Parker House Rolls

These fluffy, buttery Parker House rolls are elegant enough to serve for a holiday but easy enough to make with a weeknight dinner.  Nothing says comfort like a warm batch of homemade rolls

So let’s bake!

The hands on time for the rolls is minimal, but because they need to rise (twice) you’ll need to plan ahead

Measure out 1 1/2 cups of room temp whole milk, 1 teaspoon of active dry yeast, 1 1/2 teaspoons of honey and 5 tablespoons of butter, cubed

We’ll also need 4 1/4 cups of flour

A trick I learned years back from one of my baking friends, is to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then wipe across with the back of a butter knife

This technique is known as the spoon and sweep method because you are spooning the flour into the measuring cup and then sweeping off the excess. This will ensure the measurement is accurate

Why are they called Parker House Rolls?

Parker House rolls are named after the Boston Parker House Hotel where they first originated during the 1870s

Funny thing is that I actually stayed at the Omni Parker House a few years ago and had NO idea that these famous rolls originated from there!  I absolutely would have had some with dinner!  Guess I’ll just have to make them myself

Add the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer. Combine on low using the dough hook until all of the ingredients come together

Scrape down the sides if necessary and increase the speed to medium-high.  Beat for 10 minutes until the butter is completely incorporated and the dough is a soft ball

Yes, I really said 10 minutes.  It seems like a lot of time and your mixer may seem to be unhappy with this strenuous job, but it’s necessary to get the fluffy and delicious outcome

Place the dough ball in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean damp tea towel.  Let rise for about an hour in a warm place until the dough doubles in size

Once the dough has risen, cut into quarters.  Work with one quarter of dough at a time and keep the rest covered with the tea towel

I use a digital kitchen scale to measure out one ounce balls of dough.  Roll each ball and place into a 9×13 pan that has been lightly oiled

Cover the pan with the towel once again and let rise for another hour

They should look all snuggly at this point.  Now they need a butter bath

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and generously brush the rolls

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown

I said these were buttery rolls, right?  Brush the tops with 2 more tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle with kosher or sea salt

My favorite salt is Maldon Sea Salt because it’s light and flaky, not overly salty and has a delicious crunch

Get a load of these!  Yum!!

Serve warm with your favorite meal!

Tools used to make this recipe

Norpro Stainless Steel Scraper/Chopper

OXO Stainless Steel Food Scale

KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer

Pyrex Glass Oblong Baking Dish 9 inch x 13 Inch

Pyrex Prepware 2-Cup Measuring Cup, Red Graphics, Clear

Mini Prep Glass Bowl

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