Quick Answer
Crescent rolls and biscuits have some similarities but are different products. While both are made from dough containing flour, fat, liquid and leavening, crescent rolls have a distinctive crescent shape and are meant to be served as a dinner roll or breakfast bread. Biscuits can be shaped into rounds, squares or wedges and are traditionally served as a side bread with meals.
Crescent Roll Overview
Crescent rolls are a type of packaged dough that comes refrigerated in a tube or ready to bake in a pan. They have a light, fluffy texture and a distinctive crescent shape achieved by rolling the dough into a log, slicing it, then shaping each slice into a crescent before baking.
Some key attributes of crescent rolls:
– Flavor – Crescent rolls have a mild, sweet flavor from milk, butter and a small amount of sugar used in the dough. They have a hint of richness from the fat layered into the dough.
– Texture – When baked, crescent rolls have a soft, airy interior and delicate, flaky layers. The tops are golden brown.
– Shape – The crescent shape is the signature for this roll. The shape is formed by rolling the dough into a log, slicing it, then shaping each slice into a crescent before baking.
– Uses – Crescent rolls are versatile and can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Popular uses are breakfast breads, mini sandwiches, and side rolls for dinners or holiday meals.
– Store-bought – Crescent rolls are sold pre-made in tubes that can be sliced and baked. Pre-shaped crescents are also available in refrigerator cases or frozen food sections. Popular brands include Pillsbury and Rhodes.
Biscuit Overview
Biscuits are a tender, leavened quick bread that is a staple side particularly in Southern U.S. cooking. Biscuits can be shaped into rounds, squares or wedges. When made well, they have a crisp, golden exterior and light, fluffy interior.
Key attributes of biscuits:
– Flavor – Biscuits have a mild, savory flavor from the buttermilk or milk used in the dough recipe. They can be flavored with cheese, herbs or other mix-ins.
– Texture – Good biscuits are tender and fluffy on the inside with a golden brown, slightly crisp exterior. Layers are created through folding and layering fat into the dough.
– Shape – Biscuits can be shaped into rounds, squares, wedges or other shapes. Rounds are the most common.
– Uses – Biscuits are traditionally served as a bread side for Southern meals and comfort foods. They are often served with gravy, jam, or meat sides.
– From scratch – Quality biscuits are best made fresh from scratch rather than store-bought. They use simple ingredients like flour, fat, milk and leavening.
Similarities
Despite being different products, crescent rolls and biscuits do share some similarities:
– Leavened dough – Both are made from leavened dough, meaning they use chemical leaveners like baking powder or baking soda. This gives them a light and fluffy texture when baked.
– Contain fat – The dough for both products contains fat like butter or shortening. This gives them a tender, flaky texture and richer flavor.
– Formed by hand – Crescent rolls and biscuits are shaped by hand rather than relying on pans to form them. This allows for the distinctive shapes.
– Baked good – They are both hand-shaped baked breads made from dough. This sets them apart from other types of bread like yeast breads.
– Served warm – Crescent rolls and biscuits are often served warm, directly after baking. This enhances their flavor and texture appeal.
Differences
While crescent rolls and biscuits share some broad similarities, they have distinct differences:
Shape
– Crescent rolls are shaped into crescents by first slicing a dough log, then wrapping each slice into a crescent. This shape is their signature.
– Biscuits can be made into rounds, squares, wedges or other shapes. Rounds are most common but shape is not their signature.
Flavor
– Crescent rolls have a mild sweetness from sugar and milk. Their flavor is versatile for savory to sweet applications.
– Biscuits have a predominantly savory, buttermilk flavor. They pair well with savory foods like gravy, meat, eggs.
Texture
– Crescent rolls have a very soft, tender, airy texture with flaky layers.
– Biscuits can be light and fluffy but also have a slightly firmer, heartier texture than crescent rolls.
Usage
– Crescent rolls are used in both sweet and savory applications – breakfast pastries, dinner rolls, mini sandwiches.
– Biscuits are predominantly used as a savory bread side, especially for Southern style cooking and comfort foods.
Pre-made vs. Scratch
– Crescent rolls are most often store-bought refrigerated or frozen dough.
– Quality biscuits are typically homemade from scratch rather than store-bought.
Crescent Roll Dough Ingredients
Crescent roll dough is easy to prepare with basic pantry ingredients:
– **Flour** – All purpose flour provides structure and texture. Bread or cake flour can also be used.
– **Milk** – Provides moisture and flavor. Whole milk is traditional but low-fat milk can also be used.
– **Butter or oil** – For rich flavor and to create flaky layers. Butter is typical but oil can be substituted.
– **Sugar** – A small amount of sugar gives crescent rolls sweetness. Granulated white sugar is commonly used.
– **Salt** – A pinch of salt enhances overall flavor.
– **Leavening** – Baking powder and/or baking soda gives crescents a light, airy texture.
– **Egg** – Optional, but adds moisture, richness and binding.
Common additions include milk powder, vanilla, herbs and cheese for variety.
Sample Crescent Roll Dough Recipe
| All-purpose flour | 2 1/4 cups |
| Granulated sugar | 2 tablespoons |
| Salt | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Baking powder | 1 tablespoon |
| Cold butter | 1/2 cup |
| Milk | 1/2 cup |
| Egg | 1 large |
Biscuit Dough Ingredients
Simple pantry ingredients make classic biscuit dough:
– **Flour** – All purpose flour is standard. White whole wheat or pastry flour can also be used.
– **Butter or shortening** – Butter has great flavor but shortening makes flakier layers. A 50/50 mix is ideal.
– **Milk** – Often buttermilk for tanginess and moisture, but regular milk works too.
– **Leavening** – Baking powder and/or baking soda for light texture. Use 1-2 teaspoons.
– **Salt** – A pinch of salt brings out other flavors.
– **Sugar** – Optional, 1-2 teaspoons of sugar adds slight sweetness.
Common additions are shredded cheese, herbs, garlic and cracked black pepper.
Sample Biscuit Dough Recipe
| All-purpose flour | 2 cups |
| Baking powder | 2 teaspoons |
| Salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Cold butter | 4 tablespoons |
| Cold shortening | 4 tablespoons |
| Buttermilk | 3/4 cup |
Preparation Methods
Crescent rolls and biscuits use slightly different preparation methods:
Crescent Rolls
– Make dough then chill for easier handling.
– Roll out dough into a log shape.
– Slice log into disks, about 1/2-inch thick.
– Roll disk edges up to make a crescent shape.
– Arrange crescents on a baking sheet.
– Brush with egg wash or milk and bake until golden brown.
Biscuits
– Mix dry and wet ingredients separately then gently knead together.
– Pat out dough on floured surface to 1/2-3/4 inch thickness.
– Use a biscuit cutter to cut straight sides, or cut into rounds or squares with a knife.
– Arrange biscuits touching on a baking sheet.
– Brush tops with butter or buttermilk.
– Bake until golden brown on top.
Serving Suggestions
Crescent rolls and biscuits are served in different ways:
Crescent Rolls
– Breakfast – sweet roll, breakfast sandwich
– Lunch – mini sandwich or roll
– Dinner – side roll, slider bun
– Snack – warmed with butter or cheese
– Dessert – shaped into sweet crescents with cinnamon
Biscuits
– Breakfast – with butter and jam
– Lunch – biscuit sandwich
– Dinner – bread side with entrees, often with gravy or jam
– Snack – split and topped with ham, chicken, cheese
Nutrition Comparison
Crescent rolls and biscuits have slightly different nutritional profiles:
| Nutrition Facts Per Serving | Crescent Roll | Biscuit |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 110 | 160 |
| Fat | 4.5g | 7g |
| Carbs | 17g | 22g |
| Protein | 3g | 4g |
| Sodium | 160mg | 470mg |
Key differences:
– Biscuits are higher in calories, fat and carbs than crescent rolls.
– Crescent rolls are lower in sodium than biscuits, since biscuits use buttermilk.
– Both provide protein from the flour, but biscuits contain a bit more.
So biscuits are more hearty and filling as a side bread, while crescent rolls are lighter.
Cost Comparison
Biscuits made from scratch are the most affordable option. Pre-made crescent rolls cost slightly more than homemade biscuits.
| Product | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| Crescent roll tube (8 oz), store-bought | $2.50 |
| Biscuits (6) from scratch | $0.60 |
| Refrigerated biscuits (8 oz), store-bought | $3 |
The convenience of ready-to-bake crescent rolls does add to their cost over homemade biscuits. But biscuits made from scratch require more active effort.
Storage
Crescent rolls and biscuits have slightly different storage needs:
Crescent Rolls
– Unbaked crescent rolls: Keep refrigerated up to 2 weeks or until use by date.
– Baked crescents: Store in air-tight container at room temp up to 4 days. To refresh, crisp rolls in oven.
– Frozen crescent roll dough: Keep frozen up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge before use.
Biscuits
– Unbaked biscuit dough: Form biscuits then freeze on baking sheet. Transfer to bags and freeze up to 3 months.
– Baked biscuits: Store in air-tight container at room temp up to 1 week. To refresh, split and toast.
– Refrigerated biscuits: Use by date on package, typically 1 week. Handle gently to avoid rising again.
Conclusion
While crescent rolls and biscuits share some common traits of being hand-shaped leavened doughs, they have distinct differences in terms of ingredients, shaping, textures, usages and storage needs. Crescent rolls have a sweeter, softer texture while biscuits are more savory and hearty. Both are delicious bread options that can be enjoyed as part of sweet or savory meals!