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Parker House Rolls date back to the 1800s at the illustrious Parker House Hotel in Boston. You don’t hear them mentioned that much today, but once upon a time they were considered one of the poshest roll or bread options one could serve at the table. Despite their old-fashioned charm -or perhaps because of it- these rolls make a great addition to the holiday table. If you’re looking for a classy way to serve your guests their rolls these are it!
Making The Dough
To make the dough we’re using warm (not hot) milk mixed with water to active the dry yeast. You’ll need 2 packets for this recipe.
The amount of flour you’ll need can vary. Some flour is drier than others and so with baking it’s often a good idea to understand what texture you’re going for. The dough for these biscuits is extremely thick. For these I only needed 4 cups, but you might need 4 ½ depending on what brand you use or how old the bag is.
I used an electric mixer to begin the dough, but by 2 cups of flour in I had to switch to mixing by hand to save my poor mixer. Remember this recipe was created in the olden days so the techniques can be a bit different to how we’d do it today.
You’ll need a hefty amount of butter in the dough, too, and we’re also using quite a bit in the final stages as well.
Getting the Signature Shape
Once you’ve let the dough ball rise it’s time to roll it out. This dough, since it’s yeasted, will snap back when you cut it out. That’s ok because we’re going to roll them once they’re cut. Just before folding brush some melted butter on for extra flavor.
If you find that your rolls don’t stay shut flip just flip them over. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of which side is up.
Some of the rolls may still open a bit on the second rise and in the oven, but that’s par for the course. The slightly open rolls are the perfect shape to hold a bit of butter or a dollop of jam (or both).
These Parker House Rolls are perfect for holidays meals and family gatherings because they bring wonderful flavor and an elegant presentation to any event.
Parker House Rolls
Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup warm (not hot) milk
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 packets dry yeast (1/2 oz total)
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 4 to 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring
Preparation
- Combine milk and water. Add 1/3 of the mixture to small bowl with yeast. Stir and let sit until foamy, about 10-15 minutes.
- Using electric mixer combine remaining milk mixture with 5 tablespoons melted butter, salt, and sugar. Beat until sugar is fully dissolved.
- Blend in eggs and yeast mixture then add flour 1 cup at a time. Dough will be very stiff. Mix by hand after when dough gets too thick.
- Turn out dough onto floured work surface. Knead for 5 minutes then place in greased bowl. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and pour over top of dough. Cover for 1 hour to rise in warm place.
- Punch down dough then roll out on floured work surface to around 1/8” thickness. Cut out using a 2” or 3” cutter. Use a canning jar ring if you don’t have a cutter the right size. Dough will contract when cut. This is normal. Re-form and roll dough to cut 24 disks out.
- Use rolling pin to further flatten each disk into an oval. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and use basting brush to spread butter over each circle of dough. Fold each disk over and pinch lightly to seal. Place rolls close together in greased baking pans. If rolls pop open flip them over to keep them closed. Cover with plastic wrap or towel and allow to rise in warm place for 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F and bake rolls for 25 minutes or until risen and golden brown on the outside. Brush with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Serve with some jam and/or some more butter.
Recipe adapted from The Spruce Eats.