Streusel-Topped Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls

Prepare

1. Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with a drizzle of vegetable oil and set aside.

Make the dough

1. Heat milk until about 95°F (where milk is warm to the touch but not hot), using either the stove or microwave.  Add to bowl of a stand mixer, add warm milk, sugar and yeast.  Stir and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
2. After 5-10 minutes, the mixture should be foamy and smell “yeasty”.  This step to to activate the yeast and make sure it’s still good.  If mixture doesn’t look foamy, discard and start over with new yeast.
3. Fit the stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and add butter, eggs and salt, then mix on LOW speed until combined.
4. Gradually add the flour, in roughly 1 cup increments.  When 4 cups of flour has been added, increase mixer speed to MED and knead about 5-6 minutes, until a soft dough forms.
5. Dough should be soft and smooth, slightly tacky but not sticky.  If dough is too sticky, add extra flour, 1 Tbsp at a time, and mix until it’s soft and smooth.  If dough is too stiff, add some water, about 1/4 tsp, and mix until dough is soft.

Knead the dough

1. Lightly flour your counter or other flat surface and transfer dough onto it.  Dust your hands with a little bit of flour and gently knead the dough for a minute or so.  

First rise

1. Form into a ball and transfer to prepared mixing bowl.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel.  Place bowl in a warm spot for about 2 hours, or until roughly doubled in size.

Roll the dough

1. Punch down the dough, then turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle, roughly 12x18” in size, and even in thickness.

Make the filling

1. Spread softened butter on the rectangle of dough. In a small mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar and lemon zest, stirring well with a fork.
2. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the top of the butter, then sprinkle the blueberries over the top of that.
3. Starting with one of the longer sides of the rectangle, roll up tightly into a log shape.  I find starting to roll one side, rolling away from you once, then moving down the line a bit and doing the same thing, repeating until you’re all the way across gives you the most even rolling method.
4. Once you have an 18” log shape, carefully slice into 12 evenly sized rolls.

Second rise

1. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13” baking dish.  Arrange rolls in baking dish, cut side up.
2. Cover rolls loosely with foil and let rise in a warm place for 45 min - 1 hour, until large and puffy.

Make the streusel

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Add streusel ingredients (minus the butter - so just the flour, both sugars, and salt) to a small mixing bowl, then stir in the melted butter until crumbly.

Bake

1. Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the puffy rolls.
2. Bake rolls for about 25 minutes, until golden.  Halfway through, cover loosely with foil so the tops don’t brown too much.

Drizzle

1. Let baking dish of baked rolls cool on a wire cooling rack for about 7-10 minutes.
2. Add the powdered sugar and lemon juice to a small mixing bowl, then add 1 Tbsp of heavy cream. Whisk until smooth, and add another tablespoon of cream if you’d like the glaze to be thinner.
3. Drizzle over the top of the baked sweet rolls.
4. Serve sweet rolls warm or at room temperature.