Homemade Crescent Rolls
Homemade Crescent Rolls are marvelous dinner rolls that are great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week so that you can use part of the dough and have fresh rolls three or four times for dinner over that time period. We love these for holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Equipment
- 1 large cookie sheet
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 small mixing bowl
- 1 large bowl
- 1 tea towel not a terry cloth towel - that will stick to the dough
- plastic wrap
- 1 pastry brush
- 1 small bowl
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 1/4 cup Crisco shortening
- 1 cup warm-hot water 105-115°
- 2 pkg. yeast
- 1 large egg beaten
- 5 1/4 cups bread flour better than regular flour
Instructions
- Combine hot water, granulated sugar, salt and shortening in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.
- Cool to lukewarm.
- Measure warm-hot water into a small mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle yeast over water; stir with a wooden spoon until dissolved.
- Stir into lukewarm water mixture.
- Add the egg and 1 1/2 cups bread flour.
- Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.
- Stir in the remaining flour and beat one minute.
- Dough will be soft.
- Knead on floured pastry cloth for 5 minutes.
- Place dough in a greased bowl; brush top with soft shortening (or butter).
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil (or lid).
- Store in refrigerator until double in bulk or until needed.
- (The dough will keep one week in the refrigerator at 40-45°.)
- Roll rolls out into desired shape and place on cookie sheet (see note).
- Cover the rolls and let them rise until double in size, approximately one hour.
- Brush rolls with melted butter before raising.
- Bake at 375° for 10-20 minutes.
- Brush with butter again when rolls come out of oven.
Notes
SHAPING THE DOUGH: Shape the dough into pan, fan, clover leaf, crescent or small bread sticks. Cover the rolls and let them rise until double in size, approximately one hour. Bake at 375° for 10-20 minutes.
CRESCENT ROLLS: Break dough up into four large pieces. Roll one section of dough into circle. Cut each circle into 12 triangles. Roll up from widest part. Brush with butter before raising. Bake. Brush with butter again when rolls come out of oven.
NOTE: Dough will keep in refrigerator for up to a week.
NOTE: Rolls need a warm surface to raise properly. I usually put them in an oven that was preheated to 100 degrees and then shut the oven off. You may need to do this a couple times in order to get the rolls to raise and double in bulk. I have also allowed the rolls to raise on top of my dryer, and in my garage during the summer when it's hot.
NOTE: You must keep the dough free from all drafts while you're working with it! No open windows in your kitchen or work area, or A/C vents over top of your work area. You may have to shut off the A/C vent until you are finished working with the dough. The breezes will kill the yeast.
NOTE: In order for the yeast to activate you must have water at least 95-105 degrees. I test it with my hands first. If it burns my hands it will kill the yeast! The water needs to be almost bath temperature. Too cold and the yeast won't activate. Too hot and you'll kill the yeast.
NOTE: Watch rolls after 10 minutes and rotate pans if necessary to avoid rolls getting too dark on one side.
NOTE: Brushing the rolls with butter before and after they bake prevents the crust from hardening too much and provides a softer roll.
NOTE: The dough needs to be refrigerated about 24 hours before it will have raised sufficiently to bake it.
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
Calories: 68kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 122mgPotassium: 16mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 6IUCalcium: 3mgIron: 0.1mg
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