Everyone, in my opinion, needs a good go-to roll recipe. This is mine. It's simple, it's virtually fool proof, and I use it in a variety of ways. Not only for dinner rolls but also for my cinnamon rolls and in other recipes that call for a light bread dough. Do not confuse these though with croissants. These are regular dinner rolls simply rolled into a crescent.
Crescent Dinner Rolls
Ingredients:
2 tsp. yeast
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup warm milk
3 1/2 - 4 cups flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, mix the yeast, 2 tsp. sugar, and warm water. Set aside to allow the yeast to activate. In a separate bowl, mix the salt, oil, and 1/3 cup sugar. Stir in the yeast mixture. Add the eggs and warm milk. Slowly stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is firm enough to form a ball (should not be sticky).
2. Cover the dough and allow to rise until double in size (about 2 hours).
3. Divide dough into two pieces. Roll each piece into a circle about 1/4 inch thick. Slice the dough, like a pizza, into 8 wedges, and roll up each wedge from the wide to the narrow end. Repeat with second piece of dough.
4. Place the rolls on baking sheets with the narrow tip of the dough tucked underneath. Cover the rolls and allow to rise for another hour.
5. Brush the tops of the rolls lightly with butter and bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Makes 16 rolls
*Tip: You can make these rolls ahead of time and freeze them. Simply place them on a baking sheet after you've formed them into crescents. Seal it tightly with aluminum foil and freeze. You can either leave them on the baking sheet or place the rolls in a freezer bag. Remove them from the freezer and allow them to thaw and rise for a minimum of 4 hours before baking.