Blueberries are a yummy addition to pies, cakes, scones and sweet rolls like these. The antioxidant goodness of blueberries also makes these a slightly less guilty pleasure than your standard cinnamon roll. This recipe uses fresh (or frozen) blueberries on the inside and fresh lemon juice in the glaze to create a beautifully bright sweet treat to get your morning off to a yummy start!
The dough is similar to bread dough in that it contains yeast and needs time to rise. So plan your timing accordingly. (The good news is that the dough can be made in advance and stored for a couple of days covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to roll them out and bake them).
You’re gonna love it!
Recipe Ingredients:
For the Dough:
· ½ Cup whole milk
· 1/3 Cup unsalted butter, cubed
· ½ Cup warm water 105-110 degrees F
· 1 (,25 oz.) Package active dry yeast
· 3 ½ Cups all-purpose flour, divided
· ¼ Cup sugar
· 2 Tablespoons sour cream
· 1 Large egg
· 1 Teaspoon kosher salt
· ½ Teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Filling:
· 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
· 2 Tablespoons Sugar
· ½ Cup blueberry preserves
· ½ Cup fresh (or frozen) blueberries
Glaze
· 3 Cups Confectioners’ sugar
· 1 Teaspoon lemon zest
· 1/3 Cup fresh lemon juice
· 1/8 Teaspoon kosher salt
Recipe Steps
For Dough - in a small saucepan heat milk over medium heat, stirring frequently, just until bubbles form around edges of pan (do not boil). Remove from heat, add butter, let cool to lukewarm.
In a bowl with a standup mixer fitted with paddle attachment, stir together ½ cup warm water and yeast. Let stand until mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
With mixer on medium speed, add milk mixture, 2 cups flour, sugar, sour cream, egg, salt, and vanilla. Beat for one minute. Switch to the dough hook attachment. Add remaining 1 ½ cups flour; beat for 3 minutes (dough will be sticky). Cover and let stand in a warm, draft free place until doubled in size (about an hour).
Lightly punch down the dough in the bowl using floured hands to release air in the dough.
(This is the point where you can either cover your dough and put it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to get rolling and baking, or immediately transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and roll dough into a 16x12 inch rectangle to prepare the rolls for baking).
Brush dough with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Spread preserves onto dough and sprinkle with blueberries. Starting with one long side, roll up dough, jellyroll style; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 individual rolls and place in a prepared a 10 inch cake pan cut side up in, allowing sides of rolls to touch each other. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes.
For Glaze: in a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners sugar, lemon zest and juice, and salt. Drizzle over rolls while they are warm.
Let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Then gobble them up quickly because they won’t last!
Tips for Storing and Freezing Blueberries
Storing berries correctly keeps them fresh and yummy longer, so be sure to remove any mushy or moldy berries as soon as you get them home. In fact, When I’m in the store, I always turn over the carton and give it a little shake to be sure my berries are looking good before I bring them home. Only wash berries right before you plan on using them. As you know all berries are very fragile and tend to spoil quickly, so try and eat them as soon as possible. Blueberries can last up to a week if stored properly.
I love to freeze sweet summer berries for smoothies or for use in baked goods in the off season. To freeze, simply wash them, dry them out and then spread them in a single layer on a sheet pan so they aren’t touching. Put them into the freezer until they’re firm. Then, transfer them to a resealable freezer bag. They’ll be ready to use whenever you are!