Homemade Crescent Rolls

These crescent dinner rolls are easy to make, taste great, and look spectacular. Everything you want in a recipe.

Homemade Crescent Rolls

Delicious Homemade Crescent Rolls

Ingredients

• 250 grams bread flour 
• 250 grams whole wheat flour 
• 12 grams kosher salt 
• 6 grams instant yeast
• 300 ml water, 75° F.
• 50 grams extra virgin olive oil
• Heavy cream, for brushing
• Poppy seeds, for dusting

Method

1. Place the bowl of your stand mixer on your digital scale and tare the scale. Add the flours, salt, and yeast taking care to tare the scale as needed. Whisk the ingredients to distribute and thoroughly combine.
2. Add the water and stir with a wooden spoon to hydrate the flour. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand 10 minutes, to hydrate the flour. Add the olive oil.
3. Place the bowl on the mixer and mix with the paddle attachment until a sticky dough forms, about 2 minutes. Replace the paddle with the dough hook and knead on medium-low for 6 minutes.
4. Turn out dough onto a floured board and work into a smooth ball. Coat the mixing bowl with a little olive oil. Form the dough into a boule and place back in the bowl. Cover with film and place in a warm spot on the counter. Allow to rise until doubled in volume.
5. Turn out dough onto a floured board. Punch down dough and form into a round, again. Place the dough back into the mixing bowl. Cover with film and place in a warm spot on the counter. Allow to rise until doubled in volume, again.
6. Preheat oven to 425° F (220° C).
7. Punch down dough and form into a round. Using your fingers press the dough out into a round disc. Using a rolling pin gently roll dough out to about a half inch thick. Using a pastry knife cut the dough into 8 equal "pizza" slices. Staarting from the outside edge roll the dough slices into crescents, pinching the ends so they stick.
8. Transfer the crescents to a parchment lined sheet pan. Allow to proof until almost doubled in volume. Gently coat the dough with cream and sprinkle with poppy seeds, if desired. 
9. Place in oven and toss about a quarter cup of water onto the floor of the oven to generate steam. Immediately close the door and reduce the heat to 375° F (190° C). 
10. Bake until the rolls are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes.
11. Remove and cool for about a minute. Then transfer the rolls to a wire rack and cool completely.

Notes

• I really want to stress that you should wait for the rolls to cool before eating them. Bread continues to evaporate moisture for another hour or so after it is removed from the oven. If you cut into it immediately it won't finish properly. Having said that, one of the nice things about making rolls is that you can immediately devour one without ruining the rest of them. Steaming hot bread fresh from the oven and a little butter. Oh My!

Tags: homemade crescent rolls, crescent dinner rolls