Classic Parker House Rolls are soft and buttery. They're an easy dinner roll recipe everyone loves. They are brushed with butter before and after baking making them a melt-in-your-mouth, simply irresistible, dinner roll.
What are Parker House Rolls famous for? They're famous for their buttery flavor and light and airy texture. These light and fluffy, buttery rolls were a staple at the famous Parker House, Boston Hotel in the 19th-century. Interestingly, it's the same hotel that created the famous Boston Cream Pie too.
To kick these up another notch, serve these dinner rolls with garlic butter spread or homemade cinnamon honey butter. Simply amazing!
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Parker House Rolls are really easy to make (you may be surprised how really easy it is) and they only take a few minutes of active preparation time. Once you realize how easy they are to make, it will be hard to not make them every day.
They're perfect for the bread basket and can be served alongside any New England food tradition such as Roasted Turkey, Chicken Noodle Soup or warm Marinara.
They’re made with a simple yeast dough recipe and if you’re new to working with yeast, no worries, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know.
We add a brush of butter not once but twice, wowza! You are going to love these buttery and decadent rolls.
Ingredients
The eggs, melted butter, and milk make these rolls super soft and pillowy.
- Warm Water- Make sure it’s between 95 and 110 degrees. You want it just warm enough to activate the yeast but not kill it.
- Sugar- Slightly sweetens the dough and also feeds the yeast.
- Active Dry Yeast: You can use Active or Instant yeast. Both can be used in this recipe. If you use Instant yeast you don’t have to let it proof.
- Milk- I like to use whole milk when baking but just use what you have on hand.
- Eggs- Large eggs work great
- Salt– I prefer to use sea salt but any will do.
- Butter- This adds a lot of flavor and keeps the rolls soft.
How To Make Classic Parker House Rolls
Here are step-by-step instructions on how to make yeast dough for these amazing homemade rolls.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and let stand for five minutes, or until foamy.
- Add the melted butter, eggs, salt, and 3 cups of flour. Mix until combined.
- Add additional flour, ½ cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is only slightly sticky to the touch (careful not to add too much flour!).
- Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes, until smooth. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 20 minutes or until double.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Gently punch the dough down and divide it into 2 pieces. Roll each piece of dough until ½? thick. Cut into circles with a 3? biscuit cutter. Use the back of a knife and make an indent in the center of the dough. Fold dough over into a half-moon shape. Space evenly on the prepared pan.
- Brush with melted butter and let rise for an additional 15-20 minutes. Bake 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and brush with more melted butter. Enjoy!
Storing
- Make-Ahead- You can make them, shape them and then place them on a baking sheet. Keep the rolls stored in the fridge until ready to bake. Remove them from the fridge while the oven preheats. Bake as directed.
- Freezing- Make and shape the rolls as directed. Freeze for 8-12 hours on a large baking sheet before letting them rise. Transfer the rolls from the baking sheet to a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use the rolls, Thaw on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 2-3 hours or until they rise and double in size. Bake as directed.
- Storing Baked Rolls- After the rolls have baked and cooled completely, store them in a covered container or a ziplock bag for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Some of the Best Soup Recipes
Rolls are the perfect side for a big bowl of homemade soup. Here are some of our favorite soup recipes.
- Roasted Acorn Soup Recipe- Creamy rich and delicious!
- Broccoli Cheese Soup- So cheesy and loaded with broccoli.
- Roasted Tomato Soup- Perfect to use up fresh tomatoes.
- Creamy Cauliflower Soup- Loaded with veggies, yet creamy and delicious!
- Minestrone Soup- An Italian classic recipe.
- Lasagna Soup- all the flavors of lasagna you love, in soup form.
Parker House Roll Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup warm water
- 1 ½ tablespoon active dry yeast instant will work too
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 6-6 ½ cups flour all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons butter melted for brushing instide and on top of rolls after baking
Instructions
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and let stand for five minutes, or until foamy.
- Add the melted butter, eggs, salt, and 3 cups of flour. Mix until combined.
- Add additional flour, ½ cup at a time, and continue to knead the dough until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is only slightly sticky to the touch (careful not to add too much flour!).
- Knead the dough 3-5 minutes, until smooth. Place in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let the dough rise at room tempreture for 20-30 minutes or until doublein size.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Gently punch the dough down and divide into 2 pieces. Roll each piece of dough until ½" thick. Cut into circles with a 3" biscut cutter. Use the back of a knife and make an indent in the center of the dough. Fold dough over into a half-moon shape. Space evenly on the prepared pan.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees ?.
- Brush with melted butter and let rise for an additional 15-20 minutes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and brush with more melted butter. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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- Garlic Herb Bread
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Classic Parker House Rolls are soft and buttery. They're an easy dinner roll recipe everyone loves. They are brushed with butter before and after baking making them even more irresistible.
Lisa
My family really enjoy these rolls. It's a keeper recipe!
Izzy
What a great recipe for starters! It would go great with a classic pumpkin or tomato soup!