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Published by Katie on June 29, 2018; last modified June 29, 2018

Rhubarb Rolls

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Tart homemade rhubarb filling in a sweet yeasted roll, with a pink rhubarb glaze on top; these rhubarb rolls are a delight.  (Jump to Recipe) 

Rhubarb Rolls | katiebirdbakes

I see a lot of things on my daily walks through the city.  Some predictable, and some truly bizarre things.  I walk 30 minutes each way to work every day, so I have a lot of time to witness the ordinary and the mundane, the rote and the routine, but also the extraordinary and downright strange in a city as large as Chicago.

My walk takes me past coffee shops and bus stops, past corporate office buildings and flashy apartment towers, past decrepit empty storefronts and bustling hotels, past construction sites and sidewalk cafes.  I walk next to bankers and lawyers in expensive suits, ladies who lunch in their Lululemon spandex, sunburnt tourists who stop in front of me without warning, gaggles of loud students on field trips, bedraggled homeless people looking for their next meal, cops wandering their beats and getting asked for directions, elderly couples puttering along holding hands, runners training for the marathon, nannies pushing their charges in strollers (and sometimes dog walkers pushing the dogs in strollers), nurses walking home from the night shift, khaki-clad coworkers on their way to a happy hour, musicians trying to make some money on the side, newlyweds in their dresses and tuxes taking photos they’ll have on their walls forever.  I see rich and poor and everything in between, all blending together in the daily chaos of the city.

Rhubarb Rolls | katiebirdbakes

The bizarre moments don’t always announce themselves loudly; you have to be paying attention.  I once saw a construction worker bend down and casually rinse his hands in a giant street puddle of tepid standing water.  Just yesterday, I saw a well-dressed man walking down the street completely barefoot, clearly having just gone for a run, but not holding any shoes.  I’ve seen grisly-looking homeless men giving directions to tourists; I’ve seen people living in alleyways and abandoned doorways.  Chicago isn’t as jarring of a place as New York, but it has its moments.

Brian and I live above it all in a little box in the sky.  Sometimes it feels strange to live in such a small space amid such a large city.  You know?

Rhubarb Rolls | katiebirdbakes

Our little piece of Chicago usually looks like this – mixer running, flour everywhere.  This particular occasion concerns a celebration of rhubarb during its very short season.  I feel like rhubarb often gets the short end of the stick because it’s always paired with strawberries, and never the star of the show.  Sure, they’re delicious together, but I want to let the tart flavor of rhubarb shine on its own.

Rhubarb Rolls | katiebirdbakes

These rhubarb rolls aren’t all that different from rolls we’ve made together before – in fact, if you need step by step photos of how rolled-out dough should look, see my cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing or carrot cake cinnamon rolls.  The difference here is: (1) the method by which we’re making the dough, using the mixer with a dough hook to form that lovely gluten rather than stirring by hand; and (2) we’re making a jam-like puree of cooked-down rhubarb and using it in both the filling and the glaze.  It’s the rhubarb show and I am very pleased with it.

Rhubarb Rolls | katiebirdbakesRhubarb Rolls | katiebirdbakes

You need to have patience when making sweet rolls.  Yeast needs time to do its magical work with the dough.  Cooking down the rhubarb actually doesn’t take long at all though, and you don’t need to puree it – you just keep stirring and it eventually takes on a smooth, jam-like consistency.  Then we roll out the risen dough, fill with 1 cup of the puree, roll it up, arrange, let rise a little more, and bake!

Rhubarb Rolls | katiebirdbakes

They’re a little messy, sure, but so is life.  It’s worth it.

Rhubarb Rolls | katiebirdbakes

Once baked, we mix a little more of the rhubarb puree with powdered sugar and lemon juice to form a lovely pink glaze.  I am obsessed with this natural color!

Rhubarb Rolls | katiebirdbakes

After the long (albeit therapeutic) process of making these rhubarb rolls, getting to eat them is a serious reward.  Enjoying one of these rolls with a cup of coffee, looking out over this crazy city, is exactly how I want every weekend to be.

Rhubarb Rolls | katiebirdbakes

I hope you can slow down and give these rhubarb rolls a try before the season ends.  They’re worth every minute!

Rhubarb Rolls | katiebirdbakes
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5 from 4 votes

Rhubarb Rolls

Tart rhubarb filling in a sweet yeasted roll, with a pink rhubarb glaze on top; these rhubarb rolls are a delight.
Servings: 12 rolls
Author: katiebirdbakes.com

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet); can also use active dry yeast
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

For the rhubarb filling:

  • 3 cups sliced rhubarb (about 1/2 inch slices)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

For assembly:

  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 1 Tablespoon water or milk

For the glaze:

  • 2 Tablespoons rhubarb filling (from above)
  • 1 cup powdered (confectioner's) sugar
  • 1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice (as needed)

Instructions

For the dough:

  • In a microwave-safe container (I use a pyrex measuring cup) heat the milk and butter together until the butter just melts and the milk is warm to the touch (but not hot - about 100-110 degrees F).  Whisk together to incorporate the butter.
  • Stir in the yeast and sugar. Let sit for about 5 minutes - the mixture should start to bubble a bit, which means the yeast is alive.  
  • Beat the egg in a small bowl, then add it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.  Add the milk/yeast mixture, the flour, and the salt.  Beat with the dough hook, first on low speed to incorporate and then on medium speed for about 5 minutes.  The dough should be smooth and soft, elastic, and easy to form into a ball.
  • Form the dough into a ball and place in the bottom of the mixing bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place (I just put it on top of my oven) until doubled, about 1 - 1.5 hours.  Make the filling while the dough rises.

For the filling:

  • Combine sliced rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the rhubarb completely breaks down and the mixture turns into a jam-like consistency, about 10 minutes.  You may have to crush some pieces of rhubarb with your spoon.
  • Set filling aside to cool while the dough finishes its rise.  Once cooled, measure out 1 cup of the filling, and reserve the remainder for the glaze and/or another use (you will have more than you need).

For assembly:

  • Turn out the risen dough onto a lightly floured counter or surface.  Roll it out to about an 18x12 inch rectangle (it will probably be more oval than rectangle and that's ok).  Spread 1 cup of the rhubarb filling over the dough, leaving a 1 inch border around the edges.
  • Starting with the long edge furthest from you, roll the dough towards you, moving your fingers evenly back and forth along the dough, until it is tightly coiled with seam down. Filling will escape and it will get a little messy, but that's ok.  
  • Cut into 12 even rolls with a bench scraper or sharp knife, and place evenly, cut side up (aka messy filling side down) in a greased 9x13 inch pan.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature until slightly risen and puffy, about 30-45 minutes. 
  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Beat the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon water or milk.  When the rolls are risen, brush the egg wash evenly over them.
  • Bake the rolls for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling.  
  • Meanwhile, make your glaze by whisking together 2 tbsp rhubarb filling, 1 cup powdered sugar, and enough lemon juice to make the glaze pourable (1-2 tbsp should do it).  
  • Pour glaze over warm rolls.  Serve with coffee and good friends.

Notes

Dough recipe adapted from the lovely Joy the Baker.
 
These rhubarb rolls will keep, covered in the fridge, for a few days.  Simply reheat individually in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to serve.  You can also freeze the baked and glazed rolls in an airtight container, then defrost overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a couple hours before heating and serving.

Like this recipe?  Please rate it and leave a comment or tag me on Instagram @katiebirdbakes, and sign up for my email list to receive my recipes straight to your inbox every time I post!

Rhubarb Rolls | katiebirdbakes

Rhubarb Rolls | katiebirdbakes

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Comments

  1. Vanessa says

    June 14, 2022 at 2:47 pm

    Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?

    Reply
  2. Suzanne says

    June 14, 2022 at 2:46 pm

    This looks so good! Can I make with other kinds of fruit?

    Reply
  3. Rae says

    May 24, 2021 at 7:17 pm

    5 stars
    I made these today and have already eaten 3. Delicious! I was afraid they weren’t going to work. My dough was very stiff, didn’t look like the picture (the yeast was very active so that wasn’t the problem). The first rise didn’t rise very much–after 2 hours–but then they rolled out fine and turned out great anyway. I’ll be saving this recipe, thank you!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      June 1, 2021 at 11:03 pm

      Great to hear! Thank you Rae!

      Reply
      • Linda says

        May 13, 2022 at 12:27 pm

        Could you use frozen bread dough if in a hurry???

        Reply
        • Katie says

          May 15, 2022 at 5:22 pm

          I think you probably could but I haven’t tried it so can’t say for sure. I would just make sure the dough is thawed before using.

          Reply
  4. Renate says

    May 2, 2021 at 9:46 am

    Just made your no-knead cinnamon rolls – they are amazing!!! – and I’m wondering if that dough can be used to make these rhubarb rolls?

    Reply
    • Katie says

      May 3, 2021 at 10:33 am

      Hi Renate – I haven’t tried it but yes, I think it would work! Let me know if you try!

      Reply
  5. Katie says

    April 28, 2021 at 3:19 am

    5 stars
    Really easy to follow, successful and yummy recipe. I just need to work on my rolling skills so all the rhubarb filling doesn’t squidge up!

    I did a few things slightly different…

    For the buns, I only had semi skimmed and a couple plant milks in my fridge, so I used the milk with the highest fat content, which happened to be pea. Worked perfectly!

    I like my rhubarb spiced a bit, so I ground up the innards of 7 cardamom pods, added about a teaspoon of ground ginger and the largest star anise I could find. It was delicious.

    I wanted slightly bigger buns so I cut into 9 and used a square dish.

    It was a lot of sugar glaze, so next time I might do only 1/2-2/3 volume. Very yummy though, I may even venture more rhubarb filling to sugar next time for a bit more tang in there.

    The only problem with these buns is once you eat one, you immediately want another!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      April 28, 2021 at 6:27 pm

      I love the changes you made, Katie! Thanks so much for the review!

      Reply
  6. Tom M says

    May 24, 2020 at 8:06 am

    I’m obsessed with rhubarb and want to try these Immediately!!! In fact, I made my version of rhubarb compote (with ginger) last night!!! I just want to confirm the yeast measurement. The recipe calls for 2-¼ tsp of instant yeast. In most of my recipes, the amount of instant yeast (also called bread machine yeast), is only ¼ to ½ tsp. As soon as I hear back I’m going to get going on these! Thanks so much.
    Tom

    Reply
    • Katie says

      May 25, 2020 at 4:04 pm

      Hi Tom – the yeast measurement is correct!

      Reply
  7. Cassie says

    April 1, 2020 at 1:54 pm

    Hi! Could I leave the unbaked rolls in the oven overnight and pop them in in the morning to bake?

    Reply
    • Katie says

      April 2, 2020 at 11:17 pm

      I’d leave them in the fridge overnight! Then take them out for 30 min while the oven preheats, then bake as directed. Enjoy!

      Reply
  8. Lindsay J. says

    March 23, 2019 at 1:08 pm

    5 stars
    Looks great, I love rhubarb so much and am always looking for new recipes.

    Question about the dough, can you substitute a non-dairy milk? I personally have never made rolls from scratch and my dad (who loves rhubarb) cannot have dairy.

    Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      March 24, 2019 at 6:08 pm

      Hi Lindsay – yes, you absolutely can substitute a non-dairy milk! Should work just fine. Let me know how it turns out – I hope you and your dad love it!

      Reply
  9. Christina | Christina's Cucina says

    March 20, 2019 at 3:01 pm

    5 stars
    I love rhubarb and these would be absolutely a treat! 🙂

    Reply

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I'm Katie: attorney by day, baker by night. I'm sharing sophisticated yet approachable dessert recipes to convince you that if you can read, you can bake! Thanks for being here. Read More...

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