Homemade Crescent Rolls

Homemade Crescent Rolls – Sweet and soft with a slight crust on the top and bottom and fluffy buttery on the inside. A great make-ahead dinner roll for your holiday meal!

Post-Christmas last year, I tried my hand at these sweet, soft, buttery homemade crescent rolls. Honestly, I wasn’t that confident about making these because I still get nervous with buttery dough 😉. But the bread lover in me screams for an adventure!

Boy, I was thankful I didn’t let the fear stop me. These beauties were easier to make than I thought and way better than store-bought ones.

Content…

Crescent Rolls vs. Croissants
Recipe Ingredients
How to Make It
Recipe Variations
Tips and Tricks
Make-Ahead Instructions
Serving and Storage Instructions
FAQs
What to Serve
More Savory Bread Recipes to Try
Conclusion
Watch How to Make It

Homemade Crescent Rolls in a basket ready to serve

Crescent Rolls vs. Croissants

Believe it or not, some people use these terms interchangeably. I guess it’s because they have the same shape, but that’s where it ends. Croissants are flakier and lighter than crescent rolls. Besides, they have lots of butter and are folded several times to create buttery, flaky layers.

On the other hand, crescent rolls are easier to make and take less baking time. It’s buttery and crispy on the outside yet soft and fluffy on the inside. And oh, they make an incredible dinner roll.

Recipe Ingredients

Yeast – Instant yeast raises the dough for light and airy crescent rolls. Add a little warm water (not hot) to activate it.
Whole Milk – Milk adds richness and depth of flavor. It also makes it brown to a more gorgeous golden color. Warm it enough to make the yeast happy but not enough to kill it.
Butter gives crescent rolls their signature moist, flaky texture.
Sugar – Granulated sugar provides the yeast with food, adds sweetness, and promotes browning.
Eggs add richness and binding power to the dough.
All-Purpose Flour – Flour is the main ingredient, providing structure and a delightful chewy texture.

How to Make Crescent Rolls

Activate the yeast, warm the liquid ingredients, mix and add the flour

Add butter and more flour, then mix and knead. Let rise, punch down.

Activate Yeast – Combine water and yeast in the stand mixer bowl with a dough hook. Or use a large bowl if making it by hand. Let it sit until yeast dissolves for about 5 minutes. (Photo 1)
Liquid Ingredients – Mix the milk, butter pieces, sugar, and salt in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for about a minute, stirring occasionally until everything melts. (Be careful not to heat it enough to kill the yeast.) (Photo 2)
Mix – Pour the butter mixture into the large bowl or stand mixer (it should be lukewarm; if not, let it sit until it is). Whisk in the eggs and combine thoroughly. (Photo 3)
Add Flour – Gradually add about 3¾ cups of flour and continue mixing on low, adding just enough flour to form a soft dough. If mixing by hand, place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead for 6-8 minutes. (Photos 4-6)
Let Rise – Place your crescent roll dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover the bowl loosely with a clean, damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for an hour or two or until doubled. Punch it down. (Photos 7-8)

Divide the crescent roll dough and roll it out. Slice it like a pizza

Cut out pieces into wedges, roll up and bake

Roll – Divide the dough in half on a lightly floured surface. Then, roll each half out into 12-inch circles; cut into 12-16 wedges (like a pizza.) (Photos 9-14)
Assemble – Roll up the wedges, starting at the wide end, and bend to form a crescent shape. Spray a baking sheet pan with oil or butter, and place the crescent rolls on the oiled pan about ½-1″ apart. Cover lightly with a damp kitchen towel and let them rise for about 30 minutes or until they look puffy. (Photo 15)
Bake – Preheat the oven to 400℉ (205℃). Brush the tops with butter. Place them into the oven and bake until golden brown, 12-14 minutes. Serve warm with the remaining butter if desired. (Photo 16)

Breaking open a freshly baked crescent roll

Recipe Variations

Stuffed Crescent Rolls – For a savory treat, stuff them with bacon, scrambled eggs, and cheddar cheese; pulled pork; or pepperoni and cheese. For dessert, stuff them with apple butter and cinnamon, Nutella and banana, or strawberries and cream cheese.
Herby Goodness – Brush the unbaked rolls with melted butter seasoned with dried herbs and shredded cheese.
Dessert Crescent Rolls – Sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar straight out of the oven so it sticks. It’s an easy cinnamon roll substitute.

Tips and Tricks

If you want to make your crescent rolls extra flaky, laminate the dough. That’s a fancy word for folding the dough and brushing it with melted butter between each fold. Repeat this process 3-4 times.
Refrain from overworking the dough to avoid tough crescent rolls.
Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into triangles because a dull knife will tear the dough.

Make Ahead Instructions

If you want to make your crescent rolls ahead, make them as instructed, assemble them, let them rise, and flash-freeze them.

Line a baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper and place them on it. Freeze for about 30 minutes (or until they’re firm). Then, transfer the frozen crescent rolls to a ziplock freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.

You can stick them directly in the oven straight from the freezer for a quick crescent roll fix. Heat the oven to 400℉ (205℃) and bake for about 15 minutes.

Serving and Storage Instructions

These guys are delicious straight from the oven slathered with butter. But they’re also good at room temperature.

To store leftover homemade crescent rolls, let them cool completely. Cover them in plastic wrap and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To freeze your leftover crescent rolls, arrange them on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze for an hour or two. Then, transfer the frozen crescent rolls to a ziplock freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. Take out as many as you want and reheat them in the oven.

FAQs

How do you roll up the dough to make crescent rolls?

This homemade crescent roll recipe is easier than you think. Divide the dough in half (you can also freeze it this time). Roll each dough ball into a ⅛-inch thick and 12-inch wide circle.
Cut it in half with a sharp knife or pizza cutter, and then cut it in half crosswise. Repeat until you have eight pieces, just like a pizza.
Wet the center where the points come together so the end sticks to the roll when you’re done. Roll the wedges, starting with the wide part and rolling them to the tip. Press the point so it sticks, then curve it into the trademark crescent shape. Done!

Is puff pastry dough different from crescent rolls?

Both are delicious and versatile; one can substitute the other in a pinch. Crescent rolls are a yeast-based bread, while puff pastry has lots of butter with the usual flour and water. The texture and taste differ slightly, so expect a variation if you use one instead of the other.

What kind of recipes can I use crescent rolls for?

Crescent roll dough is versatile for both sweet and savory recipes. It makes incredible pigs in a blanket, sausage pinwheels, pizza bites, and breakfast sandwiches. For a sweet tooth, it makes a great pie crust for any pie filling, fruit turnover crust, and a quick strudel.

What to Serve With Crescent Rolls

Serve these as a side with some smoked chicken and a Greek salad for a light dinner option. Or have these warm, brushed with some garlic butter.

These also make for great desserts. Serve with some caramel sauce to dip them in for a real treat!

More Savory Bread Recipes to Try

Conclusion

Homemade crescent rolls are delicious, easy, and versatile. How do you plan on using this recipe? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Watch How to Make It

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This blog post was originally published in November 2018 and has been updated with additional tips and a new video.