Lemon Swirl Buns

As the warmer summer months approach, I start to crave sunny flavors like lemon. Of course, I immediately whipped up some lemon curd. And what better to do with lemon curd than to fill some buns with it?

These buns are so delicious and have a perfect flavor balance between sweet and zesty. To start, we make a standard milk dough. Mix together flour and yeast with some sugar, milk, butter, and egg, and let that rise for a little while preparing the curd. 

To make the curd, stir together eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Wait 3-4 minutes until the mixture is thickened, and coats the back of a spatula or spoon. Toss in a knob of butter, and strain before putting it into the fridge. 

After that, just shape the buns before their second rise, and pop them in the oven before enjoying. 

Lemon Swirl Buns

Makes 12-13 buns

Ingredients: 

3 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup softened butter
1 large egg at room temperature

Curd: 

2 eggs

Scant 1/3 cup sugar

Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)

Zest of 1 lemon

Lemon Sugar: 

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp lemon zest

directions for the curd and sugar: 

1. Zest and juice one lemon. 

2. In a saucepan, whisk together 2 eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Whisk constantly over medium-low heat until thickened. The curd should hold its shape, and cover the back of a spoon. 

3. To make the sugar, blend the sugar and lemon zest in a blender or food processor until smooth. 

directions for the buns: 

1. Before beginning, take out the egg and 1/4 cup butter from the fridge so they can come to room temperature. 

2. Microwave the milk until lukewarm (90-100F) and whisk in the yeast. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add flour, sugar, and salt. Pour in the milk mixture, followed by the butter and egg, and mix on low speed until incorporated. Knead for 5 minutes, then cover the dough and let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes, or until doubled in size. 

3. Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and roll into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle. Spread the lemon curd onto the rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Fold the right side of the rectangle into the center, and sprinkle half the sugar onto the dough, and rub it in. Fold in the left side of the rectangle, and seal the edges. Now, you should have a 6 by 12-inch rectangle. 

4. Roll out your rectangle until 12-by-12-inch, then slice into 12 or 13 strips, each about an inch wide. 

5. To shape the buns, twist the strips before swirling them, tucking the ends underneath the finished buns. 

6. Place the buns on a sheet tray and allow to proof for 25 minutes in a warm place, until doubled in size. 

7. Preheat the oven to 350F during the final rise. Before baking, sprinkle each bun with the remaining sugar. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes before enjoying.