Sourdough Discard Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls

These Sourdough Discard Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls are everything I love about summer baking—bright, citrusy, and absolutely beautiful on the breakfast table. I started with my go-to dough from my Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls and gave it a fresh, seasonal twist.

Each roll is soft and fluffy, layered with a homemade blueberry compote and a lemony sugar butter, then finished with a tangy lemon cream cheese glaze. And to make things even easier, I’ve included both a same-day and overnight option so you can bake them whenever it fits your schedule.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

• Perfect Spring and Summer Sweet Rolls-These rolls are packed with fresh blueberries, bright lemon, and a gorgeous pop of color that makes them the perfect thing to bake when the weather warms up. If you love a good citrus sweet roll, my Sourdough Orange Rolls are your next bake.
• Quick with overnight option-These rolls are ready in just 2 hours! As long as you have sourdough discard on hand, you can have these on the breakfast table so fast. I also have an overnight option if you want to wake up and just pop them in the oven. My Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls come together just as fast.
• Fresh or Frozen Blueberries Work-I love making these with sweet blueberries when the season rolls around. But you don’t need to wait for blueberry season to make them. Fresh or frozen berries both work great for the compote, giving you the blueberry flavor you crave. If you love that blueberry lemon combo, you have to try my Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Sourdough Muffins too.
• A Frosting That Makes These Rolls -That lemon cream cheese frosting with blueberry compote folded right in gets spread over the warm rolls so it melts right into every crack and crevice. If you are into rolls with a seriously good topping, my Sourdough Sticky Buns are worth a look too — they have a homemade caramel pecan topping that is hard to beat.

Ingredients & Substitutions

* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*

Discard Dough

• Bread Flour: If you want the fluffiest sweet rolls, go with bread flour. The higher protein content gives you a better rise, which means a softer and chewier roll. All-purpose flour works too if that’s what’s in your pantry.
• Milk: I used whole milk, but any non-dairy milk you like works fine here.
• Sourdough Starter: I go with fresh, room temperature sourdough discard that’s no more than 1 to 2 days old for sweeter recipes like this one. Older discard will make the rolls taste a lot more tangy. If your discard is coming straight from the fridge, know that it will slow down the rise time. You can also swap in the same amount ing grams of active sourdough starter.
• Light Brown Sugar-I went with light brown sugar instead of dark brown sugar for a lighter caramel flavor, unlike my Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls. Dark brown sugar works too if that’s what you have.
• Instant Yeast-I used instant yeast for this recipe, not active dry yeast. The difference is that active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in liquid to activate and takes longer to rise the dough. I like that instant yeast can be added directly to dry ingredients and rises the dough much faster. You can use active dry yeast if you prefer or if that’s what you have, but make sure to bloom it with the warm milk and sugar before continuing with the rest of the recipe.

Filling

• Blueberries-Fresh and juicy blueberries or frozen ones work great for the blueberry compote. If you prefer, leave out the compote and use blueberry jam instead.
• Cornstarch-Gives the blueberry compote that jammy, glossy texture. Arrowroot powder or tapioca flour are great 1:1 substitutions.
• Unsalted Butter: Make sure to use softened butter at room temperature so it spreads easily.
• Vanilla Extract-I also love swapping vanilla extract for vanilla paste 1:1.

Frosting

• Cream Cheese: Use room temperature cream cheese so it mixes smoothly.
• Butter: Room temperature unsalted butter works great here too, for the same reason.
• Lemons: Leave the store-bought lemon juice on the shelf. I know it’s convenient, but it won’t bring the same fresh lemon flavor. And don’t skip the lemon zest because it makes a real difference for this recipe.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls

1. Add the sourdough discard, light brown sugar, warm milk, melted butter, and egg to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix until smooth.

2. To the wet ingredients, add the flour, instant yeast, and salt. Mix again on low speed with a dough hook attachment until a shaggy dough is formed, then knead the dough on medium speed for 5-7 minutes.

3. Remove the dough and place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and leave to double in size.

4. Once the dough has at least doubled in size, punch the top of the dough to remove all the air bubbles. Then, place the dough on a lightly floured work surface.

5. While the dough rises, prepare your fillings. In a skillet, add the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and jammy. Remove from the heat and let cool.

6. In a small bowl, add the butter, sugar, lemon zest and salt and mix until combined.

7. Once the dough has doubled in size, roll the dough into a 16 x 12 inch rectangle. Spread the softened lemon butter over the entire surface of the dough.

8. Spread the remaining blueberry compote over the lemon butter in an even layer.

9. Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough into 12 even strips, then roll each one up tightly for a more polished look. Grease a 9 x 13 metal baking pan with butter before gently placing the rolls inside, about ½ to 1 inch apart.

10. Cover with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise a second time until they have noticeably grown and look puffy.

11. Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the rolls for 24-28 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the internal temperature is 190-200°F.
12. Remove from the oven and place the rolls on a wire rack to cool a bit.

13. While the rolls are cooling, prepare the lemon cream cheese frosting. In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter and cream cheese until combined. Add the powdered sugar, blueberry compote, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt and blend until smooth.

14. Spread the lemon cream cheese frosting over the warm Sourdough Discard Lemon Blueberry Rolls and serve!

Make-Ahead Options

If you want to prepare these Sourdough Discard Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls the night before and bake them the following morning, here are your options:

• Option 1: Prepare the dough and once it has doubled in size, cover the bowl and chill in the fridge overnight. The following morning, shape the rolls and allow them to rise in a warm place until fluffy before baking as usual. 
• Option 2: Prepare the dough and shape the rolls the night before, then pop the covered baking dish into the fridge overnight. Pull the unbaked rolls out 1-2 hours before baking and allow them to rise in a warm place until fluffy.
• Option 3: Prepare the dough and shape the rolls, then pop the covered baking dish into the freezer overnight. Once frozen solid, place the rolls into a freezer-safe bag and store for 2-3 weeks for best results. When ready to bake, place the frozen rolls on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, cover, and place in the fridge the night before. The next morning, take them out of the fridge and allow them to rise in a warm place, about 1.5-2 hours, or until fluffy.

How to Store

If you’re not baking these sourdough blueberry rolls same day, shape them the night before, place them in a covered baking dish, and refrigerate overnight. Pull them out 1-2 hours before baking and let them rise in a warm place before baking as usual. If you have already baked the rolls, cool them completely, skip the frosting, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2-3 weeks. When ready to eat, thaw at room temperature or overnight in the fridge, reheat in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes, top with frosting, and serve!

More Sourdough Sweet Rolls Recipes

Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls (Overnight Option Included)

Soft and Fluffy Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Sourdough Orange Rolls Recipe {With Active Starter}

Sourdough Sticky Buns Recipe (The Best Sticky Rolls)

If you tried this Sourdough Discard Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

Sourdough Discard Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls Recipe

By McKenna Pulda

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Yield: 12 sweet rolls

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 24 minutes minutes

Rise Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 24 minutes minutes

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These Sourdough Discard Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls are everything I love about summer baking—bright, citrusy, and absolutely beautiful on the breakfast table. I started with my go-to dough from my Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls and gave it a fresh, seasonal twist. Each roll is soft and fluffy, layered with a homemade blueberry compote and a lemony sugar butter, then finished with a tangy lemon cream cheese glaze.

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5 from 1 vote

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Equipment

• stand mixer
• straight edge bowl
• Rolling Pin
• Pizza Cutter
• 9×13 metal baking pan

Ingredients

Sourdough Discard Sweet Roll Dough

• 120 grams sourdough discard 1/2 cup
• 30 grams light brown sugar 2 Tablespoons
• 175 grams milk, warm 3/4 cup
• 57 grams unsalted butter, melted 4 Tablespoons
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 370 grams bread flour 2 ½ cups + 2 Tablespoons
• 7 grams instant yeast 2 teaspoons
• 5 grams salt 3/4 teaspoon

Blueberry Compote

• 180 grams blueberries, fresh or frozen 1 1/4 cups
• 50 grams sugar 1/4 cup
• 15 grams lemon juice, freshly squeezed 1 Tablespoon
• 2 grams lemon zest 1 teaspoon
• 8 grams cornstarch 1 Tablespoon
• pinch of salt

Lemon Sugar Butter Filling

• 57 grams unsalted butter, softened 4 Tablespoons
• 65 grams sugar 1/3 cup
• 6 grams lemon zest 1 Tablespoon
• 2 grams vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon
• pinch of salt

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 28 grams unsalted butter, room temperature 2 Tablespoons
• 113 grams cream cheese, room temperature 4 ounces
• 30 grams lemon juice, freshly squeezed 2 Tablespoons
• 4 grams lemon zest 2 teaspoons
• 130 grams powdered sugar 1 cup
• pinch of salt

Instructions

DOUGH

1. Add the sourdough discard, light brown sugar, warm milk, melted butter, and egg to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are mixed thoroughly.

   The temperature of the milk was 110 degrees F. Any hotter and this could kill the instant yeast and prevent the dough from rising.
   120 grams sourdough discard, 175 grams milk, warm, 30 grams light brown sugar, 57 grams unsalted butter, melted, 1 large egg
2. Switch the paddle attachment with the dough hook attachment. Then, add the flour, instant yeast and salt to the bowl. Mix on low, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula when necessary, until all of the ingredients have been incorporated.
   370 grams bread flour, 7 grams instant yeast, 5 grams salt
3. Continue to knead the dough for 5-7 more minutes at medium speed. You know the dough has been thoroughly kneaded when the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl while it is being kneaded and it feels tacky, not sticky, when you poke it.

   You can knead this dough by hand, but I would increase the time to about 10-15 minutes.
4. Remove the dough and place it in a lightly greased straight-edge bowl, cover it and let the dough rest until doubled in size in a warm spot.

   In my 70 degree F kitchen, this took about 1 hour. The rise time can vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen. The warmer your kitchen, the faster the dough will rise. The opposite is true for cooler kitchens.

FILLINGS

1. While the dough is rising, prepare your fillings. Combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cornstarch and salt in a medium skillet over medium heat. Smash the blueberries while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or fork. Continue to cook the blueberry filling until thick and glossy, about 5-8 minutes. You should be left with 210 grams of blueberry compote. Pour into a separate bowl and allow to cool completely. Place in the fridge to cool faster or prepare the day before to save time.
   180 grams blueberries, fresh or frozen, 50 grams sugar, 8 grams cornstarch, 15 grams lemon juice, freshly squeezed, 2 grams lemon zest, pinch of salt
2. In a separate bowl, combine the butter, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract and salt until smooth. Set aside.
   57 grams unsalted butter, softened, 65 grams sugar, 6 grams lemon zest, 2 grams vanilla extract, pinch of salt

SHAPE

1. Once the dough has doubled in size, remove the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. With a rolling pin, shape the dough into a 16 inch by 12 inch rectangle.
2. Spread the softened lemon butter over the entire surface of the sourdough sweet roll dough. Remove 20 grams of the blueberry compote into a separate bowl and save it for the glaze topping. Top the remaining blueberry compote on top of the lemon filling and spread over the entire dough in an even layer.
3. Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough into 12 even stripes (about 1 1/3 inch each) then roll each into a roll for a more polished look.
4. Grease a 9 x 13 metal baking pan with butter before gently placing the Sourdough Discard Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls inside, about 1/2 – 1 inches apart.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for a second time until they have noticeably grown and look puffy. This took 45-60 minutes in my 70 degree F kitchen.
6. Not ready to bake these in the same day? No worries! Jump down to the notes for several make-ahead options.

BAKE

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake the rolls for 24-28 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the internal temperature is 190-200 degrees F.

   If the sweet rolls are browning too quickly, cover them with aluminum foil and continue to bake.
2. Remove from the oven and place the sweet rolls on a wire rack to cool slightly.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

1. While the sweet buns are cooling, prepare the lemon cream cheese frosting.
2. In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, mix butter and cream cheese until combined. Add powdered sugar, blueberry compote, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt and blend until smooth.
   28 grams unsalted butter, room temperature, 113 grams cream cheese, room temperature, 30 grams lemon juice, freshly squeezed, 4 grams lemon zest, 130 grams powdered sugar, pinch of salt
3. Using an offset spatula, spread the lemon cream cheese frosting over the warm sweet rolls so that it can slightly melt into all of the cracks and crevices. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

Make-Ahead Options

If you are looking to prepare these Sourdough Discard Lemon Blueberry Sweet Rolls the night before and bake them the following morning – here are some options and tips!

Option 1: Prepare the dough and once it has doubled in size, over the bowl and chill in the fridge overnight. The following morning, shape the sweet rolls and allow them to rise and get fluffy in a warm place before baking as normal.

Option 2: Prepare the dough and shape the sweet rolls the night before, then pop the covered baking dish into the fridge overnight. Pull out the unbaked rolls 1-2 hours before baking to allow them to rise and get fluffy in a warm place.

Option 3: Prepare the dough and shape the sweet rolls, then pop the covered baking dish into the freezer overnight. Once frozen solid, place the sourdough sweet rolls into a freezer-safe bag and store for 2-3 weeks for the best results. When ready to bake, place the frozen sweet rolls on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover and place them in the refrigerator the night before. The next morning, take them out of the fridge and allow them to rise in a warm place, about 1.5-2 hours, or until fluffy.

Bake, Freeze & Reheat

Otherwise, you can bake the sweet rolls as normal, then allow them to cool to room temperature. DO NOT ICE WITH FROSTING. Cover the rolls tightly with plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag. When ready to enjoy, allow the rolls to thaw on the counter top at room temperature or in the fridge overnight. Once thawed, reheat them in a 350 degree F oven for about 15 minutes or until warmed through. Top with icing and serve!

**Since this is an enriched dough, it can take longer for the dough to rise. The rise time will also depend on the temperature of your kitchen. A cooler kitchen will have a longer final rise, while a warmer kitchen will be quicker. Bake as normal.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Bread Flour – For the fluffiest Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls, I recommend using bread flour. Its higher protein content gives the dough a better rise, resulting in a softer, chewier cinnamon roll. Some people prefer all-purpose flour, but in my experience, bread flour gives the best results.
• Milk – I used whole milk, but this can be substituted with your favorite non-dairy options as well.
• Sourdough Discard –  I use fresh, room temperature sourdough discard that’s no more than 1-2 days old. If you use the discard straight from the fridge, it’ll slow down the rise time. By the way, you can swap in the same amount of active starter (grams). 
• Light Brown Sugar – Unlike my Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls, I opted for light brown sugar over dark brown sugar for a lighter caramel flavor, but you can substitute with dark brown sugar.
• Instant yeast – I used instant yeast for this recipe, not active dry yeast. Active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in liquid to activate and takes longer to rise dough. Instant yeast, in contrast , can be added directly to dry ingredients, and it works much faster. 

FILLING:

• Blueberries – Fresh or frozen blueberries can be used for the blueberry compote. Or if you prefer, skip the blueberry compote and use blueberry ham instead. 
• Cornstarch – Helps to create a jammy, glossy blueberry compote. Arrowroot powder or tapioca flour are great 1:1 substitutions. 
• Unsalted Butter – For easy spreading, be sure to use softened, room-temperature butter.
• Vanilla Extract – I also love substituting vanilla extract with vanilla paste 1:1.

FROSTING:

• Cream Cheese – For easy mixing, use room-temperature cream cheese.
• Butter – Use room-temperature unsalted butter for easy mixing.
• Lemons – Skip the store-bought lemon juice! I know it’s convenient, but believe me it won’t bring the same fresh flavor. Plus, you really don’t want to skip the lemon zest in this recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll | Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 206mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 475IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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