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Sourdough Crescent Rolls

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Sourdough crescent rolls are soft, buttery, ever so slightly sweet with a nicely rounded sourdough flavor.  They are the perfect accompaniment to your next dinner!

Hand holding golden brown sourdough crescent roll.

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. 

serving dish filled with golden brown sourdough crescent rolls ready to eat.

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 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!

Sourdough crescent dough rolled out into a circle and cut into wedges with two rolled into crescent shapes.

Lately Bertha and I have been on a pizza kick.  It turns out my family has a pretty serious thing for homemade pizza. 

A lot of the times it is something like you might imagine, Canadian bacon with mushrooms, peppers, red sauce and cheese.

Sometimes it is something more fun like BBQ, apple bacon pizza, Italian beef style pizza or even croque madame pizza.  We love trying them all and a good sourdough pizza crust is a nice base for any number of toppings.

Proofed sourdough crescent rolls brushed with butter and ready to bake.

But it had been a while since Bertha and I had waded into new territory.  I still love the idea of sourdough in all sorts of things, so it was time to do something other than pizza and muffins.

So I went to my favorite sourdough guru for answers.  The Old Fat Guy is where I got the instructions for making sourdough and he posts great recipes using his sourdough, Sam. So I know he’d have some good stuff.

Golden baked crescent rolls on baking sheet fresh from the oven.

These sourdough roll-ups immediately caught my eye and I knew I had to make some.  I am sure glad I did! 

They were easy to make and delicious.  They had just enough butter and sugar to make them light, fluffy and mildly sweet but not as much as our other favorite homemade crescent rolls.

I ended up needing slightly less flour than him and modified the instructions for cutting the rolls to mimic the method I know and love already.  Other than that, I didn’t make too many changes.

Instead of 12 large rolls, I made 16 and they were still giant! You could easily form three ball and make 24 rolls if you’d like, just watch the cooking time so that you don’t overdo them.

Golden sourdough crescent roll split in half with soft center showing.

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.

They were the perfect way to sop up some of the sauce for the Italian dinner we were having, but we also enjoyed them warm with a bit of butter.

What are your favorite ways to use sourdough?

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.

Bowl of sourdough crescent dough with a finger indent in the middle showing it is properly proved.

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.

Can I freeze baked crescent rolls?

Yes. 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.

Love this recipe? Give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review in the recipe card below!

Hand holding golden brown sourdough crescent roll.

Sourdough Crescent Rolls

Carlee
Sourdough crescent rolls are soft, ever so slightly sweet with a nicely rounded sourdough flavor.  They are the perfect accompaniment to your next dinner!
4.83 from 35 ratings
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Servings 16 Servings
Calories 206 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • teaspoons dry active yeast or 1 package
  • cups warm water
  • 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 warm water and yeast in your mixer bowl and let sit for about 10 minutes to activate.
    2¼ teaspoons dry active yeast, 1½ cups warm water
  • Add 3 cups of flour, sourdough starter, melted butter, salt, sugar and baking soda to the yeast mixture and mix until combined.
    1 cup sourdough starter, 2 Tablespoons melted butter, 2 teaspoons salt, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 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 of 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 butter.
    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

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 206kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 5gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 335mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3g
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Recipe Rating




Karen @karenskitchenstories

Saturday 30th of December 2023

Well you've hooked me now! Just got out my starter to feed it and I'm going to make these with the discard.

Carlee

Saturday 30th of December 2023

Yay! I hope you enjoy them!

Kristi

Sunday 1st of October 2023

Can I add cinnamon roll filling and make them into dessert?

Carlee

Sunday 1st of October 2023

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.

Kristi

Wednesday 13th of September 2023

Thank you! I made these and the are phenomenal!!

Carlee

Wednesday 13th of September 2023

Yay, I am so glad you like them!

Kristi

Tuesday 12th of September 2023

Can you freeze the dough once rolled before you bake it?

Carlee

Tuesday 12th of September 2023

Yes. Just defrost them and let them proof when you are ready to bake them.

Andrea

Friday 14th of May 2021

Nice recipe, but I just really need to say that your son is very skillfull and did great job, that he was able to do all without any help. Great 😀

Carlee

Friday 14th of May 2021

Thank you, he is becoming quite the pro in the kitchen!