Crescent Rolls

These homemade crescent rolls are light, buttery, tender, and flaky. They’re perfect for your holiday gatherings or Sunday suppers. They’re made with a handful of easy-to-find, simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have.

Is there anything better than a simple, homemade dinner roll? Everyone loves them. How often is there an argument at the dinner table over the last crescent roll in the basket? Okay, maybe that’s just my family (Alise and Kyle you know I’m talking about you!).

I’ve learned to be safe and always make a double batch! These little golden crescents go fast! Skip the Pillsbury rolls. These babies will make whatever meal you serve them special.

More recipes to try for your breadbasket: Lion House rolls, cat head biscuits, olive garden breadsticks, and garlic bread.

Are Crescent Rolls And Croissants The Same Thing?

While they share the same shape and both are buttery, they indeed are not the same thing. Crescent rolls are made from a simple yeast dough and croissants are made of a far more complicated yeasted laminated dough. Crescent rolls are simple to make where, I personally feel like croissants are on the more difficult side.

Crescent Roll Ingredients + Tips

• Active Dry Yeast: This recipe calls for active yeast. It differs from Instant yeast in that the Active needs to be dissolved before adding to the recipe. I prefer this because when the yeast dissolves, you will visually see it foam and activate and know it’s live and will do its job and leaven the rolls.
• Warm Water: I like to use a thermometer to check the temperature of the water. It’s simply foolproof. If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast and if the water is too cool, it won’t activate it.
• Cold Butter: It’s important that the butter is very cold. It’s will create flaky layers in your crescents.
• All-Purpose Flour: Use the spoon scooping method of measuring. It’s very easy and ensures you don’t add too much flour ( which could result in dry rolls) to the recipe.

Storing, Freezing, + Make-Ahead Tips

• How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Like dinner rolls, these crescent rolls will last in the fridge for 4-5 days. Just make sure to store this in an airtight container.
• Can You Freeze This? It’ll last in the freezer for 3 months in a resealable bag with as much air removed as possible.
• Make-Ahead Tips: 
  • Refrigerate Dough: The crescent rolls dough can be prepared through step 3. Then lightly oil the interior of a large resealable bag and place it in the fridge overnight. Remove from fridge and continue with step 4.
  • Freeze Before Bake: Prepare through step 5, but do not allow to rise. Place baking sheet in the freezer. When the rolls are frozen, you can remove them from the baking sheet and place them in a resealable bag in the freezer. When ready to bake, remove from the freezer and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Allow to room temperature and double in size. Proceed with step 6.

How To Make Homemade Crescent Rolls 

1. Dissolve yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and foamy.
2. Add remaining sugar, salt, eggs, butter, and 2 cups of flour. Mix, add more flour and knead.
3. Lightly oil a large mixing bowl. Remove the dough from the stand-up mixer bowl and shape it into a ball. Add dough to a mixing bowl and turn over to coat with the oil.
4. Cover loosely with plastic wrap then lay a clean kitchen towel on top. Let rise for about 1 1/2 hours.
5. After the dough has risen, gently punch it down and divide it into two balls.
6. Roll each ball out into a circle that is about 12 inches wide.
7. Cut each circle into twelve wedges.
8. Roll up the wedges starting with the wide end. Curve ends to form crescents.
9. Place rolls point-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and let rise for at least 2 hours.
10. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until golden brown.
11. Brush tops with melted butter when they come out of the oven.
12. Remove from pans to wire racks.

***See the full instructions below.

More Bread Side Dish Recipes

• Bisquick Drop Biscuits
• Bisquick Biscuit
• Jalapeno Cornbread
• Hot Water Cornbread 
• Butter Swim Biscuits

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Crescent Rolls

These homemade crescent rolls are light, buttery, tender, and flaky. They're perfect for your holiday gatherings or Sunday suppers.

Prep Time4 hours hrs

Cook Time12 minutes mins

Total Time4 hours hrs 12 minutes mins

Servings: 24 rolls

Author: Kathleen

Ingredients

Rolls:

• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees°F or 45 degrees°C)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 4 - 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Topping:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted

Instructions

• Line 2, 1/2 sheet baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, dissolve yeast (2 packages), warm water (3/4 cup), and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let sit 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and foamy. 
• Add remaining sugar, salt (1 1/4 teaspoon), eggs (2 large), butter (1/2 cup), and 2 cups of flour. Mix until combined. Mix in remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, to form a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Scrape dough from the side of the bowl. Knead on medium speed until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.  
• Lightly oil a large mixing bowl. Remove dough from stand-up mixer bowl and shape into a ball. Add dough to mixing bowl and turn over to coat with the oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap then lay a clean kitchen towel on top. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
• 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. Roll up the wedges starting with the wide end. Curve ends to form crescents. Place rolls point side down on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and let rise for at least 2 hours.
• Bake at 400°F (205°C) for 9-12 minutes or until golden brown. Brush tops with melted butter (1/4 cup) when they come out of the oven. Remove from pans to wire racks.

Fans Also Made:

• 
  Easy Beer Bread
• 
  Garlic and Herb Parker House Rolls
• 
  Practically No-Knead Bread
• 
  Southern Cornbread

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Notes

1. Active Dry Yeast: This recipe calls for active yeast. It differs from Instant yeast in that the Active needs to be dissolved before adding to the recipe. I prefer this because when the yeast dissolves, you will visually see it foam and activate and know it's live and will do its job and leaven the rolls.
2. Warm Water: I like to use a thermometer to check the temperature of the water. It's simply foolproof. If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast and if the water is too cool, it won't activate it.
3. Cold Butter: It's important that the butter is very cold. It's will create flaky layers in your crescents.
4. All-Purpose Flour: Use the spoon scooping method of measuring. It's very easy and ensures you don't add too much flour ( which could result in dry rolls) to the recipe.
5. Make-Ahead Tips: 
   • Refrigerate Dough: The crescent rolls dough can be prepared through step 3. Then lightly oil the interior of a large resealable bag and place it in the fridge overnight. Remove from fridge and continue with step 4.
   • Freeze Before Bake: Prepare through step 5, but do not allow to rise. Place baking sheet in the freezer. When the rolls are frozen, you can remove them from the baking sheet and place them in a resealable bag in the freezer. When ready to bake, remove from the freezer and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Allow to room temperature and double in size. Proceed with step 6.

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