Crescent Rolls

I love, love, love crescent rolls. Their browned, slightly crisp exterior and their white, fluffy, soft, cloud-life interior.

📝 Ingredients

• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
• 1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 4 cups (20 ounces) lower-protein unbleached all-purpose flour (such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury), plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon water

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Heat the milk, butter, and sugar in a small saucepan or in the microwave until the butter is mostly melted and the mixture is warm (about 110 degrees), about 1 1/2 minutes. Whisk to dissolve sugar. Beat the eggs lightly in a medium bowl; add about 1/3 of the warm milk mixture to eggs, whisking to combine. When bottom of bowl feels warm, add remaining milk mixture, whisking to combine.
2. 2Combine the flour and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the milk-egg mixture in a steady stream. Continue mixing on low until a loose, shiny dough forms (you may also see satiny webs as the dough moves around the bowl), about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat 1 minutes; add salt slowly and continue beating until stronger webs form, about 3 minutes longer. The dough will remain loose instead of forming a cohesive mass. Transfer the dough to a large lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm, draft-free spot until the dough doubles in bulk and the surface feels tacky, about 3 hours.
3. 3Line a rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Turn the dough onto baking sheet and form into a loose rectangle. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
4. 4Line another rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the dough rectangle onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough to a 20x13-inch rectangle. Use a pizza wheel to trim edges. Cut the dough in half lengthwise, then cut 16 triangles. Before rolling into crescents, elongate each triangle of dough, stretching it an additional 2-3 inches in length. Starting at the wide end, gently roll up each crescent, ending with the pointed tip on bottom, and push the ends toward each other to form a crescent shape. Arrange the crescents in 4 rows on prepared baking sheet; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
5. 5Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator and let rise until the crescents have lost their chill and feel slightly tacky and soft. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position. Adjust the other rack to the lower position and place an empty baking pan on it. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
6. 6Whisk the egg white with the water in a small bowl until well-combined. With a pastry brush, lightly dab the risen crescent rolls with the egg wash. Transfer the baking sheet with the rolls to the lower-middle oven rack and, working quickly, pour 1 cup hot tap water into the hot baking pan on the bottom rack. Close the door immediately and bake 10 minutes; reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking until the tops are golden brown 12-16 minutes longer. Transfer the rolls to a wire rack, cool for 5 minutes, and serve warm.