Sourdough crescent rolls are soft, buttery, ever so slightly sweet with a nicely rounded sourdough flavor. They can be made with discard and are the perfect accompaniment to your next dinner.
These sourdough crescent rolls are a fabulous way to use some starter discard. The process to make them is really quite easy and the results are every bit as delicious as you would want them to be.
For those of you who have not met Bertha yet, she is my sourdough starter. I got her going after seeing something on T.V. that had me excited about all things culinary.
I immediately ran to the kitchen and mixed some flour and water. Five days and five feedings later she was perking away.
We have made lots of muffins together. If you have not tried any of the sourdough muffins yet, they are amazing. I like to mix in oatmeal and not too much sugar for a grab and go sourdough breakfast that you can feel pretty good about eating.
The chocolate chip sourdough muffins were an early favorite but the caramel apple sourdough muffins are a recent winner. I have posted quite a few flavor variations if you have a starter, I hope you’ll find one you love!
I have had fun trying all different kinds of sourdough recipes. These crescent rolls quickly became one of my favorites. It was love at first bite!
They are easy to make and delicious. They have just enough butter and sugar to make them light, fluffy and mildly sweet but not as much as our other favorite homemade crescent rolls.
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I like to make 16 large rolls from the recipe. You could easily form three balls and make 24 rolls if you’d like, just watch the cooking time so that you don’t overdo them.
If you want soft, flavorful rolls that have a well rounded flavor these are for you! Bertha and I were quite pleased with the results and so was everyone we shared with.
I hope you make a batch to see for yourself. They are such a wonderful way to use sourdough discard.
Carlee’s Tips, Tricks and FAQs
What kind of starter should I use for this recipe?
Because there is additional yeast in the recipe, you don’t have to worry about feeding your starter 24 hours in advance. This is a great recipe for using up discard or starter straight from the refrigerator.
How do you know when bread dough is properly proved?
It can sometimes be hard to tell if the dough has doubled in size or not. And the amount of time it takes to prove is very temperature dependent, so you can’t always go on time alone.
An easy way to test to see if your bread is proved is to stick a knuckle into the dough. If the dough springs back quickly, it needs a little more proving time. If the indent bounces back slowly, you are ready to move on to the next step.
Can you freeze crescent dough?
Yes! If you don’t need a whole batch of rolls at once you can certainly cut the recipe in half. But you could also make a whole batch and freeze some dough for later.
Follow the recipe instructions through the first proof. When it is time to cut the ball of dough in half, simply wrap half in plastic wrap and put in a freezer bag.
Freeze the dough for up to three months. When you are ready to use the dough, simply defrost in the refrigerator overnight then follow the recipe instructions from there.
Alternatively you can form the crescent rolls and freeze them on a sheet pan. Once they are fully frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag and return them to the freezer.
When you are ready, put them back on a sheet pan and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to defrost.
Then allow to proof and bake as directed below. This is a great option for doing the prep work ahead of time and still having great fresh bread for your dinner table. It’s especially perfect for holidays when the kitchen is extra busy.
What is the difference between croissants and crescent rolls?
Croissants are a flakier pastry like dough that is almost a cross between puff pastry and bread. It takes lamination to get those flaky layers.
Crescent rolls have the texture of bread. The butter is just applied to the dough before they are rolled into the classic horn shape.
They aren’t flaky, but are buttery and delicious.
Storage
These rolls are best consumed fresh. However, if you have extra rolls you won’t eat within a day or two of baking, put them in a freezer bag and freeze them for up to three months.
Sourdough Crescent Rolls
Ingredients
- 2¼ teaspoons dry active yeast or 1 package
- 1½ cups warm water
- 4½ cups all purpose flour plus some additional
- 1 cup sourdough starter
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 2 Tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- Put 1½ cups warm water and 2¼ teaspoons dry active yeast in your mixer bowl and let sit for about 10 minutes to activate.
- Add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup sourdough starter, 2 Tablespoons melted butter, 2 teaspoons salt, ¼ cup granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon baking soda to the yeast mixture and mix until combined.
- Work in the remaining flour a little bit at a time until you have a nice dough consistency. It should be ever so slightly tacky, not too wet and not too dry. The exact amount of flour will depend on the consistency of your sourdough starter and the humidity.
- Knead by hand or using the dough hook in your mixer for about 7 minutes.
- Put the 2 teaspoons oil in the bottom of a large bowl. Put the dough in the bowl and roll it around to coat it in the oil. Cover and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about an hour.
- Grease two large baking sheets and set aside. Divide the dough into 2 pieces (3 for smaller rolls) and form each part into a ball. Let rest for about 10 minutes.
- Place a ball of dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out in a circle shape, about ¼-inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges and brush with melted 2 Tablespoons butter.
- Roll each wedge from the fat edge to the point to create the crescent shape and place on a greased baking sheet with plenty of room to grow as they rise.
- Once all of the crescents are formed, cover loosely with towels or plastic wrap and allow to rise until about doubled in size, about an hour.
- Gently brush the rolls with melted butter and bake at 375°F for about 25 minutes, rotating the trays top to bottom and front to back about half way through.
Video
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We love crescent rolls and I've never made them from scratch. They look delicious.
They are easier than you'd think and fun to make too!
Have you read "Sourdough" by Robin Sloan? I love that you named your starter. I need to get the nerve up to start.
No, but I should! I need more sourdough inspiration!
I had missed, or forgotten that your starter had a name! Bertha was my husbands previous truck! The rolls look absolutely amazing!
Hehe! If you name her, you have to keep her fed 😉 That is so funny that your husband's truck was a Bertha too.
Thank you for introducing me to Bertha. That is funny because I use to have a car named Bertha! Anyway, I'm loving your sourdough rolls. They look fabulous and I do like sourdough.
Ha! That is too funny that you had a Bertha too. It sounds like both of our Berthas were useful 😉
These rolls looks so yummy! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week!
Kim
They are so soft and delicious! Thank you!
Thank you!
Hmmm I never use yeast when I use my starter…maybe I should?? I'll give it a try. I always figured that the sourdough yeast was enough! Pinned so I can come back to it.
My starter tends to be a little sleepy because I only feed her once a week and keep her in the fridge. Plus I am usually in a hurry, so I like to add a bit of yeast to speed the process. I do occasionally think to give myself enough time to bake without the added yeast, but I find the proofing process takes a bit longer. But usually my lack of planning and patience get the best of me! 😉
I absolutely love these! I just got a new sourdough starter so once its ready to go, I'm going to give these a try.
Yay! Perfect timing then! I hope you love them!
Sourdough bread is my favourite type of bread. These crescent rolls look so delicious, so soft, and perfectly shaped!
I love sourdough as well! Thank you!
You can't go wrong with a classic recipe like this! I love how simple these are too make too!
Thank you! They really are simple and soooo good!