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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I made my dough now, but don’t need to bake them until about 4. Is that okay?
That should be fine. Just wait to form them until about an hour before you are going to bake them. Or you could form them and wrap them with plastic wrap and put them in the fridge for a bit. Pull them out about and hour and half before you plan to bake them so that they have time to warm up and rise.
I am wheat sensetive But i do better with Sour dough it has been in the refrigerator all night
Any way to modify this to to create the cold over night
You can certainly make the dough a day in advance and chill it after the first proof. Then form them the day you are going to bake them. I would say you could go ahead and form them, but I am afraid the cold butter between the layers will inhibit them from rising the next day. If you kitchen is warm, you can probably make that work. My kitchen is chilly this time of year, so I’d be nervous to try it.
I have made these twice now. First as written – fabulous! Second time, I put a layer of Nutella before I rolled them up and then drizzled some icing on top – allI can say is WOW WOW WOW. Thanks for the recipe!
Ooooh, that sounds fabulous!
I am thinking about using this as a top crust to a pot pie with leftover soup. Do I have to let it rise the second time?
You could go without. It will get some rise in the oven, and as a crust like that it would be okay if it didn’t get fully puffy. I really like that idea. I’ll have to try it sometime!
These are really good. I made half into crescent rolls and the other half I flattened out best I could and baked it – ( it did puff up, next time I will poke it a bit) then I put pizza toppings on it, it was really good!!!
That’s a great idea!
Well you’ve hooked me now! Just got out my starter to feed it and I’m going to make these with the discard.
Yay! I hope you enjoy them!
Can I add cinnamon roll filling and make them into dessert?
That would be delicious! I think I’d make a little frosting or glaze to dip them in. But I’m a frosting lover, so I am always looking for a way to add more.
Thank you! I made these and the are phenomenal!!
Yay, I am so glad you like them!
Can you freeze the dough once rolled before you bake it?
Yes. Just defrost them and let them proof when you are ready to bake them.