Quick Answers
There are several alternatives that can be used in place of crescent roll dough, depending on what you’re making and what ingredients you have on hand. Some quick substitutions include:
– Pie dough – Use store-bought or homemade pie dough cut into triangles. Brush with butter and roll up.
– Puff pastry – Cut puff pastry sheets into triangles, roll up, and bake.
– Biscuit dough – Make or use refrigerated biscuit dough, shape into crescents, and bake.
– Croissant dough – Cut croissants in half, shape into crescents, and bake.
– Phyllo dough – Layer phyllo sheets with butter, cut into triangles, roll up, and bake.
– Pizza dough – Stretch pizza dough into a rectangle, cut into triangles, roll up, and bake.
What Does Crescent Roll Dough Consist Of?
Crescent roll dough is a laminated yeast dough made up of several layers of butter and dough. The main ingredients in crescent roll dough typically include:
– All-purpose flour: The base flour provides structure and gluten development.
– Butter: Butter is layered throughout the dough to create flaky layers.
– Water: Hydrates the dough for gluten formation.
– Yeast: Leavens the dough so it rises.
– Sugar: Feeds the yeast and contributes flavor.
– Salt: Enhances flavor and strengthens gluten.
– Milk or eggs: Can provide added moisture, richness, and binding.
The process of making crescent roll dough involves rolling out a basic yeast dough, coating it with butter, folding and rolling it multiple times to create thin, flaky layers. The dough is then chilled before being shaped into crescents and baked.
Why Make Substitutions for Crescent Dough?
There are several reasons you may need or want to use a substitute for premade crescent roll dough, including:
– You don’t have crescent dough on hand.
– You want to avoid artificial ingredients in store-bought crescent dough.
– You have an allergy or intolerance to an ingredient like dairy.
– You want a homemade version that’s tastier or has a better texture.
– You want to customize the flavors of the dough.
– Crescent dough doesn’t fit your dietary needs like gluten-free or low-carb.
– You want to make a yeast-free quick bread version.
– You only need a small quantity so don’t want to make a whole batch of dough.
Pie Dough
Pie dough makes an excellent substitute for crescent roll dough since it has a similar flaky and tender texture when baked. You can use store-bought pie dough or make your own. Simply:
– Roll pie dough out to about 1/8 inch thick into a rectangle.
– Cut into triangles.
– Starting at the wide end, loosely roll up each triangle.
– Place on a baking sheet, brush with butter or egg wash.
– Bake at 400°F until golden brown, 10-15 minutes.
Pie dough can be sweet like you would use for a dessert pie or savory like for a pot pie. It gives crescent rolls great flakiness and buttery flavor.
Benefits of Using Pie Dough
– Flaky and tender texture
– Can use sweet or savory
– Easy to work with
– Familiar ingredient most home bakers have on hand
Downsides of Pie Dough
– Not as rich due to lower butter content
– Doesn’t have yeast for rise
– Can take more time to prepare than crescent dough
Puff Pastry
Buttery, flaky puff pastry makes an excellent crescent roll substitute. Look for store-bought puff pastry that only contains butter, flour, and water. Or make your own for the best flavor. To shape into crescents:
– Thaw frozen puff pastry overnight in the fridge until pliable.
– Roll out to a 10×15 inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
– Cut into triangles, then roll up starting at the wide end.
– Place on a baking sheet, brush with egg wash or milk.
– Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
Puff pastry gives you tall, flaky layers perfect for making crescent-shaped treats. Feel free to sprinkle the shaped dough with cinnamon-sugar, cheese, or other flavors before baking.
Benefits of Puff Pastry
– Flaky and buttery
– Convenient to use store-bought
– Doesn’t require yeast to rise
– Can be shaped easily
Downsides of Puff Pastry
– Can be time consuming to make
– Store-bought has artificial ingredients
– Lacks complex flavor of yeast dough
– Can’t customize flavor as much
Biscuit Dough
For a quick and easy crescent roll substitute, refrigerated biscuit dough is a great option. Simply form the biscuits into crescent shapes before baking.
– Take refrigerated biscuit dough and roll it out to 1/2 inch thick.
– Cut out triangles, then roll up starting at the wide end.
– Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
– Brush with butter or milk and bake at 425°F for 10-12 minutes.
You can use plain biscuit dough, or try flavors like cheddar chive or jalapeño cheddar for more flavor. The biscuits will be soft and flaky with a slightly crispy top.
Benefits of Biscuit Dough
– Very quick and convenient
– Minimal ingredients needed
– Soft, flaky texture
– Can find fun flavored varieties
Downsides of Biscuit Dough
– Not as buttery and layered as crescent dough
– Refrigerated dough has preservatives
– Doesn’t rise much without yeast
– Less crisp than crescent rolls
Croissant Dough
For authentic flaky layers, croissant dough creates the perfect buttery crescents. Use store-bought croissant dough or homemade.
– Roll out croissant dough to a rectangle and cut in half.
– Starting at the cut side, roll up into a crescent shape.
– Place on a baking sheet and brush with egg wash.
– Bake at 400°F for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
The zig-zag layered structure of croissant dough bakes up deliciously crispy outside and tender inside when shaped into crescents.
Benefits of Croissant Dough
– Delicate, flaky texture
– Buttery, rich flavor
– Airy and lightweight when baked
– Visually beautiful shape
Downsides of Croissant Dough
– Time consuming to make homemade
– Store-bought has preservatives
– Difficult to work with and shape
– Doesn’t hold shape as well when baking
Phyllo Dough
Paper-thin phyllo dough makes very flaky and delicate crescents with its fine layers.
– Thaw phyllo dough overnight in the fridge.
– Cut full phyllo sheets in half to make two rectangular pieces.
– Layer about four phyllo rectangles together, brushing butter between each one.
– Cut buttered stacks into triangles.
– Roll up triangles from the wide end into crescents.
– Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes until crispy and golden brown.
The ultra-thin layers create a shattery, crisp texture perfect for baklava-like crescent rolls.
Benefits of Phyllo Dough
– Super flaky and delicate texture
– Paper-thin layers
– Works well for small batches
– Can add sweet or savory flavors
Downsides of Phyllo Dough
– Tricky to work with, easy to tear
– Doesn’t hold shape as well
– Time consuming to layer and butter
– Lacks the flavor of yeast dough
Pizza Dough
For a chewy, rustic version, baked pizza dough makes an easy shortcut for crescent rolls.
– Roll out pizza dough into a rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick
– Cut into wide triangles.
– Loosely roll up triangles starting at the wide end.
– Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
– Brush with butter, garlic oil or olive oil.
– Bake at 400°F for 12-18 minutes until lightly browned.
The sturdy texture of pizza dough bakes up chewy and tender on the inside. Feel free to sprinkle on parmesan, herbs or spices before baking for extra flavor.
Benefits of Pizza Dough
– Yeasty, chewy texture
– Quick and easy to use
– Can flavor simply with oil and herbs
– Most grocery stores sell fresh pizza dough
Downsides of Pizza Dough
– Tougher, chewier than classic crescent dough
– Doesn’t have flaky layers
– Rising time required for yeast dough
– Can dry out faster than other options
How to Choose the Best Crescent Roll Substitute
When choosing which dough to substitute for crescent roll dough, take into account the flavor, texture, time, and convenience you need. Here are some guidelines for deciding:
Consider the flavors:
– Savory: Pie dough, puff pastry, pizza dough
– Sweet: Pie dough, puff pastry, phyllo dough
– Herbed: Pizza dough, biscuit dough
– Cheesy: Biscuit dough, pizza dough, puff pastry
Think about textures:
– Flaky: Puff pastry, pie dough, phyllo dough
– Chewy: Pizza dough, biscuit dough
– Crispy: Phyllo dough, puff pastry
– Soft: Biscuit dough, croissant dough
Factor in convenience:
– Quick: Refrigerated biscuit dough, pizza dough, puff pastry
– Homemade: Pie dough, pizza dough, croissant dough
– Store-bought: Puff pastry, phyllo dough, biscuit dough
Decide on time:
– Fastest: Biscuit dough, puff pastry
– Slowest: Homemade pie dough, croissant dough, pizza dough
Crescent Roll Substitute Recipes
Here are some delicious recipes to try using these alternate doughs for crescent rolls:
Flaky Crescent Rolls
Ingredients:
– 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
– 2 tbsp butter, melted
– 1 tbsp dried parsley (optional)
– 1⁄4 tsp garlic powder (optional)
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Roll out puff pastry into a 10×15 inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Cut pastry into 8 equal sized triangles. Roll up each triangle loosely from the wide end.
4. Place shaped rolls on prepared baking sheet. Brush with melted butter.
5. Sprinkle with parsley and garlic powder if desired.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and puffed.
7. Serve warm.
Savory Parm-Rosemary Crescents
Ingredients:
– 1 pound pizza dough
– 3 tbsp olive oil
– 2 tbsp grated parmesan
– 1 tsp minced rosemary
– 1⁄4 tsp garlic powder
– Sea salt to taste
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Roll out pizza dough into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Cut dough into 8 equal triangles. Loosely roll up each triangle.
4. Arrange crescents on prepared baking sheet. Brush with olive oil.
5. Sprinkle with parmesan, rosemary, garlic powder and salt.
6. Bake for 15-18 minutes until lightly browned.
7. Serve warm.
Sweet Orange-Cranberry Crescents
Ingredients:
– 1 sheet thawed puff pastry
– 1⁄4 cup crushed cranberries
– 1 tbsp orange zest
– 2 tbsp brown sugar
– 1 tbsp butter, melted
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Roll out puff pastry into a 10×15 inch rectangle, 1/4 inch thick.
3. In a small bowl, mix together cranberries, orange zest and brown sugar.
4. Cut pastry into 8 triangles. Sprinkle cranberry mixture onto each triangle. Roll up from wide end.
5. Place on prepared baking sheet. Brush rolls with melted butter.
6. Bake 15-18 minutes until golden brown.
7. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best quick alternative to crescent roll dough?
For a quick, convenient option, refrigerated biscuit dough makes an easy substitute. Just shape into crescents and bake as desired.
Can I use croissant dough instead of crescent roll dough?
Yes, croissant dough makes an excellent substitute with its flaky layers. Shape croissants into crescents before baking for delicious results.
Is phyllo dough a good substitute for crescent rolls?
Buttery phyllo dough can substitute for crescent dough but results in a more delicate, crispy texture. Layer and shape phyllo into crescents before baking.
Can I use puff pastry as a substitute?
Puff pastry is a great substitute for crescent dough. Roll it out, cut into triangles, shape into crescents and bake until flaky and golden.
How do you make crescent roll dough from scratch?
Homemade crescent dough starts with a basic yeast dough made with flour, butter, milk, yeast and sugar. Roll out the dough, coat with butter, fold into layers and chill before shaping into crescents.
Summary
Crescent roll dough can be substituted with a variety of flaky or robust doughs such as pie dough, puff pastry, biscuits, croissants, phyllo and pizza dough. Shape them into crescent shapes before baking for delicious homemade results. Consider the flavor, texture, time and convenience when choosing the best substitute. With creative shaping and added flavors these doughs can make tasty crescent rolls.