Soft & Buttery Sourdough Crescent Rolls

These Soft & Buttery Sourdough Crescent Rolls are fluffy, tender, and brushed with melted butter while they’re still warm. They’re perfect for holiday dinners, Sunday suppers, or simply because you want something homemade and delicious on the table.

Unlike traditional croissants, these rolls don’t require complicated lamination or layers of folded butter. The dough is enriched with milk, egg, sugar, and butter, giving you a soft, tender texture while your sourdough starter provides natural fermentation and flavor.

The best part? The dough can be mixed earlier in the day, allowed to ferment, chilled, shaped, and then baked when you’re ready.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These sourdough crescent rolls are soft enough for the dinner table but sturdy enough to use for leftover turkey sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, or sliders.

The sourdough starter adds flavor without making the rolls overly sour, while the milk, egg, and butter create a soft and tender crumb.

They’re also surprisingly simple to shape. Roll the dough into a circle, spread it with softened butter, cut it into wedges, and roll each piece into a crescent.

No complicated shaping required.

Ingredients

• 100 g active sourdough starter
• 180 g warm milk
• 1 large egg
• 50 g sugar
• 60 g unsalted butter, melted
• 8 g sea salt
• 400 g all-purpose flour
• 30–40 g softened butter, for rolling
• 1 egg + 1 Tbsp milk, for egg wash
• Melted butter, for brushing

Instructions

1. Mix the sourdough starter, warm milk, egg, sugar, and melted butter. Add the flour and salt. Mix until a dough forms.
2. Knead for 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
3. Bulk ferment in a warm place (75–78°F) for 4–8 hours, or until the dough is puffy and has increased in size by 50–75%.
4. Chill the dough for 1–2 hours.
5. Roll the dough into a 16-inch circle. Spread the softened butter evenly over the surface.
6. Cut the dough into 12 wedges. Roll up each wedge, starting from the wide end, and shape into a crescent.
7. Place the rolls on a prepared baking sheet. Final proof for 2–5 hours, or until noticeably puffy and soft.
8. Brush with the egg wash. Bake at 375°F for 18–23 minutes, or until golden brown.
9. Brush with melted butter while still warm. Enjoy!

My Rustic Roots Tip: The most important part is the final proof. Bake when the rolls are puffy and airy, not just when the clock says it’s time.