The Perfect Crescent Dinner Rolls

You guys. Sooo many of you have asked for this recipe. And I've been holding out until now. This one is a game changer. A recipe I keep going back to time and time again. It's amazing! And I'm picky about my rolls. (But don't take my word for it, my neighbor is a self proclaimed home-made roll connoisseur, and recently did a whole instagram story segment on how these were the best rolls she's ever tasted in her life!! Holla!) The day is finally here, so let's get started!!

INGREDIENTS

3 C scalded milk

1/2 C butter

1 C instant potato flakes

3/4 C sugar

1/4 C vegetable oil

1 1/2 TBS coarse salt

2 TBS yeast

1/2 C warm water

2 eggs, beaten

8-9 C flour

3-5 TBS melted butter for brushing onto the middle and top of rolls.

METHOD

Scald milk in a saucepan or in the microwave. (see notes below)

Add the butter to the hot milk. Let sit until it's a warm temperature.

While milk/butter mixture is cooling, put warm water, a pinch of sugar, and yeast in a bowl-- let sit about 5 minutes

Put your instant potato flakes, sugar, vegetable oil, and salt into a mixer and blend-- a couple seconds

Add your milk and butter mixture to the mixer once it has cooled to warm temperature. mix until smooth.

Add your yeast. mix for 30 seconds.

Add your beaten eggs. mix for 30 seconds.

Add your flour, 2 cups at a time. (see notes below before doing this step!)

Knead in your mixer (or by hand) for a minimum of 5 minutes. (see notes)

Put dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until it's doubled in size. About 1 hour.

Split the dough in half, because its a large batch and easier to work with.

Roll your dough into a circular shape, about 1/2 inch thick.

Melt 1-2 TBS butter and spread over your circular dough.

Cut into 12 crescent pieces.Place on a greased cookie sheet.

Repeat with your second half of dough.

Once all your rolls are on the cookie sheet, cover, and let rise until doubled in size. 30-60 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 11-12 minutes or until browned.

Take out and immediately brush on 1-2 TBS melted butter (more if needed to cover the top and sides of all the rolls).

Sprinkle your coarse salt on RIGHT after applying the butter so it sticks.

East every last one. (the most important step)

NOTES

*scalding milk= being heated almost to boiling. It should have little bubbles around the top and then you will start to see the "skin" on the top. (that "skin" is just the layer of nonfat milk solids that is a result of water that has evaporated off the top)

*when it comes to flour measurements in dough recipes, you'll notice its hardly ever single cup measurement. That's because so much of how much dough you put in depends on a. where you live and b. how accurately you've measured out your other ingredients. (that's why you'll see lots of bread recipes in grams--less room for error when it's an exact amount.) This is where it gets tricky! Because I get it, you just want a set measurement that will make the recipe turn out, but practice is going to be your best friend here! You'll want to learn the different between sticky-- where it completely sticks to your fingers, and tacky-- there's texture and some pull when you touch it but it doesn't wrap around your fingers and stick to it. Just practice, practice, practice!! I recommend starting by adding in all of the first number (8-9 C of flour, add in the full 8) but then mix for a good couple minutes. Touch it and if it's still sticky, add 1/2 C flour at a time. Mixing a couple minutes in between each addition of flour, because sometimes it can take a couple minutes of mixing for the stickiness to turn into tackiness. When your dough "cleans" the side of the bowl (meaning pulls completely away and there is nothing left on the sides), turn it off, test it for tackiness, and then you're ready!

*Always knead bread dough for at least 5 minutes once it's all combined. It's helping to develop the gluten and give you that stretchy dough you want.