Why this recipe works Most recipes for buttery, flaky crescent rolls require laborious repeated rolling and folding to layer softened butter into the dough. At the same time, we wouldn’t think of settling for the artificial-tasting, dry canned versions from the supermarket. After dozens of tests, we found a way to avoid either extreme: You can make rolls that are only a modicum less flaky and just as tender as labor-intensive versions by simply kneading all the ingredients together. We determined that a precise 7 tablespoons of melted butter in the dough delivered great flavor without making the dough too sticky to work with. To enhance the richness of our rolls, without weighing them down, we used half-and-half instead of milk, resulting in extra tender rolls with big buttery taste.
MAKES: 12 rolls
RISING TIME: 2 to 3 hours
BAKING TIME: 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 3¼ to 4¼ hours, plus 15 minutes cooling time
KEY EQUIPMENT: rimmed baking sheet, rolling pin, pastry brush
INGREDIENTS:
- 2½ cups (12½ ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (4 ounces) half-and-half, room temperature
- 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup (1¾ ounces) sugar
- 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk, room temperature
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water and pinch salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Whisk flour, yeast, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer. In a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together half-and-half, 7 tablespoons melted butter, sugar, and egg and yolk until the sugar has dissolved.
- Using the dough hook attachment on low speed, slowly add the half-and-half mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and clears the sides of the bowl but sticks to the bottom, about 8 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball, about 30 seconds. Place the dough seam side down in a lightly greased large bowl or container. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Press down on the dough to deflate it, then transfer it to a lightly floured counter. Press and roll the dough into a 12-inch round.
- Brush the top of the dough with the remaining melted butter and cut it into 12 wedges.
- Starting at the wide end, gently roll up each dough wedge, ending with the pointed tip on the bottom. Push the ends toward each other to form a crescent shape.
- Arrange the rolls on the prepared sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart, with the tip of the dough underneath each roll. Cover loosely with greased plastic and let them rise until nearly doubled in size and the dough springs back minimally when gently poked with your knuckle, for 1 to 1½ hours. (Unrisen rolls can be refrigerated for at least 8 hours or up to 16 hours; let the rolls sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.)
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Gently brush the rolls with the egg mixture and bake until golden brown, for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Transfer the rolls to a wire rack and let them cool for 15 minutes. Serve warm.
