Crescent Dinner Rolls
Soft and buttery white crescent dinner rolls everyone is sure to love.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Are you ready? Whether you’re planning a large gathering or small, all of the preparation can be quite overwhelming. I know, I’ve been there. The best advice anyone can tell you to save your sanity is make as much of it ahead of time as possible. And probably the easiest thing to prep ahead is the rolls.
Homemade rolls are an absolute must, in my opinion. They’re right up there with the turkey and mashed potatoes with gravy. But your friends and family don’t have to know— and won’t know— that you actually started prepping them the night, week, or even month before.
These light, tender and very flavorful crescent dinner rolls are a variation of my standard roll recipe. They’re awesome! I did full tutorial last fall with Go Bold With Butter and couldn’t resist sharing the recipe with you now. If you’re a little unsure about yeast breads, hop on over and check out the tutorial, I break it all down for you.
And if you thought maybe you’d skip the homemade rolls this year and get something from the grocery store instead— think again! Read on for four ways to prepare your rolls in advance.
Also, check out these other roll recipes that are perfect for holidays and family gatherings: Good Old American White Rolls, Potato Dinner Rolls, and Easy No-Knead Fairy Crescent Rolls.
baking tip:4 ways to prepare rolls in advance
>> Rise the dough in the fridge overnight— Place kneaded dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put in the fridge overnight. The next morning, shape into rolls, rise and bake.
>> Rise the shaped rolls in the fridge overnight— Place shaped rolls in a greased baking dish or pan lined with parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap. Put in the fridge overnight. The next morning bring it to room temperature for 1 – 1 1/2 hours until risen, then bake.
>> Freeze shaped rolls up to 2 months in advance— Place shaped rolls on a pan lined with parchment paper so they aren’t touching. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour. Transfer frozen rolls to a heavy duty ziplock bag and store for up to 2 months. When ready to use, place frozen rolls in a greased baking dish or pan lined with parchment and thaw at room temperature for a few hours, let rise, then bake.
>> Freeze baked rolls up to 1 month in advance— Bake rolls as normal and cool completely. Wrap in foil and then place in a ziplock bag. When ready to serve, remove from bag and loosen the foil a bit. Warm in a 300 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes until warmed through.
Crescent Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (56 grams)
- ¼ cup honey (85 grams)
- ⅔ cup whole milk (160 ml)
- 3 - 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (360-420 grams)
- 1 packet active-dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg + 1 teaspoon for egg wash , optional
- Additional butter , for brushing
Instructions
- In a small saucepan set over medium low heat, warm the butter, honey and milk until butter is melted and mixture begins to steam. Do not boil. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes, or until the temperature is between 120-130°F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour with the yeast and salt. Add the milk mixture and mix until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each.
- With the mixer on low, add the remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until dough clears the side of the bowl but is still slightly sticky to the touch. You may not need all 3 1/2 cups of flour.
- Continue to knead the dough in the mixer until it is smooth and elastic, about 5-8 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Gently punch down dough and knead a few times. Cover it with the plastic wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes.
- On a clean surface roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Using a pizza slicer, cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Working with each piece individually, roll the dough up starting with the fat end.
- Place the roll on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper so the skinny point is on the bottom. Cover with plastic wrap and rise again for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Brush with egg wash and bake rolls until they are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately brush with butter, if desired.
- The rolls are best the day they are made but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Disclosure: This recipe was made with Real® Butter in partnership with the American Butter Institute. Thank you for supporting partnerships with brands and campaigns I believe in, which make it easier for me to bring you new and creative content. All opinions are always my own. To see all of the recipes I have created for Go Bold with Butter, click here.
Awesome! Will make this for dinner today! Thanks a lot for sharing this recipe. 🙂
I love homemade rolls! So good and can’t be beat. These are such great tips!!
Yes to the refrigerator! I never make bread or rolls without the dough rising up in the fridge for at least a few hours. These look so sweet and rich, would you say the dough could be used in the same way as those weirdo refrigerated ones? Like for making desserty type stuff? Either way, they’re splendid. I love starting with the point and unraveling them bit by bit. Thanks!
Like use them instead of Pillsbury crescents? Yeah for sure, though the dough is a little more sturdy and not as soft or pliable so you’ll have to work a bit harder to roll it out as thin as that stuff. Love that idea though! The wheels in my head are turning….
These look perfectly fluffy and golden brown. I wish I had a warm roll right now! Love all these ideas for making them ahead. Anything that can be done in advance is a life saver on Thanksgiving Day!
These are picture perfect and I love the tricks for prepping them ahead!!
I love crescent rolls soooooo much! They look perfectly baked…yum!
I usually don’t spend much time in the kitchen but I want to try and make these crescent dinner rolls. I’m a little scared of how they might turn out. Honestly, I’ve never had much luck with baking but hopefully, they’ll be edible.
I love to make sausage rolls for Christmas morning snacking while the family opens presents. I make them the day before, wrap batches in foil then rewarm in oven on Christmas morning. First cook breakfast link sausages until done. Place a half slice of cheese on large end of crescent dough, top with the sausage then roll up making sure dough is sealed so cheese doesn’t leak through.
What a great idea, thanks for the suggestion!
These are absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to try them.