently roll the dough until complete. You may need to carefully lift the dough when rolling to make sure the filling is kept between the layers.
- Carefully slice the dough roll into swirls about 1 inch in thickness, and place in the baking dish. Make sure to left space between the swirls to allow them to grow when baked.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden in colour, and soft to touch. Leave to cool in the baking dish.
- To make the glaze: In a small bowl, add the cream cheese, icing sugar and lemon juice, and mix together with a spoon until smooth and runny. If the glaze is too thick, add a drop of milk to loosen it up.
- Drizzle the glaze over the still warm swirl rolls, and serve.
Notes
- The swirl rolls are best kept wrapped tightly with plastic wrap or clingfilm and stored at room temperature. You can also keep in the refrigerator but you may find they dry out.
- They are best eaten within 2-3 days of baking.
- Don’t overheat the milk – what you’re looking for is lukewarm milk, that will allow the yeast to become active and grow and give you the fluffy dough that you’re after.
- Leave the dough to rest for 10 minutes – although the dough is no-prove, I highly recommend giving it at least 10 minutes to rest before you start rolling it out.
Nutrition
DISCLAIMER
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
