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Flaky homemade crescent rolls are soft and tender. They are perfect for Sunday dinner or a holiday gathering!
It might be a good idea to double the recipe because they will not last long! For more flaky fabulousness try Yeast Dinner Rolls or Homemade Dinner Rolls.
Why We Love Homemade!
They may look similar to croissants, but these crescent rolls are closer to a traditional roll.
Here’s why we love them:
- Pair perfectly with meals. From a Sunday 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.
- A hit for all. Everyone loves homemade rolls, so this is sure to be a great side for your guests at any meal.
Ingredients
- active dry yeast
- sugar
- warm water – The water needs to be between 100°F and 110°F.
- butter
- warm milk – Use 2% or whole milk for best results.
- egg
- salt
- all-purpose flour or bread flour.
How to Roll Crescent Rolls
- WET INGREDIENTS. 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.
- DRY INGREDIENTS. 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 & 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. 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.
Variations
- Egg wash. 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 togeth 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).
Make it Ahead
Mix up the dough and either refrigerate or freeze to make ahead and bake later.
- 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.
storing Info
- STORE. Keep any leftover crescent rolls in Ziploc bags on the counter at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- FREEZE. Wrap the leftovers in plastic wrap, then again with foil, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
For More Rolls:
Crescent Rolls
Flaky homemade crescent rolls are soft and tender. They are perfect for Sunday dinner or a holiday gathering!
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 1/3 cup sugar, and salt to the yeast mixture.
- Add 2 cups of flour, and mix until combined. Mix in additional flour, 1/4 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
- Make it ahead of time. Mix up the dough and either refrigerate or freeze to make ahead and bake later.
- 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.
- STORE. Keep any leftover crescent rolls in Ziploc bags on the counter at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- FREEZE. Wrap the leftovers in plastic wrap, then again with foil, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 24g, Calories: 136kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 116mg, Potassium: 36mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 165IU, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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These are so easy to make and so delicious. I am making them right now for Christmas dinner.
How many rolls does this recipe make?
It makes about 24 rolls.
Love these!! They always turn out so great.
I had almost given up on yeast roll until this recipe. They are they best!! You must try them.
Made these for thanksgiving and it was way easier then I expected! I did have to put my dough in the fridge since I couldn’t make them right away so my dough was a little hard to roll out and thick but it was my first time making them and my husband and kids loved them!!
This is my favorite recipe for Sunday dinners, Thanksgiving and Christmas ! So easy to make!
I’ve made a lot of rolls over the years – tried a bunch of different recipes – and am kind of known for my homemade rolls yet I’ve never been able to decide on a favorite roll recipe. Until this recipe – it is now my absolute favorite!! So perfectly soft and flaky and delicious.
Love the simplicity of this recipe! I can’t wait to make them! I’d like to freeze them to bake on Thanksgiving though. Would you recommend this? If so, should I allow them the final rise before freezing them, or, once they thaw, allow the final rise right before baking? Thanks!
Yay!! These will be a great addition to a Thanksgiving feast. Yes, so once you have the rolls rolled into the crescent shape you’ll want to line them up on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer. Once solid, transfer the individual rolls into a freezer safe container. You can freeze for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to bake, place frozen dough balls in 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. Then bake as listed in the recipe. Hope you enjoy!!
Can you put the rolled up crescent roll in the refrigerator, set them out the next day, allow them to raise and then bake them??
Yes, you could do that. Here’s also the suggestion we include on the post for making them in advance: “Refrigerate the dough: once you have kneaded the dough place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you’re ready roll and form the rolls, rise and bake.”
I make a lot of rolls – and have a lot of different roll recipes that I use for different reasons. I really liked the simplicity of this one with the super yummy results! Will definitely make again!
Yay!! So happy to hear that you enjoyed this roll recipe too! Thanks for sharing.