Recently Kate and I had the opportunity to test out several new products from Pillsbury (you know we didn’t hesitate to say yes to that offer!) One of the products is the new Crescent Recipe Creations. (Check out that link for tons of great recipes) Basically, it’s their well-known crescent dough, but without perforations. It’s just one big sheet. For years I’ve thought they should sell it in a sheet and wa-lah! Such a great product. It’s pretty much a blank canvas for anything you can dream up. It took me a long time to even use it because I couldn’t decide what to make!
It wasn’t until recently, when I need a yummy “special” breakfast for a morning event that I had the idea to make this braided pastry. (I won’t lie. I have a slight obsession with breakfast sandwiches so it didn’t take much for me to imagine this one up.) It looks fancy, but is SO easy, and with the crescent sheet, it comes together in minutes.
I’m going to show you step by step how to create the same thing, but it’s a method you can easily personalize in so many ways. I do this a lot with breads and I thought this crescent sheet would be perfect for it too. You’ll create a gorgeous filled braid that people will think you spent hours on! It’s seriously so easy- have I mentioned that? You could make a sweet braid filled with apple pie filling, or try a sweetened cream cheese with some fruit jam and put a glaze on top. Pizza fillings would be awesome too, or plain cheese and then dipped in marinara. I could go on and on… Just watch.
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Easy Breakfast Crescent Braid
Description
A yummy and easy breakfast braid, great to feed a crowd on a busy morning!
Ingredients
- 1 roll Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations
- scrambled eggs
- (I used 3 eggs + 1 egg white + 1 1/2 T milk + salt and pepper)
- 4–5 strips bacon (sausage would be great too)
- 1/2 C grated cheese , or more…
- optional: hot sauce
Instructions
- Scramble eggs in a skillet. Since this will cook again in the oven, under cook your eggs. You want them to be cooked enough to hold together, but leave them a bit wet. Cook bacon strips and set aside. (I bake my bacon in the oven. Just lay flat on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake at 400 for about 12 minutes or until crisp)
- Next, use a rolling pin and a lightly floured work surface to roll out the crescent dough to about 10 in x 12 in. Lay the eggs down the center of the rectangle, leaving room on both sides and the 2 ends. Top with bacon, cheese, and a couple shots of hot sauce if you want.
- Use a pizza cutter to slice even slits on the sides of your rectangle. Fold over both ends.
- Now starting on one end, bring the side pieces in and overlap them. You’ll want to alternate- one from the right, then one from the left and so on and so on. Keep doing it until you get all the way to the end. When you get to the end, just tuck where you can to make it pretty!
- Bake according to package instructions. I believe it’s 375 for about 15-20 minutes (but who knows, I threw away my package!) It might take a little longer than the package directs because of the way it’s braided. When it’s done, it should be golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.
- Slice on a slight diagonal and eat immediately!
Notes
Great Tip
- If you want it shiny on top, give it a quick egg wash before you bake.
Other Notes
- One great thing about this is that it holds together really well. I thought when I cut it the filling might fall out, but the filling baked into the dough and it all stayed in there perfectly. So it’s great finger food for a mess-free breakfast/brunch buffet and great for little fingers. My toddler loved this- and so did his parents! Also, I didn’t try it, but I’m thinking you could easily make something like this the night before and just wrap it with plastic wrap so it’s all ready to just pop in the oven when you wake up.
Keep doing it until you get all the way to the end.
When you get to the end, just tuck where you can to make it pretty!
Bake according to package instructions. I believe it’s 375 for about 15-20 minutes (but who knows, I threw away my package!) It might take a little longer than the package directs because of the way it’s braided. And actually, if you want it shiny on top, give it a quick egg wash before you bake. When it’s done, it should be golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Slice on a slight diagonal and eat immediately!
One great thing about this is that it holds together really well. I thought when I cut it the filling might fall out, but the filling baked into the dough and it all stayed in there perfectly. So it’s great finger food for a mess-free breakfast/brunch buffet and great for little fingers. My toddler loved this- and so did his parents! Also, I didn’t try it, but I’m thinking you could easily make something like this the night before and just wrap it with plastic wrap so it’s all ready to just pop in the oven when you wake up.
Let me hear it!
Questions & Reviews
Made this morning and was disappointed because the crescent dough wasn’t cooked all the way through. 🙁 I cooked it for 20 or so minutes at 375 and it was nicely brown. I was afraid of keeping in any longer because of the bottom getting too brown. Maybe not braid it next time? Just fold it over?
I just made this due to already having the stuff on hand – i used 2 whole eggs + 3 egg whites, 4 pre-cooked frozen turkey sausage (i crumbled it), and shredded cheese – mine was way too overstuffed, so the original triangles from the dough kept making it fall apart AND the total thing looked terrible – besides that, it tasted wonderful and it was quick n easy! i WOULD make it again! thanks!
My family loved it when I made it. It was very simple and very quick to make. Although mine wasn’t as picture perfect as yours and looked more like a disfigured twin ( I overstuffed mine with too much fluffy eggs) the end product was just as delicious and I can’t wait to make it again :).
I have been shortcutting by using the Pillsbury bread dough that comes in a long skinny tube. I unroll it and fill it with a mixture of hamburger, onion, green pepper and shredded cabbage, fold it over and pinch the two edges together, and the ends fold up and pinch and it is great for supper when baked like a big french bread loaf. Just follow the instructions on the tube. I think I will try to braid it next time and see how that works. Looks yummy.
Thanks for sharing this recipe! We were all out of bread this morning, so I made this..and even though it didn’t look as pretty as yours, my husband was pretty impressed! Thanks! 🙂
Where do you find the Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations??
just at the grocery store, by the regular crescent rolls. I’ve noticed not all stores carry them though, so if you can’t find them you can get a regular pack of crescent rolls and just pinch the seams together.
I can see this filled with a lite coating of butter, a layer of brown sugar, and some chopped walnuts or pecans. I would love some cinnamon filling, but can no longer eat cinnamon due to acid reflux.
Okay I admit it. I am SUCH a yeast dough virgin. I have made this dough three times now and only one time did it turn out half decent. That time, the flavor was kind of bland but that is probably because I didn’t use any salt. (My husband has high blood pressure.) Correct? My next question might sound a bit “airheady” but I need to know, since I live in Southwest Florida, like, 15 minutes from the beach, how would I treat the flour amount with regard to the elevation since there isn’t any? I literally am at sea level. Last night I thought I would make a breakfast braid for in the morning but 2-3 hrs after the dough was set out to rise, it basically looked like a bowl of glop instead of fluffy like like it had exploded from a ball. But I figured I’d go ahead with it anyway. Well, needless to say, the the dough ended up looking like and tasting like dough. Well, I didn’t actually taste it but it looked like it would taste like dough. The inside was beautiful though. I had added under 3 cups of flour where it says, “add 3-4 cups,” and was thinking that is my problem. No, I KNOW that is my problem. Please help.
This looks so good! Do you think it would freeze alright and then baked when ready to eat?
Oh. My. God. I've lurked for a while, don't think I've commented much but I FINALLY made one of your recipes and this was just phenomenal. I used the regular perforated crescent rolls because I couldn't find the sheet at my local store but oh my, was it amazing. Being a college student makes time consuming cooking difficult but this was so easy, AND! its great to throw in the fridge and eat later, which may be my favorite part.