Buttery Cornmeal Crescent Rolls

These rolls are truly wonderful. You would think the cornmeal would make these rolls heavy, but they aren't. They are light and buttery and have just a slight cornbreadish taste which makes them quite cool. I really really like these rolls and have a feeling I'll be making them often. The recipe is from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, a blog that I have gotten so many great recipes from. Oh, I almost forgot, I served these with Cinnamon Butter and wow it was a perfect combination.

Buttery Cornmeal Crescent Rolls

2 cups milk
2/3 cup yellow corn meal
1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast (SAF)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
5-6 cups bread flour (I used slightly less than 5 1/2 cups)

In a saucepan heat milk just until it starts to bubble on the sides (which is scalding the milk). Add the cornmeal and cook, turning down heat so it doesn't boil, stirring until thickened. Remove from heat and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl if you are making the rolls by hand). Let the mixture rest in the mixer until it cools to lukewarm (for me it was about 25 minutes).

Add the yeast, butter, and sugar. Mix. Add the salt and eggs. Mix well. Add the flour, gradually, until a soft dough forms and pulls away from sides of mixer. Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with non-stick sprayed plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Divide the dough into 3 equal portions (I got out my scale and measured them). Roll each portion into a 10 inch circle and cut into 8 wedges, pizza style. Roll up each triangle starting at wide end to form crescent roll shapes. Pinch pointy end of dough into the roll so it doesn't unravel. Place rolls on a greased sheet pan if you would like the rolls to be pull-apart type rolls. If you would like free formed rolls place the rolls on 2 greased sheet pans, 12 rolls per sheet. Cover lightly with greased plastic wrap and let rolls rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 17-20 minutes for rolls on 1 sheet pan (they take longer to bake through cause they're all stuck together), or for 2 sheet pans bake for 10-12 minutes, until browned. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter if desired.