Parker House Rolls are irresistibly soft, buttery and only need to rise once! This famous recipe from the Boston Parker House Hotel is the ultimate bun recipe for any holiday table or special gathering.
In this recipe
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What are Parker House Rolls?
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Why are Parker house rollers shaped like this?
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Save and Freeze
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Troubleshooting Tips
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What yeast to use
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Substitutions and Variations
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When I was younger, we learned how to make Parker House Rolls in Home Ec class one day. When they came out of the oven, we took the hot buns off the baking sheet, although the teacher protested that we were going to burn ourselves.
Video: How to Make Parker House Rolls
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How to Make Parker House Rolls
What are Parker House Rolls?
The Parker House in Boston (now called the Omni Parker House) was a grand old hotel built in the mid-19th century. Many politicians and celebrities have stayed there, and legend has it that John F. Kennedy proposed to Jacqueline Bouvier in the dining room.
Parker House Rolls, for which the hotel became famous and which I later learned to make in Home Ec, are made from a yeast dough enriched with milk, butter and a little sugar.
The dough is rolled out, punched into circles, brushed with more melted butter and folded in half.
They puff in the oven and look very charming. Every now and then a bun or two will open completely during baking, but don’t fret. They will still taste just as good.
I let the dough rise for an hour, but found that the shaped buns can be baked immediately without having to rise again. I think that helps them hold their shape, plus they’re just as light as a feather without the second raise.
Why are Parker house rollers shaped like this?
The classic shape – the one Fannie Farmer writes about in the dog-eared copy of The Boston Cooking School Cook Book that sits on my shelf (a used 1934 edition) – is a crescent made by folding a flat round of dough in halfas shown here.
Today, bakers make the buns in all sorts of ways, such as forming balls and packing them in a baking pan so the edges touch and soften. Or cut squares and bake in the same way. These methods are faster than folding, which is probably why they became popular. You’ll also see Parker House Dinner Rolls, which are sprinkled with salt before baking; Salt and butter together are certainly irresistible.
None of these are traditional, but does it matter? If you want to make a different shape, the dough is easy to put together and you’ll enjoy working with it.
Storing and Freezing Parker House Dinner Rolls
Serve them warm. They will make you smile when you bite into one. Leftovers will keep for a few days in an airtight container at room temperature.
You can freeze these rolls after you’ve made them. Let cool completely, then wrap tightly in a double layer of plastic (or aluminum foil and plastic) and freeze. They should keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To warm up, Remove plastic, wrap loosely in foil and heat in a low oven until hot. If you like, you can also brush the warm rolls with a little melted butter.
You might be tempted to freeze the dough, thaw it, and then bake it. I would not recommend it. Freezing and thawing these buns unbaked is tricky because the crescent shapes could open up in the oven and undo all your hard work.
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Troubleshooting tips for dough preparation
- Too much flour will prevent your rolls from rising properly. Be sure to use just enough flour so that the dough doesn’t become sticky, but not so much that the dough becomes too stiff.
- Knead the dough just enough for light and fluffy buns. Kneading too hard can result in a dense dough. Knead just until the dough is smooth.
- If your dough doesn’t rise, there can be several reasons. Make sure your yeast isn’t too old by letting it rise. Check out our proofing guide for more information!
- A slow increase can also mean that your kitchen is too cold. In this case, simply slide the dough into a cold oven (don’t turn it on!) and set a pot of boiling water on the rack below. The heat and steam will help “wake up” your dough.
Can I use other yeast in this recipe?
Yes! If you don’t have active dry yeast, you can substitute instant yeast in the recipe. Just use 3/4 of what they ask as instant yeast is stronger. In this case, use 1.75 teaspoons of instant yeast instead of the 2.25 teaspoons of active dry yeast.
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Substitutions and Variations
- Replace whole milk with low-fat milk, reconstituted milk powder, or plant-based milk.
- Replace half of the flour with whole wheat or white whole wheat flour.
- Instead of butter, use margarine, olive oil, coconut oil, or even shortening.
- The recipe calls for unsalted butter as salt can be a yeast killer. You can substitute salted butter, but be sure to reduce the salt in the recipe.
- Subsugar with honey or agave syrup.
- Liven up the buns by tossing in some chopped fresh herbs like rosemary, parsley, or dill.
- Sprinkle grated Parmesan over the buns after brushing them with the melted butter.
More recipes for rolls and breads!
- Make-ahead dinner rolls
- potato bread
- Sausages in puff pastry
- garlic bread
- cheese bread
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Parker House dinner rolls
The buns do Not Once formed, they must rise a second time.
ingredients
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2 1/4 teaspoon (1 envelope) dry yeast
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3 tablespoon lukewarm water
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1 1/2 cups (355ml) whole milk
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3 tablespoon unsalted butter, to cut in pieces
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3 tablespoon sugar
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2 teaspoon Salt
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4 1/2 cups(630g) universally applicable Flour, plus more if needed
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6 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, to spread on the buns
special equipment
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2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter or cookie cutter
method
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Dissolve yeast:
In a bowl large enough for the entire dough, sprinkle the yeast over the water and allow to dissolve, about 5 minutes.
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Warm milk:
In a saucepan over low heat, combine the milk, 3 tablespoons crushed butter, sugar, and salt. Heat just until the butter melts and the milk is warm to the touch. If the milk gets too hot, take it off the heat and let it cool down to lukewarm.
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Mix dough:
Stir the yeast mixture with a wooden spoon to combine the dissolved yeast and water. Add the milk mixture, stirring, until smooth. Add 2 cups of flour and stir again until mixture is almost smooth with just a few lumps.
Continue whisking flour, 1 cup at a time, until mixture forms a dough. It will be very soft.
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Knead the dough:
Place the dough on a floured work surface and knead for a few minutes until the dough is smooth. Add more flour as needed if the dough is too sticky.
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Let the dough rise:
Clean and dry the bowl, then lightly grease it with some vegetable oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it around so it’s oiled all over.
Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until risen (it doesn’t need to double).
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Preheat the oven to 425°F:
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Shape rolls:
Beat the dough into the bowl, then place it on a lightly floured counter or pastry board. Knead until all the air is out.
Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. If it bounces back when you try to roll it, let it sit for 5 minutes and then try again.
Use a 2 1/2 inch round cookie or cookie cutter to cut out rounds. Dip the cutter in flour often to avoid sticking and stamp the circles as close together as possible.
Press the back of a butter knife down the center of each round to form a crease; Here you will fold the rolls in half. Dip the knife in flour if it starts to stick to the dough.
Brush the circles with melted butter. Fold each round in half to form crescent shapes and lightly pinch the edges to seal. Gather and roll the leftovers again to make more rolls.
Transfer the rolls to the baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between the rolls. Brush with more melted butter.
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Bake buns:
Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through baking, until the buns are puffed and golden. They’re best served warm and fresh, but leftovers will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 100 | calories |
| 3g | Fat |
| 15g | carbohydrates |
| 2g | protein |
