Lemon Blueberry Pull Apart Bread
This ooey-gooey, pull-apart bread features a marriage of tangy lemon and sweet blueberries, woven into soft and chewy dinner rolls. Topped with a tangy-sweet lemon glaze, this show-stopper is ideal for entertaining, and makes an excellent option for breakfast, brunch, midday snacking, and dessert. And thanks to store-bought frozen dinner rolls, it’s incredibly easy to make; just 6 ingredients!
This is a sponsored post for Rhodes Bread. All opinions are mine.
Frozen dinner rolls make this pull-apart bread a breeze to prepare! If you follow my blog, you know I’m a huge fan of Rhodes frozen dinner rolls; I use them all the time. The Thaw, Rise & Bake Frozen Dinner Rolls make an excellent addition to any meal, and they bake up golden, puffy, and chewy every time. My kids love them too! That said, I strive to find creative uses for quality ingredients, and Rhodes frozen dinner rolls are no exception! Sure, you can bake them as instructed and have fluffy, tender rolls in 15 minutes. OR, you can try this show-stopping treat and wow the crowd!
In this recipe, we cut the thawed dinner rolls into small pieces, roll them in lemon curd and then layer them in a loaf pan with blueberry pie filling. As the dough bakes, the rolls absorb both the lemony goodness from the lemon curd, and the sweet, fruity essence of the blueberry pie filling. Plus, since the rolls absorb the lemon and blueberry, they’re ultra-moist and flavorful. I used 15 Rhodes frozen dinner rolls for this recipe and it was perfect – the rolls puffed up delightfully high, without overflowing the loaf pan. If desired, you may also use a 1-pound loaf of Rhodes Thaw, Rise & Bake White Bread. When using the bread, thaw the dough as directed and then cut it into 60 equal pieces (we use 20 pieces per layer).
Lemon curd for the win! Citrusy-smooth lemon curd is made with lemon, eggs, butter, and sugar. It’s a one-stop-shop for great flavor, moisture and richness in this pull-apart bread. And since lemon curd coats every piece of dough before it goes in the pan, each nugget is decidedly lemony and buttery. Look for lemon curd near the fruit preserves in the grocery store. Lemon curd is also sometimes sold in the international food section of the supermarket.
Blueberry pie filling adds great flavor while keeping the loaf ultra moist. Blueberry pie filling (and topping) is a thickened blend of cooked blueberries, lemon, and cornstarch. It’s a fun ingredient, so it shouldn’t be relegated to pie! If desired, you can also use blueberry preserves; just note that blueberry preserves are more like jam than pie filling, so the bread might not be as gooey when serving.
Make sure to plan ahead! Since we use frozen dinner rolls for this pull-apart bread, we need to thaw them before using. Follow the package directions and thaw the rolls overnight in the refrigerator, or on the counter for 3 to 5 hours. Just make sure the rolls are still cold (not fully risen) when you start assembling the bread.
Lemon Blueberry Pull Apart Bread
Ingredients
- 15 Rhodes Thaw, Rise & Bake Dinner Rolls, thawed as directed, either overnight in the refrigerator, or 3 to 5 hours at room temperature, still cold
- 1/3 cup lemon curd
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 6 tablespoons blueberry pie filling and topping, or blueberry preserves
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
Instructions
- Coat a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. If desired, line the pan with parchment paper.
- Cut each roll into 4 equal pieces, making 60 pieces. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon curd and melted butter until blended.
- Dip 20 of the roll pieces in the lemon curd-butter mixture and turn to coat. Arrange the pieces in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan. Top with 3 tablespoons of the blueberry pie filling. Spread out to coat the surface.
- Dip another 20 roll pieces in the lemon curd-butter mixture and arrange on top of the blueberry pie filling.
- Top the rolls with the remaining blueberry pie filling and spread out to cover the surface.
- Dip the remaining 20 roll pieces in the lemon curd-butter mixture and arrange on top of the blueberry pie filling. If you have any leftover lemon curd-butter mixture, spread it over the top.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the dough is about even with the top of the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Uncover the loaf and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until puffed up and golden brown.
- Cool the loaf in the pan, on a wire rack, for at least 30 minutes before drizzling with the glaze.
- To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled loaf and let stand a few minutes to set.