Crescent Rolls
These from-scratch crescent rolls are flaky, buttery and easier than you’d think. They are the reliable accompaniment to any holiday meal!
Growing up, there were two ways in which we were acquainted with crescent rolls:
A veggie pizza appetizer that showed up every single year, without fail, on New Year’s Eve; and…
Crescent-wrapped hot dogs (stuffed with American cheese, hopefully) that our mom made on occasion.
We thought that those hot dogs were pretty much a standby invention ever for a significant amount of time. In both cases, the crescent rolls were popped out of a can and while there is a place in our heart for each of those recipes, we thought it was high time that we tried our hand at from-scratch crescent rolls. Our husband asked if we could make them a few weeks ago and it was reliable timing with the upcoming holiday. These would be a fantastic stand-in for regular rolls on your Thanksgiving table!
These crescent rolls were significantly easier than we anticipated; the dough is incredibly simple to mix together and it’s not finicky in the least. It results in a soft and buttery brioche-light dough that rose without an issue. Once the dough has doubled in size, you simply roll it out into a circle, slater it in butter and sprinkle it with salt, cut into wedges and roll up each individual crescent roll. They rise again, get brushed with an egg wash and are baked until golden brown.
The rolls are soft with a slight crust on the top and bottom, and fluffy and buttery inside. We guarantee no one at your table would complain when a basket of these are passed around!
If you’ve always loved crescent rolls, you will adore this recipe and find it easier than you imagined!
From-scratch Crescent Rolls
Yield: 12 crescent rolls These from-scratch crescent rolls are flaky, buttery and easier than you'd think. They are the reliable accompaniment to any holiday meal!For the Dough:
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ½ cup (118.29 ml) half-and-half, heated to 110 degrees
- 1 tablespoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar, divided
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2½ cups (312.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Assembly:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
For the Topping:
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon water
- Whisk the melted butter, half-and-half, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in a large liquid measuring cup until the yeast dissolves. Whisk in the egg and egg yolk.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the flour, remaining sugar, and salt on low speed until combined, about 15 seconds. With mixer running on low, add the half-and-half mixture in a steady stream and mix until the dough comes together. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is smooth and comes away from the sides of bowl, about 6 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead to form a smooth, round ball. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm, draft-free spot. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 12-inch circle. Spread the softened butter over the dough, sprinkle with the salt, and cut into 12 wedges using a pizza cutter. Roll each wedge starting at the wide end, and arrange (with pointed tip of dough underneath each roll) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and return to a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Make-Ahead Note: At this point, the rolls can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk the egg white and water in a small bowl. Remove the plastic wrap and brush each roll twice with the egg white mixture. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through cooking. Cool rolls on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving. Leftover rolls can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Notes
Nutritional values are based on one serving
- Yield: 12 crescent rolls
- Prep: 30 minutes
- Cook: 20 minutes
- Total: 3 hours
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ½ cup ( 118.29 ml ) half-and-half, heated to 110 degrees
- 1 tablespoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
- ¼ cup ( 50 g ) sugar, divided
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2½ cups ( 312.5 g ) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Assembly:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon ( 0.25 teaspoon ) salt
For the Topping:
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon water
Method
- Whisk the melted butter, half-and-half, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in a large liquid measuring cup until the yeast dissolves. Whisk in the egg and egg yolk.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the flour, remaining sugar, and salt on low speed until combined, about 15 seconds. With mixer running on low, add the half-and-half mixture in a steady stream and mix until the dough comes together. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is smooth and comes away from the sides of bowl, about 6 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead to form a smooth, round ball. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm, draft-free spot. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 12-inch circle. Spread the softened butter over the dough, sprinkle with the salt, and cut into 12 wedges using a pizza cutter. Roll each wedge starting at the wide end, and arrange (with pointed tip of dough underneath each roll) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and return to a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Make-Ahead Note: At this point, the rolls can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk the egg white and water in a small bowl. Remove the plastic wrap and brush each roll twice with the egg white mixture. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through cooking. Cool rolls on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving. Leftover rolls can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
