Buttery, soft, and flaky homemade crescent rolls are made from scratch with just a few simple ingredients, and are way better than store-bought rolls.
Crescents, not Croissants!
These light, tender dinner rolls with a golden brown crust might share the crescent moon shape of flaky croissants, but they are a totally different (and totally delicious!) type of bread.
My homemade crescent roll recipe will remind you of the kind that you may have made from refrigerated dough – just better! They are lightly chewy, ultra buttery, and crisp on the outside yet soft and fluffy on the inside.
I was pleasantly surprised to figure out that I could make crescent rolls from scratch, as I like to avoid too many processed foods. It took just 7 ingredients and 20 minutes of hands-on time to make my new favorite dinner rolls!
These are perfect for everyday meals, and will also make for a perfect Thanksgiving side dish.
Ingredient Notes
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour to make crescent rolls. Bread flour or whole wheat flour will make these too dense.
- Yeast: Make things simple and choose instant yeast for your dinner roll recipes. It works faster than other types of yeast, and I always have a few packets in the fridge. If you’d like to use active dry yeast, you can, but the dough will take longer to rise. This recipe uses about half of a packet of yeast, so measure out 3 grams or 1 teaspoon of the granules.
- Milk: Warm your whole milk up to a temperature around 110°F / 43°C. This will help to activate the yeast. I usually do this on the stove in a small saucepan over low heat. Be careful not to make the milk too hot, though, or you could accidentally stop the yeast from working.
- Eggs: Add one large egg to this dough. Allow the egg to come to room temperature so that it mixes in flawlessly. You’ll also need a second egg to make an egg wash to brush over the rolls before baking them.
- Butter: Unsalted butter adds a rich flavor and helps to make the crescent rolls flaky. You could technically use salted butter if that’s all you have, but I like to be able to control the amount of salt that I add to my breads. The butter should be very soft, but not melted.
- Salt and Sugar: The amounts in the recipe below will give the rolls a balanced flavor that is neither too sweet nor too salty.
Tip!
Using an egg wash is optional, but I highly recommend it! Beaten egg brushed over the rolls before baking makes the baked crescent rolls perfectly browned and shiny on the outside! For a richer flavor, brush the rolls with melted butter instead.
Recipe Tips
- I like to use my Kitchenaid stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment to knead this dough. In the mixer, you should let it knead for 6-8 minutes. If you’re kneading by hand, it will likely take a bit longer.
- When the dough is ready, you should be able to stretch it between your fingers to create a slightly translucent membrane that light will pass through, without breaking the dough. This is sometimes called the “windowpane test”.
- I keep a ruler or measuring tape handy in the kitchen for recipes like this one! Rolling the dough out into a 12-inch circle will ensure that the wedges you cut are the correct thickness and length to form perfect crescent shapes.
- For a flavor variation, try adding a teaspoon of dried herbs and/or garlic powder directly to the dough in step one.
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Homemade Crescent Rolls
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Rolling Pin
- Pizza Cutter
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) instant yeast
- 1 cup (240 ml) warm milk 110–115°F (43–46°C)
- 1 tablespoon (25 g) granulated sugar
- 3 ½ cups (440 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons (9 g) table salt
- 1 large (9 g) egg
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water or milk (for egg wash, optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the yeast, warm milk, sugar, flour, salt, and egg. Mix and knead until a soft dough forms.
- Add the softened butter and continue kneading until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl.
- Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch down the dough and divide into 2 equal portions. Roll each into a 12-inch (30 cm) circle.
- Cut each circle into 12 wedges using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife. Roll each wedge up from the wide end to the tip to form a crescent shape.
- Arrange rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover lightly, and let rise while preheating the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush with egg wash if desired.
- Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.
Notes:
- Egg wash gives a shiny finish, but you can skip it for a softer look.
- Try brushing the baked rolls with melted butter instead of egg wash for a richer flavor.
- Rolls can be shaped and frozen. Defrost, rise, and bake when ready.
- Enjoy the rolls right away after baking. If you have leftovers, then can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Freezer Friendly Crescent Rolls Recipe
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a batch of these rolls prepped and in the freezer, ready to bake? Homemade crescent rolls can be shaped and frozen before baking!
This recipe makes 24 dinner rolls, so you might even want to bake half of the rolls for dinner tonight and freeze the rest for another day.
- Mix the dough, let it complete its first rise, then cut and shape the rolls.
- Place the unbaked crescent rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid.
- Once frozen, you can transfer the rolls to a freezer bag or an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- I prefer to let the rolls thaw and rise on the counter until they’re puffy, then I bake them as directed. I’ve read that you can bake them directly from frozen, but I haven’t specifically tried that yet.
Can I use homemade crescent dough for recipes?
Yes, you can! Crescent roll dough is a versatile recipe ingredient that works in both sweet and savory recipes.
This recipe will yield enough dough to equal 2-3 rolls of refrigerated crescent roll dough, and you should be able to roll it out into sheets that will be perfect for Churro Cheesecake, Taco Rings, Crescent Roll Cream Cheese Danish, or Pigs in a Blanket.
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