One of the first pastries I ever made were crescent rolls. If I remember correctly, they were filled with damson jam, and the majority of them unrolled slightly during baking. Nevertheless, I adored them. They were a little symbol of victory over my self-doubt and fear of trying something new.
Over twenty years and thousands of rolls later, I still love them as much as I did when I was little. I love working with dough in general, but crescent rolls will always have a special place in my heart.
These beauties are made with dandelion honey, to give them just a touch of sweetness, and they are simply divine with any sweet and even savoury spread. Just perfect to slowly unroll and eat layer by layer. Or dip into a glass of warm milk of your choice.
If you like, you can drizzle a bit of dandelion honey all over them as soon as you take them out of the oven, and shake the baking sheet lightly, so they are coated on all sides. They will be slightly messier to serve, but even more delicious, especially while still warm.
Ingredients
500 grams plain flour
150 grams vegan vanilla yoghurt
100 millilitres soy milk, warm
75 millilitres vegetable oil
30 grams fresh yeast
35 grams dandelion honey
1 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Take a medium bowl, crumble in the fresh yeast, add in the warm soy milk, mix well, and set it aside for about 10 minutes so the yeast can activate. Sift the flour into a large bowl, add in the salt, and blend well. Once the yeast is ready, make a little well in the centre of the flour, pour in the yeast, yoghurt, oil, and the honey, and mix with a wooden spoon until a very soft dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it by hand for about 5 minutes, until it becomes smooth. If the dough is sticking too much to your hands, feel free to add a bit more flour, so it is manageable. Place the kneaded dough into a large bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it rise for about an hour, in a warm spot.
Take the risen dough out of the bowl, knead it gently, and then divide it into two parts, by weight. Roll each of them into a large circle, about 5 millimetres in thickness, and cut into eight triangles. Form the crescent rolls by rolling up each triangle starting at the wider side, arrange them on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment, and let them rise for another 15 minutes.
Just before baking, mist them generously with cold water, and bake, in a preheated oven, at 200˚C, for about 12-15 minutes, or until golden. Serve immediately. Yields 16 crescent rolls.
