These Homemade Crescent Rolls recipe are some of the best rolls my family has ever tried. They’re buttery and soft and a good idea as a bread side dish for any meal!

Crescent Rolls are on my shopping list every week. My family just loves them. They’re great for an array of appetizers (hello pigs in a blanket), a pot pie topping, dipping in soups and stews, with Sunday dinner, family dinners. But did you know they are not that difficult to make right at home?

These buttery rolls are also the perfect addition as a side dish for your holiday meal. There is truly nothing better than taking a bite into a homemade crescent roll. My family just loves seeing them on our dinner table. They have such a wonderful buttery flavor.

This recipe for homemade crescent rolls is a labor of love, but yet a great option for a first time baker making homemade bread. Just remember, because you are working with a yeast bread and your dough needs to rise, this recipe does take some time. Be patient. It’s worth the wait!

Crescent Roll dough is different from croissant dough which have a few flaky layers. Crescent Rolls are made with yeast and because they rise, they are lighter and uses a soft dough that has just one layer that is rolled into the crescent shape. Both bread recipes use simple ingredients.

Let’s Make Our Homemade Crescent Rolls

Be sure to read the printable recipe card because that is where I have the full recipe instructions, ingredient list and recommended products.

Equipment list:

Large bowl
Electric Mixer with a dough hook
Towel
9×13 baking dish
Dough or bench scraper or pizza cutter
parchment paper

Grocery list:

milk
active dry yeast
sugar
all purpose flour
1 large egg
sugar
salt
butter

Your ingredients for these delicious crescent rolls should be at room temperature.

Mix warm milk, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set aside for 10 mins.

After 10 mins, add 3 ¼ cups of flour, whisked egg, ⅓ cup sugar and salt to a bowl with the yeast mixture and knead in your flour mixture with an electric mixer with the dough hook attachment until well incorporated. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula to mix flour completely.

This is a dough hook.

Add ¼ Cup softened butter and 1 tablespoon flour and knead in the mixer at low speed for 10-15 mins.

The dough should form a ball, if it does not, you will need to stop kneading with the dough hook at 10 mins and knead it by hand on a floured surface for the remaining 5 mins or until smooth.

Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 1 hour in a warm spot.

After the first rise, 1 hour, turn the dough ball out onto a floured surface, roll it into a large circle.

Start with a 12-inch circle, but larger the circle the more slices you will be able to roll.

How to Shape the Crescent Rolls

Cut the dough into 12-16 sections (triangles) with a sharp knife, pizza roller or bench scraper.

With a rolling pin, roll each section into a circle, wide end first (like a crescent roll).

Add your buttery crescent rolls to a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish, cover and rest for 30 mins in a warm place, for the second rise.

Bake

After a half hour, brush your homemade rolls with egg wash (1 egg + 1 tbsp warm water) and bake 25-30 mins or until they are golden brown.

Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter or honey butter (recipe below) upon removing from oven, serve warm and enjoy.

How to Make Honey Butter

For a quick honey butter sauce, melt 3 tablespoons butter with 1-2 tablespoons honey in the microwave in a small bowl. Stir and brush onto warm rolls.

I don’t have an electric mixer, can I still make Homemade Crescent Rolls?

Yes, but be prepared to work the dough! You can mix your dough with a large mixing bowl, a wooden spoon and your two hands. Just knead the dough with your hands as described above.

Is your Yeast Active?

I always tell people that a good bread recipe can go sour if your instant yeast is not active. Be sure to use fresh yeast. To know if it is active, after the first step of your yeast, sugar and milk sitting, your mixture should be frothy. If it’s not, your yeast is no longer active and you should start over with new, fresh yeast.

How to Store Homemade Crescent Rolls

There is nothing better than freshly baked crescent rolls. But, you can enjoy leftover crescent rolls in the next day or two. Just store your buttery homemade crescent rolls in an airtight container.

How to Freeze Your Homemade Crescent Rolls

Follow the crescent roll recipe has directed. Instead of baking them, put your unbaked crescent rolls on a greased baking tray in your freezer. After a few hours when they are all individually frozen, transfer your crescent rolls to an airtight freezer bag and back into the freezer. They can stay fresh in the freezer for up to 6 months! To dethaw them, defrost in the refrigerator and then bake as directed.

Have you ever made homemade dinner rolls? I hope you will make this amazing recipe next time! Good luck!

How to Make the Best Homemade Crescent Rolls

Name: How to Make the Best Homemade Crescent Rolls
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup whole milk, warmed; 2 ½ tsp yeast; 1 tablespoon sugar; 3 ¼ cup all purpose flour; 1 egg, whisked; ⅓ cup sugar; 1 tsp salt; ¼ cup butter, softened; 1 tablespoon flour

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

These Homemade Crescent Rolls recipe are some of the best rolls my family has ever tried. They're buttery and soft and a good idea as a bread side dish for any meal!

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk, warmed
2 ½ tsp yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
3 ¼ cup all purpose flour
1 egg, whisked
⅓ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
¼ cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon flour

Instructions

Mix warm milk, yeast and sugar. Set aside for 10 mins.
After 10 mins, add 3 ¼ cup all purpose flour, whisked egg, ⅓ cup sugar and salt to a bowl with the yeast mixture and knead in an electric mixer with the dough hook attachment until well incorporated.
Add ¼ Cup butter and 1 tablespoon flour and knead in the mixer for 10-15 mins.
The dough should form a ball, if it does not, you will need to stop kneading with the dough hook at 10 mins and knead it by hand on a floured surface for the remaining 5 mins or until smooth.
Place the smooth dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour in a warm place.
After 1 hour, turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll it into a large circle. The larger the circle the more slices you will be able to roll.
Cut the dough into 12-16 sections (triangles) with a sharp knife, pizza roller or bench scraper.
Roll each section into a circle, largest end first (like a crescent roll)
Add to lightly greased 9*13 baking dish, cover and rest 30 mins in a warm place.
After 30 minutes, brush with egg wash (1 egg + 1 tbsp water) and bake 25-30 mins or until golden brown.
Brush with melted butter or honey butter upon removing from oven, serve warm and enjoy.