This Homemade Crescent Rolls Recipe is Grandma's Yeast Rolls Recipe. Yes, it's that good. It's buttery and soft and is the perfect side for your holiday meal.
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Grandma's Homemade Yeast Rolls:
Are there rolls that just take you right back to your Grandma's kitchen? The soft, chewy rolls with layers of buttery amazingness flavor? The star of the holiday dinner table?
If you're looking for a roll that creates those types of fondness, Grandma's Homemade Yeast Rolls is the recipe for you! This is the best ever crescent roll recipe!
If you are on the hunt for a great roll recipe, be sure to check out my Quick Dinner Rolls, Parker House Rolls, Potato Rolls, and my Cinnamon Rolls too. They're all perfect for a holiday or family dinner.
Homemade Crescent Rolls
Rapid Rise Yeast Rolls
To make rapid-rise yeast rolls, you can use rapid-rise yeast or active dry yeast. Either works great. If you're using active dry yeast, just be sure to mix the yeast and the water together before adding the flour.
Active dry yeast and instant (or rapid-rise) yeast are the two most common yeasts available to us as home bakers. The two yeasts can be used interchangeably in recipes, but active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in water before using while instant yeast can be mixed right into the dough.
How to Roll Crescents
If you're wondering how do you roll crescent rolls, it's pretty easy and only takes a few steps.
- Divide your dough into 2-3 smaller dough balls. (if you divide this recipe into 2 balls, the rolls will be big enough to make a sandwich out of. If you do 3, the recipe will make closer to 24 rolls and they'll be perfect as a small dinner roll)
- Spread a little flour on your countertop and flour the rolling pin.
- roll the dough out into a circle. (This can most easily be done by starting in the middle of the dough ball and spreading the dough away from the center. Turn the dough a quarter turn each time you roll.
- You want the dough to be circular and 10-12" in diameter. The dough should be about ½" thick.
- Brush the dough with some melted butter.
- Use a pizza cutter and cut the dough into 8 even pie-shaped pieces, just like a pizza.
- Starting with the widest part of the dough, roll the dough to create a crescent.
- Place on a greased cookie sheet and let them rise to double before baking.
Butter Crescent Rolls
The dough for these butter crescent rolls can be made a day before you need it. Just make the dough according to the recipe but after you knead the dough, put it in a gallon ziplock bag and put it in the fridge. You may need to watch it close or put it into 2 ziplock bags so it has room to expand a little.
When you're ready to make Homemade Crescent Rolls, take the dough out of the fridge, let it come to room temperature and then roll them into crescent dolls as described above to make the best Thanksgiving crescent roll recipes.
What temp Should Water Be for Yeast?
For active dry yeast, the water temperature should be between 105 and 110°F for proofing. While 95°F is the best temperature for yeast to multiply, that's not quite warm enough for proofing active dry yeast. It needs the extra warmth to dissolve and become active
Ingredients in Homemade Crescent Rolls
Warm water: The water temperature should be about the same warmness as your wrist. ( 105-110 F ) if you're being technical but if it isn't cold or hot on your wrist, it's just right.
Yeast: You can use rapid rise or active dry yeast, both work great. Just be sure all the yeast is exposed to water before you add the flour.
Sugar: you can substitute honey in place of flour if you don't want to use refined sugar.
Melted Butter: You can melt it in the microwave or in a little pan on the stove. Just be sure it isn't too hot before you add it to the dough. If your finger can handle the heat, it'll work fine.
Eggs: large eggs are great.
Salt: Sea Salt works best.
Flour: I love using the Lehi Mills flour. I found it at my local Costco and I love working with it. It is finely ground and so smooth. Use whatever you have on hand but try and find that flour the next time you go to Costco.
How to make Homemade Crescent Rolls
- In a mixer (I like to use a kitchen Aide with a dough hook for this recipe) add the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Mix lightly and let sit until frothy. (about 2 min)
- Add the melted butter, eggs, and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix.
- Add 4 cups of flour and knead for 2 minutes. The dough will be very sticky.
- Add ¼ cup flour to the dough and mix again. You want to continue to knead it until the dough starts to pull away from the edges of the bowl.
- Cover with a towel let the dough rise for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough out into a circle on a floured surface and cut into triangles with a pizza cutter. (Starting at the shortest end of the triangle, roll the dough towards the small pointed end of the triangle so you have a crescent roll shape. For 18 rolls, divide the dough in half, then roll out each half to get 9 triangles each. For 24 rolls, divide the dough into thirds, and then roll out each third to get 8 triangles each.)
- Put the crescent rolls on a large, greased baking sheet.
- Make an egg wash, whisk one egg and 1 Tablespoon of water.
- Brush the egg wash on the rolls
- Cover with a light towel and let them rise till double (about 30 minutes)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until the tops of the rolls are golden brown.
- Brush the tops with melted butter. serve warm or cool
- Keep in a plastic ziplock bag to keep fresh for up to 3 days.
Homemade Crescent Rolls
Ingredients
Ingredients in Homemade Crescent Rolls
- 1 Cup Warm Water
- 1 tablespoon Yeast
- ½ Cup Sugar
- ½ Cup Melted Butter (can melt in microwave or on stovetop)
- 3 Eggs
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 4-5 Cups Flour
Egg Wash for Rolls
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 1 tablespoon Water
Instructions
How to make Homemade Crescent Rolls
- In a mixer (I like to use a kitchen Aide with a dough hook for this recipe) add the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Mix lightly and let sit until frothy. (about 2 min)
- Add the melted butter, eggs, and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix.
- Add 4 cups of flour and knead for 2 minutes. The dough will be very sticky.
- Add ¼ cup flour to the dough and mix again. You want to continue to knead it until the dough starts to pull away from the edges of the bowl.
- Cover with a towel let the dough rise for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough out into a circle on a floured surface and cut into triangles with a pizza cutter. (Starting at the shortest end of the triangle, roll the dough towards the small pointed end of the triangle so you have a crescent roll shape. For 18 rolls, divide the dough in half, then roll out each half to get 9 triangles each. For 24 rolls, divide the dough into thirds, and then roll out each third to get 8 triangles each.)
- Put the crescent rolls on a large, greased baking sheet.
- To make an egg wash, whisk one egg and 1 Tablespoon of water.
- Brush the egg wash on the rolls
- Cover with a light towel and let them rise till double (about 30 minutes)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until the tops of the rolls are golden brown.
- Brush the tops with melted butter. serve warm or cool
- Keep in a plastic ziplock bag to keep fresh for up to 3 days.
Notes
How to Roll Crescents:
If you're wondering how do you roll crescent rolls, it's pretty easy and only takes a few steps.- Divide your dough into 2-3 smaller dough balls. (if you divide this recipe into 2 balls, the rolls will be pretty big, big enough to make a sandwich out of. If you do 3, the recipe will make closer to 24 rolls and they'll be perfect as a small dinner roll)
- Spread a little flour on your countertop and flour the rolling pin.
- roll the dough out into a circle. (This can most easily be done by starting in the middle of the dough ball and spreading the dough away from the center. Turn the dough a quarter turn each time you roll.
- You want the dough to be circular and 10-12" in diameter. The dough should be about ½" thick.
- Brush the dough with some melted butter.
- Use a pizza cutter and cut the dough into 8 even pie-shaped pieces, just like a pizza.
- Starting with the widest part of the dough, roll the dough to create a crescent.
- Place on a greased cookie sheet and let them rise to double before baking.
Nutrition
If you love rolls and muffins, be sure to try out these Sun-Dried Tomato Biscuits. They're the perfect addition to a soup dinner idea.
Here are some more of the Best Thanksgiving Recipes:
- Crockpot Turkey Breast
- Roasted Turkey Breast
- Easy Cheesecake
- Cranberry Orange Sauce
- Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Green Beans
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Casserole Crusted Topping
- Gingerbread Cookie Bars
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- More Thanksgiving Recipes
- More Bread Recipes
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This Homemade Crescent Rolls Recipe is Grandma's Yeast Rolls Recipe. Yes, it's that good. This crescent roll recipe is buttery and soft and is the perfect side for your holiday meal.
Laura
Can this recipe be cut in half?
sarahK@thecarefreekitchen
Hi Laura, you could cut this in half, however we recommend making the full size batch as it doesn't take much more prep time and you can always freeze the leftover rolls! Hope that helps.