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Parker House Rolls

Soft, buttery yeast rolls folded over like little pocketbooks, the style made famous at Boston’s Parker House hotel in the 1800s.

⏱ 2 hr 58 min (40 min prep, 18 min cooking, 2 hr waiting) 🍽 Serves 12 · 2 rolls (makes 24) make aheadfreezer friendlykid friendly vegetarian

Part of our Thanksgiving dinner: menu, timeline and shopping list β†’

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πŸ“… Add to my plan

ContainsMilk, Eggs, Wheat. Check the labels on what you buy; brands differ.

Ingredients

Make 12 servings
  • 500 g All-purpose flour, about 4 cups, spooned and leveled
  • 1 package Active dry yeast, 2ΒΌ teaspoons instant or active dry
  • ΒΌ cup Granulated sugar
  • 1Β½ tsp Table salt
  • 1 cup Whole milk, warmed to about 110Β°F
  • 6 tbsp Butter, unsalted, softened
  • 1 Eggs, large

  • For brushing

  • 4 tbsp Butter, unsalted, melted
  • Β½ tsp Fine sea salt, flaky, for the tops (optional)

Make it yourself

Make the butter yourself β†’

In the planner, Make it on the shopping list swaps the store item for these ingredients and puts the work on your prep day.

Nutrition

Nutrition coming: the USDA numbers for these ingredients are being added.

Steps

You’ll need: large bowl or stand mixer with a dough hook, rolling pin, 2Β½- to 3-inch round cutter or a glass, 9 Γ— 13-inch baking pan or a large baking sheet, pastry brush.

  1. Stir the warm milk, sugar and yeast together and let it stand 5 minutes until foamy (instant yeast can go straight in with the flour). Add the egg, softened butter, salt and about 3 cups of the flour, and mix until smooth.
  2. Work in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough that pulls away from the bowl. Knead 8 minutes by hand (5 in a mixer), until smooth and springy. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
  3. Butter the pan. Punch the dough down and roll it out on a lightly floured counter about Β½ inch thick. Cut 24 rounds, gathering and rerolling the scraps once.
  4. Brush each round with melted butter, press a line across it just off center with the back of a knife, and fold it over along the line so the top half is a little shorter than the bottom. Press the edge lightly.
  5. Set the rolls in rows in the pan, just touching, overlapping like shingles. Cover and let rise until puffy, 30 to 45 minutes.
  6. Heat the oven to 375Β°F. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, until deep golden. Brush with the last of the butter and sprinkle with flaky salt if you like.
Make aheadShape the rolls, cover the pan and refrigerate overnight; let them rise at room temperature about 1 hour before baking. Or bake, cool and freeze them, then warm at 350Β°F for 8 to 10 minutes.
❄️ FreezerFreeze baked rolls in a freezer bag up to 3 months. Warm from frozen, wrapped in foil, at 350Β°F for 10 to 15 minutes.
β†Ί LeftoversKeep at room temperature, wrapped, 2 days. Split for leftover turkey sliders.
πŸ§’ With kidsKids can cut the circles, brush them with butter and fold them over.
Simpler swapFor round dinner rolls, see our from-scratch soft buns and dinner rolls.
Whole wheat swapSwap up to 1 cup of the flour for whole-wheat flour.

Goes well with

πŸ¦ƒ Classic Roast TurkeyπŸ₯ͺ The Day-After Turkey Sandwich

Good to know

All-purpose vs. bread flour (and friends) Table salt vs. kosher salt vs. sea salt Cooking Fats Compared Salted vs. unsalted butter

An original Teddy Rook Book recipe, written for our Thanksgiving dinner; safety steps follow USDA. Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central and changes with brands and portions.