When I make crescent rolls with walnuts and jam, I usually choose a quiet afternoon when I feel like kneading a yeast dough. I enjoy working with yeast-based doughs, especially because you can easily feel with your hands when it’s ready to work. The filling is not complicated either, and the combination of jam and nuts with spices always turns out tasty, without feeling like you need hard-to-find ingredients.
Quick Info
Total time: approximately 2 hours 30 minutes
Preparation time: 30-40 minutes
Rising time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes (depends on the oven, check after 10-15 minutes)
Servings: about 40-50 crescent rolls (depending on how large you cut them)
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: yeast dough dessert, for occasions or snacks
Ingredients
1 kg flour type 650
A pinch of salt
500 ml milk
3-4 tablespoons sugar
3-4 tablespoons oil
3 packets vanilla sugar
2 packets dry yeast
For the filling:
Plum jam (homemade)
A handful of hazelnuts
A handful of walnuts
Brown sugar (to taste, if the jam is sour)
Ground cinnamon
Ground cloves
1 egg for brushing
Preparation method
1. Start with the dough. In a large bowl, put the flour, salt, sugar, vanilla sugar, oil, and about half of the warm milk (not hot).
2. In a separate small bowl, put the dry yeast with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of flour, and 3-4 tablespoons of warm milk. Mix and let it sit for 5 minutes until it starts to foam.
3. Add the yeast mixture to the ingredients in the large bowl. Start mixing with a spoon, then knead by hand until the dough comes together.
4. Knead well (about 10-15 minutes). When you press with your finger, the dough should spring back slightly to its original shape. If it needs more milk, gradually add the remaining milk until everything binds and is no longer sticky.
5. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour and a half or until it doubles in volume.
6. Prepare the filling: grind the walnuts and hazelnuts (a blender or food processor works well). Put them in a bowl, add the plum jam, brown sugar if the jam is too sour, cinnamon, and ground cloves to taste. Mix until you get a thick paste that can be easily spread with a teaspoon.
7. After rising, move on to shaping the crescent rolls. Tear off pieces of dough and roll them out on a floured surface, trying to get round sheets, not too thick. Cut each sheet into 8 triangles.
8. On the wider side of each triangle, place a teaspoon of filling. Roll each triangle from the base to the tip to get the crescent shape.
9. Place the crescent rolls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Leave a little space between them, as they will rise while baking.
10. Beat the egg and brush each crescent roll on top.
11. Bake in a preheated medium oven (180°C) for about 20 minutes. After 10-15 minutes, check them – if they are golden brown, they can be taken out. Every oven bakes differently, so it’s good to be attentive after it passes 10 minutes.
Why I make this recipe often
I return to this recipe because the yeast dough has a fluffy texture, and the filling can be adapted to what I have at home. I like that many crescent rolls come from a single tray and can be easily packed or kept for a few days without hardening immediately.
Tips and variations
Tips
If you see that the dough is too stiff, add a little extra milk.
Do not add too much filling to each triangle; if you overfill, there is a risk it will spill while baking.
Do not skip brushing with egg; the crust comes out more even and golden.
Let the dough rise in a draft-free place. A warm room or an oven turned off with the light on works well.
Substitutions
If you don’t have hazelnuts, you can use just walnuts. The jam can be anything you have on hand, but plums give a slightly sour taste and pair well with the nuts.
For a vegan version, you can replace the milk with water or plant-based milk and skip the egg for brushing.
Variations
The filling can be changed to taste – Turkish delight, plum jam, sour cherry jam, or thick marmalade are other options.
You can sprinkle powdered sugar over them, but this version does not mention it, so I leave them simple.
Serving ideas
I usually serve them plain, as a snack or alongside coffee. They are also suitable for packing or on dessert platters.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can I use fresh yeast instead of dry?
Yes, fresh yeast works too. For this amount, 50 g of fresh yeast is sufficient. The activation procedure remains the same.
2. What do I do if the dough doesn’t rise well?
Check if the yeast was active. Room temperature matters, as does the quality of the yeast. If it’s cold in the house, keep the bowl with the dough close to a heat source.
3. What can I brush the crescent rolls with if I don’t want to use egg?
You can brush with a little milk or just water, but they won’t come out as shiny. For vegan, leave them unbrushed or use plant-based milk.
4. Can I freeze the crescent rolls after baking?
Yes, they can be frozen. Let them cool completely, put them in bags, and place them in the freezer. After thawing, you can reheat them lightly in the oven.
5. Can the crescent rolls be made with other types of flour?
It is ideal to use flour type 650 for a fluffy texture, but type 000 flour works too. You will need to adjust the liquid according to how much the flour absorbs.
Nutritional values
Approximately, one crescent roll has between 100-120 kcal, depending on the filling and size. For 100 g: approximately 300 kcal, 50 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein, 7 g fat. Values are indicative and can vary based on how much filling you use and how large you make the crescent rolls.
Storage and reheating
The crescent rolls remain soft for 2-3 days if stored in a closed box or covered with a clean towel. If they harden, they can be reheated a little in the oven to regain their softness. For longer storage, you can freeze them, then reheat directly in the oven when needed.
Quick Info
Total time: approximately 2 hours 30 minutes
Preparation time: 30-40 minutes
Rising time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes (depends on the oven, check after 10-15 minutes)
Servings: about 40-50 crescent rolls (depending on how large you cut them)
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: yeast dough dessert, for occasions or snacks
Ingredients
1 kg flour type 650
A pinch of salt
500 ml milk
3-4 tablespoons sugar
3-4 tablespoons oil
3 packets vanilla sugar
2 packets dry yeast
For the filling:
Plum jam (homemade)
A handful of hazelnuts
A handful of walnuts
Brown sugar (to taste, if the jam is sour)
Ground cinnamon
Ground cloves
1 egg for brushing
Preparation method
1. Start with the dough. In a large bowl, put the flour, salt, sugar, vanilla sugar, oil, and about half of the warm milk (not hot).
2. In a separate small bowl, put the dry yeast with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of flour, and 3-4 tablespoons of warm milk. Mix and let it sit for 5 minutes until it starts to foam.
3. Add the yeast mixture to the ingredients in the large bowl. Start mixing with a spoon, then knead by hand until the dough comes together.
4. Knead well (about 10-15 minutes). When you press with your finger, the dough should spring back slightly to its original shape. If it needs more milk, gradually add the remaining milk until everything binds and is no longer sticky.
5. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour and a half or until it doubles in volume.
6. Prepare the filling: grind the walnuts and hazelnuts (a blender or food processor works well). Put them in a bowl, add the plum jam, brown sugar if the jam is too sour, cinnamon, and ground cloves to taste. Mix until you get a thick paste that can be easily spread with a teaspoon.
7. After rising, move on to shaping the crescent rolls. Tear off pieces of dough and roll them out on a floured surface, trying to get round sheets, not too thick. Cut each sheet into 8 triangles.
8. On the wider side of each triangle, place a teaspoon of filling. Roll each triangle from the base to the tip to get the crescent shape.
9. Place the crescent rolls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Leave a little space between them, as they will rise while baking.
10. Beat the egg and brush each crescent roll on top.
11. Bake in a preheated medium oven (180°C) for about 20 minutes. After 10-15 minutes, check them – if they are golden brown, they can be taken out. Every oven bakes differently, so it’s good to be attentive after it passes 10 minutes.
Why I make this recipe often
I return to this recipe because the yeast dough has a fluffy texture, and the filling can be adapted to what I have at home. I like that many crescent rolls come from a single tray and can be easily packed or kept for a few days without hardening immediately.
Tips and variations
Tips
If you see that the dough is too stiff, add a little extra milk.
Do not add too much filling to each triangle; if you overfill, there is a risk it will spill while baking.
Do not skip brushing with egg; the crust comes out more even and golden.
Let the dough rise in a draft-free place. A warm room or an oven turned off with the light on works well.
Substitutions
If you don’t have hazelnuts, you can use just walnuts. The jam can be anything you have on hand, but plums give a slightly sour taste and pair well with the nuts.
For a vegan version, you can replace the milk with water or plant-based milk and skip the egg for brushing.
Variations
The filling can be changed to taste – Turkish delight, plum jam, sour cherry jam, or thick marmalade are other options.
You can sprinkle powdered sugar over them, but this version does not mention it, so I leave them simple.
Serving ideas
I usually serve them plain, as a snack or alongside coffee. They are also suitable for packing or on dessert platters.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can I use fresh yeast instead of dry?
Yes, fresh yeast works too. For this amount, 50 g of fresh yeast is sufficient. The activation procedure remains the same.
2. What do I do if the dough doesn’t rise well?
Check if the yeast was active. Room temperature matters, as does the quality of the yeast. If it’s cold in the house, keep the bowl with the dough close to a heat source.
3. What can I brush the crescent rolls with if I don’t want to use egg?
You can brush with a little milk or just water, but they won’t come out as shiny. For vegan, leave them unbrushed or use plant-based milk.
4. Can I freeze the crescent rolls after baking?
Yes, they can be frozen. Let them cool completely, put them in bags, and place them in the freezer. After thawing, you can reheat them lightly in the oven.
5. Can the crescent rolls be made with other types of flour?
It is ideal to use flour type 650 for a fluffy texture, but type 000 flour works too. You will need to adjust the liquid according to how much the flour absorbs.
Nutritional values
Approximately, one crescent roll has between 100-120 kcal, depending on the filling and size. For 100 g: approximately 300 kcal, 50 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein, 7 g fat. Values are indicative and can vary based on how much filling you use and how large you make the crescent rolls.
Storage and reheating
The crescent rolls remain soft for 2-3 days if stored in a closed box or covered with a clean towel. If they harden, they can be reheated a little in the oven to regain their softness. For longer storage, you can freeze them, then reheat directly in the oven when needed.