1 tablespoon rapid rise yeast ▢½ teaspoon sugar ▢¼ cup warm water ▢1 cup warm milk ▢½ cup vegetable oil ▢½ cup sugar ▢1 teaspoon salt ▢4½-5 cups all-purpose flour divided ▢2 large eggs ▢½ cup unsalted butter melted ▢salted butter for brushing
In a small bowl, mix yeast and sugar with warm water. Let stand until bubbly. In a large bowl, mix warm milk, oil, sugar, and salt with a wooden spoon. Add 1 cup of flour to the mixture and mix well. Add eggs and mix vigorously until smooth.
Add yeast mixture and continue to mix until smooth. Add remaining flour to the yeast mixture 1 cup at a time and continue to mix with a wooden spoon until the dough is combined. The dough should be soft and sticky.
Pour the dough into a large bowl, cover with a tea towel, and let rise until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch down and divide it in half. On a floured surface, roll each piece out into a 12-inch circle. The dough circles should be about ⅜ inch thick.
Brush both dough circles with melted unsalted butter. Cut each circle with a pizza cutter into 12 pieces (like a pizza). Roll each piece from the rounded edge to the point to make a crescent roll. Place rolls on a greased baking sheet with the pointed tips down (we use an 11-x-16-inch metal pan and do 3 rows across and 8 rows down).
Cover rolls with a tea towel and let rise until they have doubled in size, about 1 hour. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 16–20 minutes, until lightly browned. (Touch rolls to see if they bounce back—if they do not, bake a little longer). Brush with melted salted butter while warm. Serve warm.