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    Parker House Rolls

    August 23, 2024

    The fluffiest, butteriest dinner roll to grace our holiday tables. We love these simple yeasted rolls fresh out of the oven, with a little more butter, because why not??

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    homemade parker house rolls brushed with butter and sprinkled with flaky salt
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    Looking for more Thanksgiving recipes?

    Our Best Parker House Roll Recipe

    These easy Parker House rolls are simple enough to make with a little bit of planning ahead. The dough is a cinch to make in a stand mixer, and homemade Parker House Rolls fresh out of the oven are a real treat at Thanksgiving. They’re also great every other day with our Chicken Noodle Soup or our Tortellini Soup. Top with any of our Compound Butters.

    homemade parker house rolls on a plate next to a knife with butter
    butter spread onto a parker house roll sitting on a plate

    What Are Parker House Rolls?

    We love a good recipe origin story, and the parker house rolls origin is no exception. Restaurant folklore has it that an angry baker at the Omni Parker House Hotel in Boston baked a batch of unfinished rolls (hence the signature fold of the Parker House roll), the result of which will live on in culinary history.

    milk, butter, sugar, active dry yeast, eggs, all-purpose flour, vegetable oil and flaky salt

    Ingredients For Original Parker House Rolls Recipe

    • Whole milk and salted butter

    • Sugar

    • Active dry yeast

    • Eggs

    • AP Flour

    • Vegetable oil

    • Flaky salt

    warmed butter, milk and sugar being poured into a mixing bowl with flour, active yeast, warm water and eggs.
    bread dough in a mixing bowl made with butter, milk, sugar, flour, active yeast, warm water and eggs.
    homemade parker house rolls dough in a mixing bowl covered with plastic wrap
    parker house rolls dough rising in a glass mixing bowl

    How To Make Parker House Rolls

    This is the basic framework for making Parker House Rolls. We like to think of the process in these simplified steps, before diving into the full method that follows in the recipe section below.

    1. Make the milk + butter mixture.

    2. Proof the yeast.

    3. Make the dough.

    4. Let the dough rise.

    5. Shape the dough.

    6. Brush the rolls with butter, and let rise again.

    7. Bake the rolls.

    parker house rolled dough being rolled flat on a floured surface
    rolled parker house dough being sliced with a knife into small rectangles
    parker house rolls dough cut into small rectangles brushed with melted butter then folded in half
    homemade parker house rolls on a baking sheet

    How to Store Parker House Rolls + Tips

    • Make Ahead: Once you have shaped them and put them in a pan, loosely cover with plastic and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake. When ready, pull the rolls out for 30 minutes and bake as directed.

    • Freeze Before Baking: You can easily freeze the dough before baking. Just shape into roll-size instead of the rectangles and freeze on a sheet pan until no longer tacky and almost frozen through, about 8-9 hours. Store in a freezer bag for up to 4 months. When ready to use, thaw until risen, about 3-4 hours. Bake as directed. If you make this, try using our Herby Rhodes Roll recipe for finishing!

    • Storing Rolls: Bake and cool rolls completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They make for amazing turkey sandwiches with leftover turkey, or leftover Short Rib sandwiches.

    baked homemade parker house rolls on a baking sheet being brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with flaky salt

    More Great Bread Recipes From The Modern Proper

    baked homemade parker house rolls on a baking sheet brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with flaky salt
    baked homemade parker house rolls on a baking sheet brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with flaky salt

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    Parker House Rolls

    Updated on August 23, 2024

    • Serves:  48
    • Yields:  48 Rolls
    • Prep Time:  3 hrs 30 min
    • Cook Time:  30 min
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    Ingredients

    • 1½ cups whole milk
    • 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, plus more for greasing and serving
    • ¼ cup sugar
    • 1 package active dry yeast
    • 3 large eggs
    • 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
    • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
    • Flaky salt, for serving

    Method

    1. Heat the milk and ½ cup of the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Once butter is melted, remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

    2. Add the yeast and ½ cup of warm water (110°F) to a small bowl. Let the mixture sit until the yeast is dissolved and the mixture is foamy, about 2 minutes.

    3. To the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook, add the milk mixture, the eggs, yeast mixture, and 3 cups of the flour. Mix on low until smooth. Add the remaining 3 cups of flour and increase the speed to medium. Knead for 5-7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

    4. Grease a large bowl with the oil. Transfer the dough to the greased bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature until the dough has doubled in size, about 1½ to 2 hours. Alternatively, allow the dough to rise in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours.

    5. Melt the remaining ½ cup of butter. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter. Punch down the dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll dough into a 12x8-inch rectangle. Cut the dough lengthwise into two 12x4-inch strips, then cut each strip into 6 pieces. Brush each piece of dough with melted butter and fold it in half with a ¼-inch overhang. Add the dough to the prepared baking dish so the overhangs overlap slightly. (You should have 6 rows of 8 rolls.)

    6. Brush the tops of the dough with the remaining melted butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature until the rolls have doubled in size, about 30-40 minutes. Alternatively, let the dough rise in the fridge for 6 hours or up to overnight.

    7. Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack set in the center position. Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. While the rolls are warm, brush them with melted butter and sprinkle with salt before serving.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 94
    • Protein 3 g
    • Carbohydrates 10 g
    • Total Fat 5 g
    • Dietary Fiber 1 g
    • Cholesterol 22 mg
    • sodium 43 mg
    • Total Sugars 2 g

    Parker House Rolls

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Rachel

      When using the active dry yeast, it seems like double the amount of water and it doesn't get "foamy." What's the trick to this step? Using Red Star, and 1/2 cup 110 F water.

      It doesn't have to get foamy but just make sure your yeast isn't expired.

    • Sherri

      Do you still add the 1/2 cup melted butter to the dough after rise time if you are making them ahead into rolls to freeze?

      Do that part right before you form the rolls.

    • Diane

      Can you make these a day ahead of time and how to store them?

      Sure! Let them cool completely then store them in an airtight container or ziploc bag.

    • Stephanie

      What if I only have instant yeast? What do I do in this case? Thanks.

      Hi Stephanie, Use about 25 percent less and you do not need to prove the yeast, just add it to the dry ingredients.

    • Joanna

      Oops I forgot the sugar - should I bake it or is it a lost cause?

      We'd still try baking them!

    • kay

      My family LOVED these. I froze a bunch of them but every roll I baked was gone in a flash. Will definitely be making these for Thanksgiving!

      YAY! That is great to hear, thanks Kay!