Overnight Dinner Rolls | Crescent-Shaped | Make-Ahead

These make-ahead overnight dinner rolls are just might be the crescent roll to end all crescent rolls. Butter, flaky, and SO delicious, they are easy as can be – no kneading or stand mixer required!

I know I sound a little redundant lately.

But seriously, you guys, I am so ridiculously excited about this recipe today!

I guess it’s safe to give the disclaimer, better late than never, that I’m probably going to be annoyingly excited about every recipe I post on this blog.

Because as you know by now, I don’t post filler recipes, and I most definitely don’t post just for the sake of cranking out content to please the search engine and imaginary food blogger gods.

Ain’t nobody got time for that.

But what I DO have time for is finally sharing with you this incredible, and yes, life-changing, roll recipe.

It is make-aheadable. It is easy (no stand mixer or kneading required). And the cute, little crescent rolls are buttery, flaky, tender and PERFECT.

Yes, perfect.

My sweet (made via blogging) friend, Jolie, sent me this recipe months ago. It’s her mom’s crescent roll recipe.

And I was intrigued from the start!

The dough is definitely not your traditional yeast dinner roll dough.

First and foremost, as I already mentioned, you don’t need a stand mixer or dough hook or special kneading equipment for this recipe.

Just a good, old-fashioned bowl and fork. Or maybe a spatula or spoon if you want to get all crazy.

It reminds me a little of the dough in these overnight cinnamon and sugar twists. The ingredients are different, but the method is a lot the same.

You mix up a rather unusual (ok, let’s call it what it is: lumpy) dough and refrigerate it for at least four hours, but up to four days (believe it)!

Magic happens while that dough rests. Lovely, lovely crescent roll magic.

The chilled dough rolls out like a dream.

And before you know it, you’ll have buttery crescent rolls rising on a baking sheet just biding their time until they are baked to flaky, golden perfection.

Even though the recipe is simple as can be, I’ve included a quick-glance picture tutorial below.

Just to take some of the guesswork out of the dough mixing, in particular, since it doesn’t exactly follow textbook yeast dough rules.

Honestly, these are one of my family’s favorite, new roll recipes.

And even though I am right there with them (snagging one or five straight off the baking sheet), I can’t help but love them because they are so simple.

The overnight factor is huge when you need a delicious, warm dinner roll without going to hardly any work the day of (details in the recipe and notes section how to make this happen).

Looking for the perfect roll recipe for Thanksgiving?

Or maybe another upcoming holiday menu?

Or just because you need overnight dinner rolls in your life? A very valid reason, in my book.

I hope these buttery, flaky, crescent numbers make the cut.

One Year Ago: Skillet Honey Garlic Chicken {20-Minute Meal}
Two Years Ago: Chocolate Cream Pudding Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
Three Years Ago: Warm Russian Tea
Four Years Ago: Healthy Applesauce Carrot Muffins {a.k.a. Carrot Cake Muffins}
Five Years Ago: Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes

Yield: 36 rolls

Make-Ahead Buttery, Flaky Overnight Crescent Dinner Rolls

Total Time:6 hours 35 mins (includes chilling and rising time)

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:15 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water
• 3/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1/3 cup (2.5 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant or active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup + 4 cups all-purpose flour (25 ounces total)
• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons, 2 ounces) butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons, 4 ounces) butter, chilled
• Melted butter for brushing dough and baked rolls

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl or 4-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together the water, evaporated milk, sugar, yeast, salt, egg, and 1 cup of the flour. Add the melted butter and mix until a smooth batter forms. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add the remaining 4 cups flour. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the 1/2 cup chilled butter into the flour. Toss the flour and butter together until evenly combined. Alternately, you can cut the butter into cubes and cut it into the flour using a pastry blender or two butter knives (or forks) until the butter is in pea-sized pieces.
3. Pour the yeast mixture over the flour/butter and use a fork or spatula to mix until the dough starts to come together. Mix just until the dough forms a rough, lumpy ball and the flour is evenly moistened (see tutorial above).
4. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours and up to 3-4 days.
5. When ready to make rolls, divide the chilled dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece (or one at a time, depending on how many rolls you want to make – the remaining dough can go back in the fridge) into an 11- or 12-inch circle about 1/4-inch thick or slightly less than. It should be fairly thin. Brush the dough circle with a tablespoon or two of melted butter.
6. Cut the circle into 8 equal pieces. Roll each wedge into a crescent shape starting at the wide end. Place the rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet a few inches apart. Cover lightly with a towel or greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the rolls for 12-15 minutes until golden and baked through. Out of the oven, brush the tops with melted butter, if desired.

Notes:

To get even more of a head start, make the dough several days in advance. After rolling and placing the shaped rolls on the baking sheet, cover the tray with greased plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for up to 18 hours. Take the rolls out several hours before you want to bake them so they can come to room temperature and rise. Bake per the recipe. 

All images and text ©Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.

Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (adapted slightly from Jolie, a cute MKC reader, who sent me her mom’s crescent roll recipe – I reduced the butter in the dough by half, grated butter into the flour, rolled them slightly different)