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Flaky homemade crescent rolls are soft and tender. They are perfect for Sunday dinner or a holiday gathering!
Why We Love Homemade!
They may look similar to croissants, but these homemade crescent rolls are closer to our traditional Dinner Roll (so soft and delicious).
We make these crescent rolls as often as we can and especially love them as a side dish for holidays or Sunday dinner. (In fact – you may need to double this recipe because they never last long at our house.)
For more flaky fabulousness try Yeast Dinner Rolls or Homemade Dinner Rolls.
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- Pair perfectly with meals. From a Sunday Crockpot Ham or a bowl of soup, these are the ideal sides to any meal (especially great for Thanksgiving, Christmas, + Easter).
- Freezable. Freeze the dough or the baked roll and double the recipe so you always have some on hand.
- Easy to make. The instructions are easy to follow and result in a flavorful and soft texture.
Ingredients
- PREP TIME: 20 minutes
- RISE TIME: 2 hours
- COOK TIME: 12 minutes
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup warm water – The water needs to be between 100°F and 110°F
- ½ cup butter softened – How to Soften Butter Quickly
- ½ cup warm milk – Use 2% or whole milk for best results.
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour – or bread flour, How to Measure Flour
- 2 tablespoons melted butter – unsalted or salted butter to brush on top of the baked rolls
How to Make Crescent Rolls
- WET INGREDIENTS. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, dissolve the 1 tablespoon of active dry yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in ½ cup warm water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and foamy.
- Add ½ cup butter, ½ cup warm milk, 1 egg, ⅓ cup sugar, and ¾ teaspoon salt to the yeast mixture.
- DRY INGREDIENTS. Add 2 cups of flour, and stir until combined. Mix in the remaining 2 cups flour, ¼ cup at a time, to form a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- KNEAD & SHAPE. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Shape the crescent dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about one hour, until doubled.
- ROLL & CUT. After the dough has risen, gently punch it down and divide it into two balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball out into a circle that is about 12 inches wide, then cut each circle into twelve wedges using a pizza cutter.
- RISE. Roll each wedge of dough up, starting at the wide end, to form a crescent shape. Place on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise until doubled (about 30-60 minutes).
- BAKE. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with the melted butter. Serve warm.
Crescent Rolls
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in the warm water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and foamy. Add the butter, warm milk, egg, remaining ⅓ cup sugar, and salt to the yeast mixture.
- Add 2 cups of flour, and mix until combined. Mix in additional flour, ¼ cup at a time, to form a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for about one hour, until doubled.
- After the dough has risen, gently punch it down and divide them into two balls. Roll each ball out into a circle that is about 12 inches wide, then cut each circle into twelve wedges using a pizza cutter.
- Roll each wedge of dough up, starting at the wide end, to form a crescent shape. Place on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise until doubled, 30-60 minutes.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with the melted butter. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Refrigerate the dough: Once the dough is kneaded, place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to bake: roll, form, rise, and bake.
- Freeze the dough: Form rolls into a crescent shape, line them up on a baking sheet, and freeze. Once solid, transfer the individual rolls into a freezer-safe container. They are best when used by 3 months, but can last for up to 6 months.
- To bake: Place crescent rolls on a baking pan. Cover the pan with a greased piece of plastic wrap (the cooking spray helps keep the plastic from sticking to the dough). Allow to rise for about 4 hours before baking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Yeast issues. The yeast could be old or killed by water that was too hot, preventing it from activating.
Temperature problems. The dough might not have been in a warm enough environment for optimal yeast activity, hindering the rising process.
Ingredient errors. Too much salt or sugar can inhibit yeast growth, while insufficient liquid can prevent proper dough development.
Over proofing. If the dough rises too high it caves in on itself and the batch is lost.
Croissants are delicate, flaky pastries made with a laminated dough that requires extensive butter folding, resulting in a rich, buttery flavor.
Crescent rolls are simpler, bread-like pastries with a softer texture and less complex preparation.
> Refrigerate the dough. Once the dough is kneaded, place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake: roll, form, rise, and bake.
> Freeze the dough. Form rolls into a crescent shape, line them up on a baking sheet, and freeze. Once solid, transfer the individual rolls into a freezer-safe container. They are best when used by 3 months, but can last for up to 6 months.
> To bake. Place crescent rolls on a baking pan. Cover the pan with a greased piece of plastic wrap (the cooking spray helps keep the plastic from sticking to the dough). Allow to rise to double, about 4 hours, before baking.
Whisk an egg and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl. After the rolls have risen, use a pastry brush to gently apply a layer of egg wash to the top of each roll. Bake.
> Cinnamon sugar rolls. Roll the dough into a circle, and top it with butter. In a separate bowl, mix cinnamon and (white or brown) sugar. Spread the sugar mixture evenly over the dough. Cut into triangles, roll, and bake.
> Pizza crescent rolls. Roll the crescent roll dough into a circle, top it with butter, and cut it into triangles. Add mozzarella cheese and pepperoni, roll the triangles up, and bake.
> Pigs in a blanket. Roll the dough into a circle and cut it into triangles. Roll each triangle around a hot dog. Bake (See our Pigs in a Blanket recipe for more info)
Keep any leftover crescent rolls in Ziploc bags on the counter at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Wrap the leftovers in plastic wrap, then again with foil, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
I really like all the different ways you can use the dough. My family loved everything I made using this recipe. The only bad thing is the tim, but I know that is kind of hard with waiting for the dough to rise, and the baking. Overall I would definitely recommend this.
Yes, crescent rolls do take a bit of time and effort…. definitely worth it though! 😉
Love these! Easy recipe to follow and they turn out amazing every time!!! My mother in law raves any these every time we make them!!
Love this recipe! The only addition I made was adding 2 tablespoons of honey for flavor, never have any leftovers for these!
My kids love these and to be honest so do I. So easy.
I made these for my family Thanksgiving and they were gobbled up. It was my first time making any kind of roll from scratch and it wasn’t too hard!
Soft, fluffy and easy!
My family loved these rolls!
The easiest, yummiest rolls ever! My missionary even made them!
Made these for Thanksgiving, my family loved them.
These are amazing and I make them for every family gathering. Thank you!