Sourdough Lemon Curd Cream Cheese Buns
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These sourdough lemon curd cream cheese buns are like danishes, but less work! They are 100% naturally fermented sourdough and *huge*! Make my homemade lemon curd recipe to fill them with, or use store-bought to save time.
I had so many rave reviews on my sourdough strawberry cream cheese buns that I knew I had to make them again with a different flavor. I also heard from several of you that you’d love a 100% sourdough option, so here it is!
Now, you don’t *have* to make the lemon curd homemade–I’ll leave that up to you and how much time you’ve got on your hands. But it is such a rewarding feeling knowing you made your own lemon curd (especially if you’ve never made it before!).
My easy 4-ingredient lemon curd recipe can be found here and listed below; otherwise, just purchase store-bought lemon curd!
While I’d love to call these danishes, they are very specific in that they are a buttery, flaky dough–not a soft, brioche one like this recipe. True danishes take hours of work rolling out, folding butter and dough, and are a completely different type of experience. So we are calling these buns, instead.
Alright, now let’s get into it. The full recipe, process shots, and steps are listed below. I hope you love these as much as we do!
Looking for more lemony desserts? Check these out!
- sourdough lemon scones
- lemon curd cheesecake
- lemon blueberry sourdough bread
- sourdough lemon pound cake
Step-By-Step Instructions
If you plan to make the lemon curd homemade, I suggest making the day before to give it time to cool and thicken.
Find the lemon curd recipe here.
Add the sourdough starter, warm milk, flour, eggs, salt, sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer.
Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time while mixing.
Knead the dough until smooth, soft, and elastic. The dough will be sticky — avoid adding extra flour.
Cover and let the dough rise until puffy and increased in size by about 30–50%.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape into smooth balls.
Place the dough balls onto parchment-lined baking sheets and let rest until slightly puffy.
Beat the cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.
Press an indentation into the center of each bun.
Fill each bun with cream cheese filling and lemon curd. Brush the edges with egg wash.
Bake at 350°F for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown.
Whisk together the icing ingredients until smooth.
Drizzle the icing over the warm buns and enjoy!
Helpful Tips for the BEST Sourdough Lemon Curd Cream Cheese Buns
- Use an active, bubbly sourdough starter for the best rise and soft texture. A strong levain makes a huge difference in brioche dough.
- Avoid adding extra flour, even if the dough feels sticky. Brioche dough is naturally soft and becomes smoother as it kneads.
- Let the dough rise based on appearance, not time. Cooler kitchens may require a much longer fermentation.
- Use room temperature eggs, butter, and cream cheese so everything mixes together smoothly and evenly.
- Slightly warm the buns before serving for the softest texture and gooey lemon curd filling.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Kitchen scale (optional, for metric measurements)
- Whisk
- Hand mixer
- Silicone spatula
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Small bowl or jar (for the levain)
- Cooling rack
Storage Instructions
- Store the buns in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Because of the cream cheese filling, refrigeration is recommended.
- For the best texture, warm the buns in the microwave for 10–15 seconds before serving.
- To freeze, wrap individual buns tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2 months.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm slightly before enjoying.
Check out these sourdough bakes!
Ingredients
Homemade Lemon Curd
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 g
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons salted butter 28 g
- 6 tablespoons lemon juice the juice from about 2 lemons, 90 g
For the Levain
- 2 tablespoons active sourdough starter 30 g
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 60 g
- 1/4 cup filtered water 60 g
For the Brioche Dough
- 2/3 cup active sourdough starter 150 g
- 1/2 cup whole milk warm (100–110°F) (122 g)
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 390 g
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 g
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar 53 g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 g
- 8 tablespoons salted butter softened (113 g)
For the Cream Cheese Filling
- 12 ounces full-fat cream cheese softened (340 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 ml
- 1 cup powdered sugar 120 g
For the Lemon Curd Filling
- 1 1/4 cups lemon curd 300 g, see notes
For the Egg Wash
- 1 large egg whisked
- 1 tablespoon milk
For the Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar 120 g
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons milk 15–30 ml
Instructions
Make the Lemon Curd
- If you want to make the lemon curd from scratch, follow these instructions (I recommend making it the day or two before so it can cool and thicken–it keeps well in the fridge).
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and melted butter. Add the lemon juice and cook over low-medium heat, whisking continuously. As the mixture heats, small bubbles will form. Keep whisking constantly until the curd thickens, about 7-10 minutes. Once thickened, remove from heat and let it cool completely before using. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks.
Make the Levain (Skip This Step If You Already Have Active Sourdough Starter)
- In a small bowl or jar, combine the sourdough starter, flour, and filtered water.
- Mix until fully combined and no dry flour remains.
- Cover loosely and allow to rest at room temperature for 6–10 hours, or until doubled in size, bubbly, and active.
- The levain is ready when it has peaked and the top looks slightly domed or just begins to flatten.
Make the Brioche Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the active levain/sourdough starter, warm milk, flour, eggs, salt, sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Mix on low to medium speed until a shaggy dough forms.
- With the mixer running, add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time, allowing each piece to fully incorporate before adding more. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and knead for 7–10 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and begins pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
- Brioche dough is naturally soft, wet, and sticky. It may be tempting to add extra flour, but avoid doing so for the softest texture.
- Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 6–10 hours, or until increased in size by about 30–50%. Once it's fermented, you can continue on to shaping the buns or cover and let chill in the fridge overnight.
- Depending on the temperature of your home, this rise may take longer. In cooler kitchens, expect closer to 12 hours. Watch the dough, not the clock.
Shape the Buns
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 10 equal portions, about 95–100 g each.
- Shape each piece into a smooth ball and place onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each bun.
- Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and let the buns complete their second rise, which will take about 1-4 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen. If you chilled the dough overnight, it will be closer to the 3-4 hour mark.
Prepare the Fillings
- Cream Cheese Filling
- In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the softened cream cheese and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar and mix until fully combined and fluffy.
- Lemon Curd
- Stir the lemon curd until smooth and easily spoonable, if needed.
Fill the Buns
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Using your fingers or the bottom of a glass, gently press an indentation into the center of each dough ball.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese filling into the center of each bun.
- Top with about 2 tablespoons of lemon curd.
- Brush the outer edges of each bun with the whisked egg and milk.
Bake
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the buns are golden brown and baked through.
- Allow the buns to cool slightly on the baking sheet before icing.
Make the Icing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk until smooth.
- Adjust the milk as needed until your desired consistency is reached.
- Drizzle over the warm buns before serving.
Notes
Storage Instructions
- Store the buns in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Because of the cream cheese filling, refrigeration is recommended.
- For the best texture, warm the buns in the microwave for 10–15 seconds before serving.
- To freeze, wrap individual buns tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2 months.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm slightly before enjoying.
These lemon curd cream cheese buns are 100% sourdough and are bakery-style. They’re HUGE and packed with fresh lemon flavor. We adore this recipe. Let me know what you think if you make them!