Cook's Illustrated

Homemade Crescent Rolls

Published November 1, 2001.

These rich, buttery rolls can be prebaked, frozen, and then heated just before serving.

The Problem

Commercial crescent rolls from the supermarket refrigerator case are artificial tasting and stale quickly-but making them at home is prohibitively time-consuming.

The Goal

Rich, tender, flaky crescent rolls that can fit in an already-hectic holiday cooking schedule.

The Solution

Skim milk adds flavor without density, melted butter and extra eggs enrich the dough, and an overnight chill leads to crisp and flaky baked rolls. The resilient dough can be shaped and refrigerated for 3 days (or prebaked and frozen for 1 month), then baked right before serving.

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