These soft and tender Sourdough Breakfast Crescent Rolls are made with sourdough discard. Lightly sweetened makes them perfect for Breakfast or Snack.

2 crescents on a black plate with jam and some in a basket with a cup of coffee.

Making these does take a little more time than regular crescent rolls. But the additional ingredient of the discard is all you need to take these from just regular to delicious. And besides it’s a great way to reduce waste when making homemade sourdough starter.

How to make them

In the mixing bowl add the starter and milk, mix with a whisk or flat beater until combined.

Add the butter and yolk and combine, with the flat beater. Next add the sugar and honey, beat to combine.

Adding the ingredients to form a slurry in the mixing bowl.

Add the flour and salt and with the dough hook, knead until smooth and elastic. Roll the dough into a circle 1/8 inch thick

The dough formed in the mixing bowl and rolled into a circle.

Cut into 8 triangles, roll up each triangle starting with the end to the tip.

Place on the prepared cookie sheet, cover and let rise in a warm draft free area until doubled about 6-8 hours.

The crescents before and after rising on a cookie sheet.

Brush each triangle with milk and sprinkle with almond slivers or coarse sugar if desired. Bake until golden.

Eat warm or let cool on a wire rack.

What is Sourdough Starter Discard?

Making sourdough starter isn’t hard by any means but it is a process. To begin, you need to start by fermenting the dough (flour and water) naturally over a period of days in a warm area.

Eventually, you will discard about half of the starter to leave room to add more flour and water and continue the process. The discarded half can then be used for all kinds of delicious recipes, like this one or these Lemon Ricotta Cookies. The texture of discard is less bubbly (if bubbly at all) when compared to the active starter. Make sure your discard is not older than 3 days.

What is the best flour to use

To tell the truth, some people will swear by bread flour, but I always use all purpose (11% protein or higher). It’s not necessarily the flour but how you go about making the dough that counts! Although if you prefer bread flour then by all means use it!

a cut in half crescent roll on top of 2 with jam on a spoon.

What is the best temperature for the liquid?

I always make sure my water or in this case milk is lukewarm between 98-105F (36-40C). The liquid shouldn’t be hot or it will kill the starter. It can even be room temperature, although it may take a little longer for your dough to rise, but longer rising time results in a more flavourful dough.

How to know when they are done

The croissants will be done when they are a deep golden brown and they should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

An instant read thermometer will read 190°F at the centre of the crescent roll when done. If you find they are browning too quickly then cover the pan loosely with foil and continue baking.

crescents in a basked with a cup of coffee and jam.

How to store them

Store the cooled baked crescent rolls in an airtight container or bag. They will keep for up to three days at room temperature and up to a week in the fridge. Warm them up in microwave or a low oven.

They can also be frozen in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months, thaw them on the counter for a couple of hours or overnight in the fridge.

More delicious Crescent Roll Recipes

Homemade Yogurt Crescent Rolls

Meatball Stuffed Crescent Rolls

Orange Cream Filled Crescent Rolls

So if you are looking for something to make with some leftover sourdough starter I hope you give these Sourdough Breakfast Crescent Rolls a try and let me know.