easy crescent roll recipe

Rich Crescent Rolls

Rich Crescent Rolls

These soft rolls are a perfect addition to any dinner. They are rich, buttery and very tender. Homemade rolls and bread just always taste better than store bought. They are totally worth the time it takes to make them.

Another perk is the way your house smells when they are baking.

These should not be confused with croissants. Croissants are made over a period of time with the dough and butter being folded, rolled and chilled a number of times to create flaky layers.

These are a soft, slightly sweet yeast dough, shaped into crescent shapes. Of course, you can make them in different shapes, if you like. I just like the way the little crescents look.

They are brushed with melted butter before being rolled up into the crescents. I also like to brush them with melted butter when they come out of the oven.

These are great served warm, with butter. I admit to loving to dip them in gravy, too.

So here is the recipe.

Rich Crescent Rolls

¾ c. milk

½ c. each butter and sugar

1 t. salt

2 packages active dry yeast

½ c. warm water

4-5 c. flour

2 eggs

Extra melted butter for brushing on the rolls

Heat together milk and butter until warm. Stir in sugar and salt. Dissolve yeast in warm water and add to milk mixture with 2 cups of flour. Beat 3 minutes. Beat in eggs. Stir in flour until soft dough forms. Knead on floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in oiled bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled.  Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead a few strokes. Divide into fourths and roll each into a circle. Divide circle into 8 pieces (in wedges like a pie) and brush with melted butter. Starting at wide end roll up loosely and place on greased baking sheet with point tucked under. Allow 2-3 inches between rolls and curve slightly into an arc, if desired.  Cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour, or until nearly doubled. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Brush with melted butter, if you like. Serve warm. Makes 32.

Rich Crescent Rolls

Rich Crescent Rolls

These soft rolls are a perfect addition to any dinner. They are rich, buttery and very tender. Homemade rolls and bread just always taste better than store bought. They are totally worth the time it takes to make them.

Another perk is the way your house smells when they are baking.

These should not be confused with croissants. Croissants are made over a period of time with the dough and butter being folded, rolled and chilled a number of times to create flaky layers.

These are a soft, slightly sweet yeast dough, shaped into crescent shapes. Of course, you can make them in different shapes, if you like. I just like the way the little crescents look.

They are brushed with melted butter before being rolled up into the crescents. I also like to brush them with melted butter when they come out of the oven.

These are great served warm, with butter. I admit to loving to dip them in gravy, too.

So here is the recipe.

Rich Crescent Rolls

¾ c. milk

½ c. each butter and sugar

1 t. salt

2 packages active dry yeast

½ c. warm water

4-5 c. flour

2 eggs

Extra melted butter for brushing on the rolls

Heat together milk and butter until warm. Stir in sugar and salt. Dissolve yeast in warm water and add to milk mixture with 2 cups of flour. Beat 3 minutes. Beat in eggs. Stir in flour until soft dough forms. Knead on floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in oiled bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled.  Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead a few strokes. Divide into fourths and roll each into a circle. Divide circle into 8 pieces (in wedges like a pie) and brush with melted butter. Starting at wide end roll up loosely and place on greased baking sheet with point tucked under. Allow 2-3 inches between rolls and curve slightly into an arc, if desired.  Cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour, or until nearly doubled. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Brush with melted butter, if you like. Serve warm. Makes 32.

Rich Crescent Rolls

Rich Crescent Rolls

I was doing a cooking camp with kids and they wanted to make croissants. I grew up with a father who was a baker. I have made traditional croissants. Yeast dough rolled out- then topped with a sheet of butter. Rolled, folded, chilled. Repeated many times to create those wonderful, flaky layers.

With time constraints, I ended up teaching the kids to make these rolls, instead. Not quite what you get in true croissants, but very tender and flaky, too. The secret is butter cut into flour- the same way you incorporate fat into biscuits or pie crust. Then a yeast/milk mixture is stirred in and a batter is created. It is chilled overnight and when rolled out, the  dough is brushed with more butter and shaped into the crescent shape of traditional croissants. Really easy, compared to the original, and a pretty good roll, too.

Easy “Croissants”

1 package active dry yeast
1 c. very warm water
¾ c. evaporated milk
1 t. salt
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
5 c. flour
4 T. melted butter, cooled
1 c. firm butter
Additional melted butter for brushing
1 egg beaten with 1 T. water

Dissolve yeast in water. Stir in milk, salt, sugar, egg and one cup of flour. Beat into a smooth batter and stir in melted butter. Set aside. With pastry blender cut firm butter into remaining flour until particles are the size of small peas. Stir in milk mixture gently, until all flour in moistened. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead a few strokes. Divide into fourths and roll each into a circle. Divide circle into 8 pieces and brush with melted butter. Starting at wide end roll up loosely and place on greased baking sheet with point tucked under. Allow 2-3 inched between rolls and curve slightly into an arc, if desired. Cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours or until nearly doubled. Brush with egg wash just before baking. Bake in a 325-degree oven for 35 minutes or until golden. Brush again with butter. Makes 32.

Note: You can add up to 2 cups of whole wheat flour in place of 2 cups of the white flour for whole wheat croissants. You can also brush the dough with fruit preserves instead of butter before rolling up, or you can sprinkle with chopped chocolate or cinnamon sugar and roll up.

Roll dough into a circle

Roll dough into a circle

Brush with melted butter

Brush with melted butter

Cut dough into wedges and roll up

Cut dough into wedges and roll up

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