Homemade crescent rolls are made with simple ingredients, make-ahead options, and bake up soft and fluffy every time!
Imagine a batch of homemade crescent rolls straight out of the oven with their billowy, soft, and buttery insides and golden brown exterior. That’s enough to make you never go back to store-bought again!
Don’t get me wrong, those little tubes of ready-made dough come in handy, but sometimes we want to put in that extra effort for something a little extra special.
These rolls are surprisingly easy to make from scratch with simple pantry staples and are the perfect addition to any meal.
Serve them for holiday brunch, Sunday breakfast, or to add a little homemade touch to recipes like crescent roll pepperoni pizza roll ups, crescent roll breakfast pizza, and chocolate chip crescent roll cinnamon rolls!
Homemade Crescent Rolls
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Who doesn’t love fresh baked rolls?!
- They’re soft on the inside and golden on the outside.
- The dough is versatile and can be used in many ways.
- Made with simple ingredients and is easy to follow!
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
Jump- Warm milk: To activate the yeast, the temperature of the milk must be between 105°F and 115°F. Any hotter and it will kill the yeast.
- Sugar and active dry yeast: Always make sure your yeast is fresh!
- Salted butter: Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly (otherwise the eggs might start to cook!). Reserve some for serving.
- Large egg: For binding the dough.
- All-purpose flour: Measure the flour accurately to prevent tough, dry crescent rolls.
- Salt: A flavor enhancer.
How to make Homemade Crescent Rolls
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Jump- Step One: Whisk together the warmed milk, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let that sit for 5 minutes until the yeast starts to activate and foam.
- Step Two: Add the melted butter and egg and mix until combined. Then, add the flour and salt. Knead the dough using the dough hook attachment for 5-10 minutes until a sticky ball of dough is formed.
- Step Three: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and then leave it in a warm, draft-free area to rise for 1 hour.
- Step Four: As your dough finishes its rise time, preheat the oven to 400°F and line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Punch the dough down, roll it out into a large 1/8-1/4 inch thick circle, and use a pizza cutter to cut it into triangles.
- Step Five: Starting with the widest end of each triangle, roll it into a crescent roll. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden and puffed. Cool on a wire rack and brush each with melted butter. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
There are so many ways to get creative with this recipe for homemade crescent rolls. Here are just a few ways to get you started:
- Add a teaspoon of honey to the milk mixture for extra sweetness.
- You can make these savory by adding shredded cheese and herbs to the dough.
- Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with Everything but the Bagel seasoning before baking.
- You can also brush them with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Before rolling the triangles, place a dollop of your favorite jam or chocolate spread inside.
- I highly recommend using a candy thermometer to test the temperature of the milk. If it’s too hot, it’ll kill the yeast; if it’s too cold, it won’t activate anything.
- If your kitchen is on the cooler side, you can speed up the proofing process by placing the dough near a warm oven or covering the bowl with a damp cloth.
- Aim to make your triangles even. That way all your rolls will be the same size and bake evenly.
- You can also brush the rolls with an egg wash or extra butter before baking to give them that signature deep golden color.
- Make the dough ahead. Once it’s been kneaded and transferred to an oiled bowl, cover it and refrigerate it overnight until you’re ready to roll it out.
Storage & Reheating
How to store leftovers
Homemade crescent rolls can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for up to 2 days.
Freezing Instructions
Once baked and completely cooled, wrap them individually in plastic wrap, then transfer them to a freezer bag to keep frozen for up to 2 months.
Reheating Instructions
These reheat beautifully in the oven at 300°F for 5-7 minutes or in the microwave for a quick 10-15 seconds.
Need more homemade rolls recipes? Try these:
Quick and Easy Wheat Rolls with Garlic and Herb Butter
Click here to view my entire collection of bread recipes.
Homemade Crescent Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup milk warmed to between 105°F and 115°F
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ Tablespoon active dry yeast
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly, plus more for serving
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the warmed milk, sugar, and yeast. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved and let sit for 5 minutes.½ cup milk, 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar, ½ Tablespoon active dry yeast
- Add in melted butter and egg; mix until combined.4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 large egg
- Add in the flour and salt. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, or until a ball is formed. The dough will be sticky.2 cups all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm, dry place to rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Once risen, punch down the dough and turn it out onto a floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a large ⅛-¼ inch thick circle. Evenly cut the dough into triangles with a pizza cutter or sharp knife.
- Roll each triangle, starting with the widest end, into a crescent roll. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Transfer to cooling rack and brush the top of each roll with melted butter, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use a candy/meat thermometer to ensure the milk is 105°F–115°F. If it’s too hot, it can kill the yeast.
- Allow the melted butter to cool slightly before adding it to the dough mixture with the egg or you will scramble the egg.
- Make sure to use active dry yeast and not instant yeast.
- Store leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Reheat rolls in the oven at 300°F for 5-7 minutes, or quickly reheat in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
- These rolls freeze beautifully. Store baked rolls in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months.
- Add 1 teaspoon of honey to milk mixture for more sweetness.
- Make the rolls savory by adding shredded cheese and herbs to the dough.
- Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with Everything but the Bagel Seasoning before baking.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag me on Instagram @melissa_pplates so I can see!Did You Make This?
If you made this recipe, I’d love to know how it went in the comments section below.
You can also tag me on Instagram – @melissa_ppplates or share a pic in the Persnickety Plates Community Facebook group. I love seeing what you’ve tried!
