How To Make Easy Buttery Crescent Rolls

By lorik

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups full-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
• Flaky sea salt (optional)

Details

Servings 16
Preparation time 40mins
Cooking time 70mins
Adapted from

Preparation

Step 1

Whisk the dry ingredients together. Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
Stir in the yogurt. Add the yogurt and stir until large clumps form.
Knead the dough. Squeeze and knead the dough with your hands until it becomes one cohesive mass. Continue kneading in the bowl until smooth, 10 to 15 times (or about 45 seconds). The dough will feel slightly tacky.
Roll into a rectangle. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12x8-inch rectangle, positioning the rectangle so that a long side is at the bottom.
Spread with butter. Use a rubber spatula (or your fingertips) to spread 1 tablespoon of the butter all over the dough in a thin, even layer.
Fold, then freeze 10 minutes. Fold the rectangle in half lengthwise (from top to bottom), then crosswise (from left to right). Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for 10 minutes.
Repeat twice more. Remove the dough from freezer. Roll into a 12x8-inch rectangle, spread with 1 tablespoon of the butter, repeat the folding, wrap the dough, and return to the freezer for 10 minutes. Repeat the whole process once more, flouring the surface and the dough as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for 10 minutes.
Roll into a larger rectangle. Arrange 2 racks to divide the oven in thirds and heat to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the freezer and roll into an 18x10-inch-wide rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Again, position the rectangle so that a long side is at the bottom.
Cut into triangles. Cut in half lengthwise into two long rectangles. Cut each rectangle into quarters, so you have a total of 8 equal-sized squares. Diagonally cut each square in half, from corner to corner, to create a total of 16 triangles.
Roll into crescents. Gently stretch each triangle of dough to make it slightly larger, then roll each one up, starting with the wider end and ending with the pointed tip tucked under the roll. Transfer the rolls to the prepared baking sheets.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Bake, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through, until the bottoms are golden-brown and the tops are just beginning to brown, 20 to 25 minutes total.
Brush with butter. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and brush onto the warm rolls. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if using, and serve warm.

Recipe Notes
Storage: These crescent rolls are best served warm but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Reheat in a low oven.

Per serving, based on 16 servings. (% daily value)
Calories 120 Fat 5.7 g (8.7%) Saturated 3.5 g (17.5%) Trans 0.1 g Carbs 13.3 g (4.4%) Fiber 0.4 g (1.7%) Sugars 1.2 g Protein 4.3 g (8.6%) Cholesterol 14.3 mg (4.8%) Sodium 132.4 mg (5.5%)