I was getting ingredients out of the pantry to make a batch of one hour yeast rolls for dinner, when Oliver Phillips, my 10 year old neighbor, called. Oliver wanted to come over and “make something”. So he and I made the rolls together. I let Oliver do the measuring and mixing. “Does this seem hard to you?” I asked. “Not at all,” he said. So right there that tells me this is a super recipe for a beginner baker. From start to finish, it really did take only an hour or so.
When we were rolling the dough out, Oliver wanted to spread jam on some rolls. That’s how culinary discoveries are made. Before rolling them, he smeared my strawberry jam on a few. After they baked and cooled, Oliver iced them with a simple powdered sugar glaze. The consensus? As his step-mom Erin said: “Mmmmmm!” 

Maybe you’ve got a hankering for some easy, quick, and yes, homemade, yeast rolls.

Here you go!

Beginner’s one hour yeast crescent rolls

I use my stand mixer for this and mix the dough on speed 2. Speed 2 is a low speed, which is what you need. 

Ingredients

Up to 4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 packages rapid rise yeast (has to be rapid rise so rolls are done in 1 hour)

1 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup butter

Melted butter for brushing on top

A bit more flour for rolling out the dough

Instructions

Pour 3-1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast in mixing bowl. Use paddle/beater attachment. Turn to speed 2 and mix a few seconds.

Heat milk, water and butter until very hot (about 130 degrees or so). Butter may not melt all the way. That’s OK.

With mixer on speed 2, pour milk mixture slowly into flour mixture. Mix a couple of minutes. Dough will be sticky.

Start adding rest of flour, a little at a time, until dough clings to paddle and cleans sides of bowl. I used another 1/2 cup, for a total of 4 cups. Continue mixing dough for a couple minutes longer. It will start to look smooth. 

Cover and rise in warm place about 8 minutes or so. It will be just about doubled.

Divide dough in half, dust the rolling surface with a bit of flour, and roll each into 12” circle, then cut into 12 wedges.

Roll each wedge up, wide end first. 

Place seam side down on parchment lined baking sheet. 

Preheat oven to 425.

Cover and let rise 8 minutes or so. Rolls will just about double.

Brush with melted butter, bake 10-12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.

Brush with more melted butter when they come out of the oven. 

Makes 2 dozen.

Gilding the lily: Oliver’s jam filled crescents

Spread a little jelly or jam on rolls before rolling up. 

Frost with this simple glaze. Whisk together 1 cup confectioners’ sugar with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and a tablespoon of water. Adjust water/sugar if necessary.

Freeze after baking

These freeze well for a month or so after baking. 

Rewarm, covered, in 350 degree oven.