I love baking bread of any kind, but these buttery homemade crescent rolls are especially fun.
They aren't difficult to make - you just need to plan ahead a bit early in the day to allow the dough to rise so you can bake them to be ready for dinner time.
Faster than you can whack a tube of store bought dough on the edge of the counter, you can be mixing up a batch for yourself!
Buttery Homemade Crescent Rolls
Makes 2 dozen rolls.Line two baking sheets with parchment and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a bread hook, dissolve the yeast into the warm water.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt 4 Tablespoons of the butter into the milk (let the remaining 4 Tablespoons sit out on the counter to come to room temperature, you'll use that later), then take the saucepan of the heat and set aside.
Let sit for 4 to 5 minutes to cool a bit.
In the meantime, whisk the flour, salt and sugar in a small bowl.
Pour the milk mixture into the yeast, and mix until combined. Add the egg and beat into the mixture. With the mixer running on low, add the flour mixture a few spoonfuls at a time, continuing to mix until the dough has come together into a ball and and is smooth and elastic, about 5-6 minutes.
Place the dough in a bowl coated with oil, cover with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel and set in a warm spot for about an hour, until it has doubled in size.
Punch the dough down, then divide it in half and roll each half into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface.
Brush some of the softened butter onto each circle. Working with one circle at a time. fold the dough over onto itself, then roll out again into a circle and spread with butter again. Repeat one more time. Then roll each into a final 12-inch circle and brush with the remaining butter.
Cut each circle into 12 wedges, then starting at the wide end, roll each wedge up and curl it into a crescent shape.
Divide between the two baking sheets, spacing the crescents evenly apart, and making sure the point is on the bottom to prevent them from unrolling as they bake.
Let rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes, while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bake the rolls 10-12 minutes or until a light, golden brown.
Remove from the oven, brush with the additional melted butter, if desired, and sprinkle with the Maldon salt. Move to wire racks to cool. Rolls can be stored in an airtight container or frozen to eat later.
