A few years ago, I stumbled upon a picture of Parker House Rolls in a gourmet magazine. I had never heard of them and knew nothing about them. But that photo just drew me in. There they were, lined up in perfect rows and columns, fluffy little squares of buttery dough, puffed up to a golden hue and sprinkled with flakes of sea salt. After seeing that photo, I started making Parker House Rolls every Thanksgiving. Family members looked forward to them and even requested them by name.
But, I wasn’t completely satisfied. Yes, they were good, but they never looked as good as the ones in that photo. And they never tasted as good as I knew they should have. So, I played around in the kitchen. I watched videos of French chefs making Parker House Rolls. I compared dozens of different recipes. And I’m happy to say that – finally – I’ve got the best Parker House Rolls around! This is the recipe, you guys.
What exactly are Parker House Rolls?
The traditional Parker House Roll is made from a yeasted dough that is flattened, brushed with butter and then folded in half. Then it is brushed with butter on top too. So there’s butter inside and butter on top. Oh yes.
They get their name from the Boston Parker House Hotel and date back to the late 1800s.
Classic Parker House Rolls are made with milk and a little bit of sugar or honey for sweetness.
How to make these Buttery Parker House Rolls
This recipe deviates from the original style of folding the dough in half. You see, I tried that method for years, and it’s one of the reasons why they were never exactly right. They never puffed up big enough for my liking. So instead of the fold, we are going to roll the dough up instead.
Imagine making cinnamon rolls. You roll the dough into a rectangular shape, and then roll it up from long end to long end, jelly roll style. Then you cut the long jelly roll into pieces and line them up in a baking dish. That’s exactly what we’re doing here. It’s like making cinnamon rolls, only not.
The result is a super puffy, slightly sweet, very golden and buttery dinner roll that is perfect for any holiday table.
These Parker House Rolls are best when served still warm from the oven. If you do make them ahead, just reheat them a little in the microwave before serving. You’ll love unraveling the swirls of buttery, salty dough as you dig in to your turkey and gravy.
If you make these rolls, I’d love to hear what you think! Drop a rating or comment down below. And enjoy!
Parker House Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter room temperature, divided
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup warm water 110-115 degrees
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- flaky sea salt for finishing
Instructions
- Dissolve yeast in the warm water, about 10 minutes.
- Combine 4 Tbsp. butter, salt and sugar in a large bowl.
- Warm the milk gently in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir it into the butter mixture.
- Whisk in the yeast mixture and egg. Then stir in the flour.
- Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead 7-8 minutes. The dough should be smooth.
- Place the dough into an oiled bowl. Cover with a wet dish towel and let it double in size, about 90-120 minutes.
- Punch the dough down and dump it back onto a floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle measuring 13"x15". Melt 4 Tbsp. butter and brush it onto the dough. (There should be some butter left over for finishing)
- Cut the rectangle down the middle, crosswise, so there are two smaller rectangles side by side. Roll each rectangle from long end to long end, jelly roll style. Cut 10 even pieces in each rectangle, for a total of 20 pieces.
- Use the remaining 2 Tbsp. of butter to coat the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking dish. Arrange the rolls in 5 rows of 4, leaving 1/2" of space between each roll. Cover with a dish towel. Let rise 45-60 minutes. (the rolls will expand slightly, but will not double in size)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake 20-25 minutes, until puffed and golden. Brush with remaining butter and sprinkle generously with sea salt.
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