BHA & BHT Free Crescent Rolls
Soft, buttery, and golden from edge to edge, these homemade crescent rolls are the kind of thing that disappears from the table before it even has a chance to cool. The dough is enriched with whole milk, egg, and real unsalted butter worked in gradually, which gives each roll that signature pillowy pull and rich flavor you just can't replicate from a tube. For anyone avoiding synthetic preservatives like BHA and BHT, store-bought rolls and packaged doughs can be a minefield — those additives show up in shelf-stable fats and pre-made doughs more often than you'd expect. Every ingredient here is straightforward and easy to verify: flour, yeast, milk, egg, butter, salt, and sugar — nothing hidden, nothing processed. The shaping process is genuinely satisfying, rolling each wedge from the wide end down to the point and curving it into that classic crescent before the second rise. An egg wash brushed on just before baking gives them that deep, glossy, bakery-style finish, and a pinch of flaky sea salt on top takes them from simple to seriously impressive. Serve them warm straight from the oven and watch them vanish.
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Learn more →Ingredients
16 servings
For the dough
- ¼ cup warm water (105–110°f / 40–43°c)
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- 1 tsp granulated sugar, for proofing
- ¾ cup whole milk, warmed to about 100°f (38°c)
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
For shaping and finishing
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the warm water, yeast, and 1 tsp sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir briefly and let stand until foamy and fragrant, about 5–10 minutes. If the mixture does not foam, the yeast is inactive — start over with fresh yeast.
- 2
Add the warmed milk, remaining 3 tbsp sugar, salt, and egg to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed with the dough hook until combined, about 1 minute.
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