Crescent Rolls

These soft and fluffy Crescent Rolls are a delicious homemade baking project. They melt in your mouth and are perfection served straight from the oven with butter and a drizzle of honey.

Easy Crescent Rolls Recipe

Crescent roll recipes are always fun to make. I’m referring to the easy refrigerated Pillsbury crescent rolls that we all love. They’re easy and form the crust for all kinds of sweet and savory recipes you can make in no time flat. This homemade version is of course, far superior in flavor but they do require several steps to make. We are making bread here after all. The dough is soft and tender by design so that the crescent rolls will be airy. How to make simple Crescent Rolls: (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

• Bloom Yeast – In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup lukewarm water with yeast. Set aside to bloom for 5-8 minutes. It should become frothy and bubble.
• Transfer to Mixing Bowl – Add yeast mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. To the bowl add remaining 1 cup water, 1/2 cup melted butter, granulated sugar, beaten eggs and salt. Mix on low just until well combined.
• Add Flour – Gradually add flour 1/2-1 cup at a time to the bowl. After all of the flour is added, increase to medium and knead for 2 minutes or just until the flour has fully incorporated. (The dough will be softer and may be slightly sticky but don’t add any extra flour.) 
• Let Dough Rest – Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• Chill Dough – Punch down dough to release air and gently pull it away from the sides. Brush a separate large bowl with vegetable oil, and transfer dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray. Chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours, no longer than 3 hours. 
• Prepare Pans – Line a large baking pan or two standard size baking pans with parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray.
• Roll Dough – Remove dough from refrigerator and turn out onto a lightly floured surface turning to coat kneading just until it’s no longer sticky. Divide into 2 even halves. Using a floured rolling pin roll out each dough half into a circle similar to a pizza crust, ⅛-¼ inch thick Use a pizza wheel or pastry cutter to cut into 12 equal size triangles.
• Assemble – Tightly roll each triangle beginning at the widest edge to form the crescent. Place on the baking sheet, point side down at least 2 inches apart. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise in a warm draft free place for 2 hours or until doubled in size (Rise time will depend on the ambient temperature.)
• Bake – Bake per the recipe in a preheated 375°F oven brushed with melted butter.

How to Make the Best Crescent Rolls Recipe

This crescent roll recipe takes several steps to complete but none of them are difficult. It’s a process to make bread but well worth the effort.

• Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Crescent Rolls: Bread flour or all purpose flour, warm water, active dry yeast, melted butter, large eggs and salt.
• Kitchen gadgets you’ll need: A stand mixer or a hand mixer fitted with a dough hook, measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, a fork or whisk to beat the eggs and a pastry brush for brushing the crescent rolls with melted butter.
• When starting with the yeast, if it doesn’t bloom or become frothy with bubbles on top throw it out and start over.
• To easily cut the rolled out dough into triangles, use a pizza wheel or a pastry cutter for the smoothest cut.
• When adding the flour to the yeast mixture it may seem lumpy at first, but it will smooth out and become a dough once all mixed together. You’ll note the kneading for this recipe isn’t as long as when making a classic dinner roll or pizza dough where the goal is developing the gluten in the flour. This is by design, as it results in a tender airy crescent roll.
• Can you make this bread dough by hand? Yes, you can. You can mix the flour in by hand and when it becomes  too thick to stir, use a folding motion until the flour is well combined. You’ll need to turn the dough out onto a floured surface to knead just until it comes together, then back into a bowl to chill in the refrigerator.
• The longer the dough stays in the refrigerator, the stickier it can become. Forming the dough into crescent rolls within a few hours is recommended.
• Why is refrigeration necessary? Chilling the dough is necessary to make the dough easier to work with and it provides a more developed flavor. It allows the yeast to bloom and rise more slowly for a tender airy dough.
• The simplest way to cut the dough evenly into 12 triangles, is to start with a cross so that you have 4 equal sections. Then divide each of those sections into thirds.
• You can use Rapid Rise yeast in the same amount as active dry yeast which will shorten the rise time. Rule of thumb is, the dough should double in size before moving to the next step.
• Can I refrigerate the dough overnight?  This is one dough recipe, you don’t want to leave overnight. It will still taste quite delicious but the dough will be more like a dinner roll. It can become too sticky to work with the next day.
• Expounding further on how long to chill the dough, for the best results and the easiest dough to work with, only refrigerate for 2-3 hours. That said, once they’re formed into crescents, you can cover the pan and chill until baking.
• Store baked crescent rolls in an airtight container chilled or at room temperature for  up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave.

More Southern Bread Recipes to Make

Bread is universal in appeal and the uses are endless. More homemade bread recipes you may also like to try:

• Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread is delicious warm with butter, toasted or turned into French toast.
• Cheddar Chive Spoon Bread is full flavored.
• Bundt Pan Bacon Egg and Cheese Brunch Bread makes a delicious start to the day.
• Pimento Cheese Beer Bread requires no yeast to make using beer in the batter instead.
• Praline Pecan Monkey Bread is indulgent and rich.
• Chocolate Banana Bread is a chocolate spin on a classic.
• Braided Garlic Herb Bread from Butter with a Side of Bread.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Measuring Set
• Sheet Pans
• Kitchen Utensils
• Mixer