Homemade Crescent Rolls Recipe
Flaky, buttery homemade crescent rolls are the perfect addition to any meal and are surprisingly easy to make from scratch.
If you love fresh, warm bread straight from the oven, you’ll find this recipe to be a delightful treat.
For more fantastic ideas, be sure to check out our full collection of side dish recipes.
Whether you’re preparing a special holiday feast or just want to enjoy some comforting baked goods, these rolls will impress everyone at the table.
What are the ingredients in crescent dough?
- Flour is typically used for the dough’s structure and texture.
- Yeast helps the dough rise, giving crescent rolls their soft and fluffy texture.
- Warm milk activates the yeast and adds moisture and richness to the dough.
- Butter adds flavor and helps create the dough’s flaky, tender layers.
- A small amount of sugar feeds the yeast and adds a hint of sweetness.
- Salt enhances flavor and balances the sweetness.
- Eggs add richness, softness, and color to the dough.
Use room temperature ingredients – Cold butter, eggs, or milk can slow down rising.
How to Make Crescent Dough
- Start by activating the yeast in warm milk with sugar until foamy. If it doesn’t foam after 10 minutes in warm milk and sugar, the yeast is inactive and you’ll need fresh yeast.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then add the yeast mixture, melted butter, and eggs.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth. Don’t over-flour – Too much flour makes the dough heavy. Keep it slightly tacky but manageable.
- Then let it rise in a greased bowl for 1–2 hours until doubled.
How to Shape Dough into a Crescent?
- Roll the dough into a large circle, cut into triangles, and shape them into crescents by rolling from the wide end to the tip.
- Place on a baking sheet, let rise again for 30–45 minutes. Letting the shaped rolls rise again ensures they bake up fluffy and light.
- Brush with butter, and bake until golden brown. Brush twice – before baking for golden color, and again after baking for extra flavor and shine.
Tip: You can prepare the dough the night before and let it rise in the fridge overnight.
Yes! Shape the crescents, place them on a tray to freeze, then transfer to a bag. Let thaw and rise before baking.
Place the covered bowl in an oven that’s turned off but has the light on, or set it near a warm stovetop.
Absolutely—chocolate, jam, cheese, or ham all roll in beautifully before shaping.
Homemade crescent rolls typically bake for 12–15 minutes at 375°F, or until they’re golden brown on top. Keep an eye on them toward the end since every oven bakes a little differently.
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If you enjoy making homemade crescent rolls, you’ll love these other delicious ideas too!
- Pair your meal with soft, buttery honey butter biscuits that everyone will love.
- Round out your holiday table with comforting and classic Thanksgiving side dishes.
- Make your morning extra special with festive Christmas brunch recipes.
- From sweet loaves to savory rolls, explore more homemade bread recipes you can bake anytime.
How to Make Homemade Crescent Rolls
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.
What temperature do you set the oven to?
350
@momma lew, thank you.
What speed to you set your mixer to in order to knead the dough?
I usually do medium – start off slow and move up once the flour is incorporated.