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These Homemade Crescent Rolls are the most perfect buttery, light, and fluffy homemade roll recipe. Easy homemade rolls made from scratch!
I grew up on a steady stream of baked goods. My Mom’s favorite food on the planet is homemade bread and rolls so she made them almost daily. Every Sunday, she would make her special crescent rolls which are basically homemade dinner rolls rolled up into a crescent shape. They just melt in your mouth!
Since Thanksgiving is around the corner, I want to share this special homemade crescent roll recipe with you. My Mom and I made some tweaks to make them extra perfect (butter makes everything better!). I will share all of my tips and tricks for making the best crescent rolls.
Several years ago, I shared my Homemade Dinner Rolls Recipe and those are delicious as well! If you want a more buttery roll, this is the recipe for you. These are the best crescent rolls!
Ingredients:
- Warm Water
- Active Dry Yeast
- Sugar
- Salted Butter
- Egg
- Milk
- Flour
- Salt
What type of yeast should I use in the crescent rolls recipe?
The most popular types of yeast used in baking are traditional active dry yeast and instant fast-rising yeast. Active dry yeast has been around for ages and is sold in packets and in jars. It is a slower-working yeast. It can be added directly to the dough with the dry ingredients and doesn’t need to be proofed or activated with warm water.
HOW TO MAKE SURE THE YEAST IS WORKING?
The key to making any type of homemade rolls recipe is to ensure the yeast is working and activated. I suggest mixing the yeast, warm water (about 110 degrees), and a touch of sugar into a bowl. The sugar will help to “feed” the yeast and help it to activate quicker. Yeast loves sugar! The warm water also helps to activate the yeast. If the water or milk is too hot, it can kill the yeast so make sure it is warm to the touch but not too hot. The yeast should start to become foamy or bubbles will begin to surface. This is a great sign that the yeast is working. Let it work for at least 5-10 minutes.
Should I use Salted or Unsalted Butter in this Roll Recipe?
I suggest using salted butter. It has so much more flavor than unsalted butter.
How to make Homemade Crescent Rolls:
- Start by proofing the yeast with warm water and sugar. The yeast will start to become foamy and that’s how you know it is working!
- Add the warmed milk, and melted butter (make sure it isn’t too hot!). It helps to use warmed ingredients as they incorporate much easier than if they were cold, straight from the refrigerator. Add egg.
- Add flour and salt and mix for several minutes. I prefer to use my Bosch mixer for this recipe because it makes kneading so much easier! You want to watch for the dough to come clean off the sides of the bowl. If you need to add more flour, add 1 Tablespoon at a time. I use all-purpose flour in this recipe but you can also use bread flour.
- Place the dough in a bowl that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, softened butter, or oil to prevent sticking. Cover and let it rise until the dough is double in size, about 1-2 hours.
- Once the dough has risen, equally divide it into two balls. Roll each ball of dough into a circle, about 14″ in diameter. Soften some butter and brush all over the dough.
- Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into quarters. Then slice each quarter into thirds, so you will have 12 total. Roll up each triangle starting with the widest part.
- Place the rolls onto a greased baking sheet. Brush with a little more butter to keep the rolls from drying out. Let the crescent rolls rise again until they are double in size.
- Bake just until a light golden color. Remove from the oven and brush with the remaining melted butter. Serve warm, straight out of the oven!
Divide the dough ball into equal halves and then roll it out into a large 14″ circle.
Use a pizza cutter to cut it into 4 equal parts.
Cut each quarter into 3 pieces so you have 12 pieces total.
You will have 24 rolls in total and they will all fit on a classic baking sheet.
The crescent dough has been brushed with butter, to keep the rolls from drying out, and has puffed up and doubled in size. The rolls are ready to be baked in the oven!
If you are looking for the Best Thanksgiving Recipes, click HERE for all of them in one place.
Here are some popular Bread Recipes:
- Knotted Buttery Rolls
- Homemade Garlic Butter Rolls
- One Hour Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
- Miracle One Hour White Bread Recipe
- Easy Soft French Bread Recipe
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Homemade Crescent Rolls
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Warm Water (about 110 degrees)
- 1 Tablespoon Active Dry Yeast
- 4 Tablespoons Sugar
- 3/4 cup Salted Butter (divided by 3)
- 3/4 cup Milk
- 1 large Egg
- 4 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Start by proofing the yeast with warm water and sugar. Add yeast and warm water to mixing bowl. Sprinkle with sugar. The yeast will start to become foamy and that's how you know it is working! Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a microwave safe bowl, combine milk and 1/3 of the butter and microwave for about 45 seconds until the butter is mostly melted. Let it cool for several minutes. Add the warmed milk, and melted butter (make sure it isn't too hot!) to the bowl. Add egg.
- Add flour and salt and mix for several minutes. I prefer to use my Bosch mixer for this recipe because it makes kneading so much easier! You want to watch for the dough to come clean off the sides of the bowl. If you need to add more flour, add 1 Tablespoon at a time.
- Place the dough in a bowl that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, softened butter, or oil to prevent sticking. Cover and let it rise until the dough is double in size, about 1-2 hours.
- Once the dough has risen, equally divide it into two balls. Roll each ball of dough into a circle, about 14" in diameter. Soften another 1/3 of the butter and brush all over the dough (leave a little extra to brush the tops of the rolls once you roll the dough into a crescent shape).
- Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into quarters. Then slice each quarter into thirds, so you will have 12 total. Roll up each triangle starting with the widest part. Place the rolls onto a greased baking sheet. Brush with a little butter to keep the rolls from drying out.
- Let the crescent rolls rise again until they are double in size. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or just until a light golden color. I would suggest watching carefully because they can brown quickly. Remove from the oven and brush with the remaining melted butter. Serve warm, straight out of the oven!
Notes
HOW TO MAKE SURE THE YEAST IS WORKING?
The key to making any type of homemade rolls recipe is to ensure the yeast is working and activated. I suggest mixing the yeast, warm water (about 110 degrees), and a touch of sugar into a bowl. The sugar will help to "feed" the yeast and help it to activate quicker. Yeast loves sugar! The warm water also helps to activate the yeast. If the water or milk is too hot, it can kill the yeast so make sure it is warm to the touch but not too hot. The yeast should start to become foamy or bubbles will begin to surface. This is a great sign that the yeast is working. Let it work for at least 5-10 minutes.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I tried to make with 1:1 gf flour but my dough is crumbly. Any advice?
Hi! Okay so gluten is what gives dough that sticky texture so sometimes when you use gluten free flour, it can end up dry and crumbly. One thing you can try is xantham gum. Does your gluten free flour have it already in there? If not, I would try adding some of that. You could try adding a little warmed milk to see if you can get it to a dough type consistency. Keep me posted! You can email me too at melissa@modernhoney.com. Good luck!
We are obsessed with these rolls in my house!
I am making these for Thanksgiving and would like to know if the flour you used is AP flour. I want to make sure I am using the same flour as I make some breads with bread flour.
Thank you for all the great recipes.
These are the best I have ever made. I will be keeping the recipe in the top of my recipe box.
So light and fluffy! Such an amazing bread recipe.
So I made these rolls today and they turned out perfect. I have trouble in the past with other recipes getting my rolls cooked in the middle, but these were amazing. I cooked them for 16 minutes – they were a very light golden color – and they were perfect. I also froze two dozen to bake later – trying to get ahead of the game.
Another winner from Modern Honey, thanks for all your amazing recipes! I was originally intimidated to make them but then I remembered that you always break things down in a way that every home cook can succeed. I loved the light and fluffy texture and the flavor was amazing. I am thinking these would be amazing for left over turkey sandwiches.
I will try these, but am wondering if you have ever frozen the shaped, but un baked, rolls? I was imagining a final rise and the melted butter after the frozen rolls were on a baking sheet?
Thank you
In answer to my own question, I had unsatisfactory results from baking the shaped and frozen, unbaked, crescent rolls. They did not rise well and had a poor texture. Further reading tells me that it is not generally successful, without upping the amount of yeast, and even then, they may not rise well because the yeast may, or may not, survive the freezing. . I buy frozen unbaked croissants from a local patisserie, which work very well, so I was hopeful. Hoping this is helpful to someone else who tries this lovely recipe.
Thank you for the update, Bonnie! I agree…it can be very tricky. I love to bake the rolls and freeze them but it is tough to bake from frozen dough. I appreciate you trying my recipe!
These rolls look so Beautiful. I have made 3 of your Bread recipes so far, and we love all of them, but these look amazing and I can’t wait to try them out. I was going to make your buttery knot’s, it’s one of our favorites, but I’m going to make these for a change. I can’t wait. Thank you Melissa for another great recipe. What would I do without you…..
I can’t wait to try this recipe. However, can I prepare, bake and freeze these rolls in freezer zip lock bags until I am ready to use them? If so, what is the best process to ensure that when I am ready for them, on how to thaw them and re-heat them up? Your assistance is greatly appreciated.
Hi Brenda. You can absolutely make these crescent rolls ahead of time and freeze in Ziploc bags. I suggest letting the rolls come to room temperature and placing in a warm oven, about 300 degrees, to warm the rolls. I wouldn’t suggest microwaving the rolls as the microwave can change the texture and they become rubbery. But the oven will work perfectly! Brush on some melted butter to keep them from drying out. I hope that helps!