Crescent rolls are a delicious baked good that can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. While crescent rolls are often sold pre-rolled in tubes, another option is to buy refrigerated unrolled crescent roll dough. Unrolled crescent roll dough allows you to shape the crescent rolls however you’d like before baking. With just a few simple steps, you can easily bake unrolled crescent rolls at home.
What Are Unrolled Crescent Rolls?
Unrolled crescent roll dough contains the same ingredients as regular crescent roll dough, like flour, oil, and leavening agents. However, instead of coming pre-rolled into the crescent shape, unrolled crescent roll dough is sold in a log or rectangle shape. This allows you to slice and shape the dough yourself before baking.
Unrolled crescent roll dough is refrigerated to maintain the integrity of the butter in the dough. When ready to use, you simply allow the dough to come to room temperature, slice it into triangles or rectangles, roll it up, and bake until golden brown. The shapes are endless – you can make classic crescents, pinwheels, braids, and more.
Benefits of Unrolled Crescent Rolls
There are several advantages to using unrolled crescent roll dough versus pre-rolled crescents:
- More customizable shapes – Shape the dough into crescents, pinwheels, braids, spirals, and more.
- Control portion sizes – Cut the dough into smaller or larger triangles.
- Fillable – Unrolled dough is easy to fill with cheeses, fruits, nuts, etc. before rolling.
- Fun project – Shaping the crescent rolls is fun, especially for kids.
- Less waste – You can use up all the dough, unlike the scraps left with pre-rolled tubes.
Ingredients
The main ingredients you’ll need are:
- Refrigerated unrolled crescent roll dough (1 tube)
- All-purpose flour for dusting
- Melted butter for brushing (optional)
- Desired fillings like cheese, fruits, herbs, etc. (optional)
Equipment
You’ll need the following equipment:
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Rolling pin (optional)
- Pastry brush (if brushing with butter)
- Knife
- Cutting board
Step 1 – Let the Dough Warm Up
Since unrolled crescent roll dough is refrigerated, you’ll need to allow it to come to room temperature before shaping and baking. This helps make the dough more pliable and easier to roll. Take the dough out of the fridge and let sit on the counter for 30-60 minutes until softened and no longer cold. The ideal temperature is around 70°F.
Step 2 – Prepare the Baking Sheet
While the dough warms up, preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper – this prevents sticking. The dough is delicate, so parchment paper helps the unbaked rolls easily lift off the pan.
Step 3 – Cut the Dough
Once the dough has softened, it’s time to cut it into pieces for shaping. Lightly flour your work surface, then unroll the dough log onto it. Use a knife or pizza cutter to slice the dough into equal-sized triangles, squares, or rectangles.
The width of each piece will depend on how big you want your rolls. For standard-sized crescents, cut the dough into 1-2 inch wide triangles. Wider or longer shapes will result in larger baked crescents.
Step 4 – Shape the Rolls
Now you can shape your crescent roll dough into whatever form you desire. Here are some common shapes:
Crescents:
- Take a triangle piece and roll the dough between your hands to form a crescent shape.
- Place on the baking sheet with the pointy ends tucked underneath to maintain the crescent shape.
Pinwheels:
- Take a square piece and add your desired filling (see ideas below).
- Roll the dough into a cylinder, like a jelly roll.
- Slice the log diagonally to create pinwheel shapes.
Braids:
- Cut the dough into long, rectangular strips.
- Take 3-4 strips and overlap slightly. Pinch the tops together.
- Braid the dough strips, then pinch the ends to seal.
Get creative with spirals, knots, and other shapes too. Place the shaped rolls evenly spaced on the baking sheet as you work.
Step 5 – Fill the Rolls (Optional)
One benefit of unrolled dough is you can fill the rolls before baking. Here are some tasty fillings to try:
- Cheese – cheddar, Swiss, goat cheese
- Fruit – blueberries, raspberries, drained cherries
- Nuts – pecans, walnuts, almonds
- Jams, preserves, Nutella
- Fresh herbs – rosemary, thyme
- Cooked meat – bacon, sausage, turkey
- Chopped vegetables – spinach, sun-dried tomatoes
For folded rolls like crescents, place the filling on the wide half of the triangle before rolling up. For braids and pinwheels, sprinkle the filling over the dough rectangle before rolling.
Step 6 – Brush with Butter (Optional)
For an extra touch of flavor and browning, brush the shaped unbaked rolls with melted butter. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the tops and sides of each roll.
Step 7 – Bake the Rolls
Bake the unrolled crescent rolls for 11-14 minutes until golden brown on top. Baking time may vary based on the size and shape of your rolls.
The rolls are done when they are puffed and golden brown with slightly browned edges. If making pinwheels or braids with fillings, bake for 2-3 extra minutes to ensure the insides are baked through.
Step 8 – Cool and Serve
When the crescent rolls are finished baking, transfer them to a wire rack to cool slightly. This keeps the bottoms from getting soggy. Serve the rolls warm with butter, jam, honey, or dipping oil.
Freshly baked unrolled crescent rolls taste amazing! Store any leftovers covered at room temperature for a few days. The shaped unbaked rolls can also be frozen, then baked still frozen at a later time.
Tips for Making Unrolled Crescent Rolls
Follow these tips for perfect, flaky crescent rolls every time:
- Make sure the dough is warm enough before rolling. Cold dough cracks and doesn’t roll up properly.
- Work quickly while shaping to prevent the dough from warming up too fast. Refrigerate if needed.
- Use a light hand when rolling – don’t press down hard or the layers will meld together.
- Brush rolls with egg wash rather than melted butter for a more golden color.
- Underbake slightly for soft, tender rolls. Bake longer for crunchy, flaky tops.
- Freeze shaped unbaked rolls on a baking sheet, then transfer to a bag to bake later.
Common Questions
Can I make unrolled crescent rolls ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare unrolled crescent rolls in advance before baking. After shaping the rolls, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Take the rolls out of the fridge about 1 hour before baking to let come to room temperature.
How long do baked crescent rolls last?
Freshly baked crescent rolls will last 3-4 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
What can I fill my crescent rolls with?
Savory fillings like cheese, cooked meat, vegetables, and herbs are delicious in crescent rolls. For a sweet twist, use fruit jams, Nutella, cinnamon sugar, or pie fillings. Get creative with your favorite flavors!
Can I make crescent rolls without milk or butter?
Yes, you can make dairy-free crescent rolls by substituting the butter with coconut oil or olive oil. For the milk, use a non-dairy milk like almond, oat, or soy milk. The texture may be a little different without the dairy ingredients.
Why do my unrolled crescent rolls have holes and tunnels?
Tunnels or holes inside baked crescent rolls means the dough was not rolled up tightly enough. Make sure to roll from the wide end so there are layers. Pinch the seams and ends closed well to prevent gaps or tears.
Unrolled Crescent Roll Recipe
This easy recipe shows you how to make unrolled crescent rolls from scratch at home.
Ingredients:
- 3 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 1⁄4 tsp salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 cup cold milk
- 1 Tbsp instant yeast
- 1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 Tbsp water (for egg wash)
Instructions:
- In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add cubed cold butter and pulse until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- In a measuring cup, stir together the milk and yeast. With food processor running, slowly pour in milk mixture and process until a shaggy dough forms that pulls away from the sides.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 2-3 minutes until smooth and elastic. Form into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour.
- Roll chilled dough into a 12×9 inch rectangle. Cut into desired shapes, fill if desired, and roll up crescents, pinwheels, etc. Place 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Cover and let rise 30-45 minutes until slightly puffy. Brush with egg wash.
- Bake in a 375°F preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
- Cool on wire rack and serve warm.
Unrolled Crescent Roll Recipes
Here are some delicious recipes using unrolled crescent roll dough as the base:
Cheesy Bacon Crescent Rolls
- Triangle dough pieces
- Bacon slices
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Onion/garlic powder (seasoning)
Sprinkle each triangle with cheese and seasonings. Top with chopped cooked bacon. Roll up crescent-style and bake.
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Square dough pieces
- Chopped apples
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla glaze
Spread apples over dough rectangles. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Roll up into logs, slice, and bake. Top with vanilla glaze when cool.
Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
- Rectangle dough pieces
- Sliced ham
- Sliced Swiss cheese
- Dijon mustard
Layer ham and Swiss on dough. Spread with mustard. Roll up into logs and slice into pinwheels. Bake until browned.
| Shape | Ingredients | Instructions |
|---|---|---|
| Crescents | Triangle dough pieces | Roll up starting at the wide end |
| Pinwheels | Square dough pieces, fillings | Spread filling, roll into logs, slice diagonally |
| Braids | Long rectangle dough strips | Overlap strips, pinch tops together, braid |
Conclusion
Unrolled crescent roll dough provides an easy way to create home baked pastries from scratch. With a few simple steps, you can shape the versatile dough into crescents, pinwheels, braids, and more. Fill them with anything from fruits and nuts to meats and cheeses for a delicious treat any time of day. Follow the instructions for letting the dough warm up, cutting, filling, rolling, and baking for perfect unrolled crescent rolls every time. Get creative with shapes and fillings to make this recipe your own!