Classic Parker House Rolls

Name: Classic Parker House Rolls
Prep time: 55 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 16 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, warmed to 105–110°F (40–43°C); 2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast; ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar; 1 large (50 g) large egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten; 4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm, not hot; 3½ cups (440 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; 1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt or table salt; 2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface; 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and kept warm; 1 tsp (3 g) flaky sea salt

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Pillowy, buttery, slightly sweet rolls folded into their signature pocket shape, brushed with butter between the layers and finished with flaky salt. They pull apart in soft, shingled rows.

Prep: 55 min
Cook: 20 min
Wait: 2 hr 15 min
Total: 3 hr 30 min
Makes: 16 rolls (one 9×13-inch pan)

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Ingredients

16 servings

For the dough
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, warmed to 105–110°F (40–43°C)
2¼ tsp (7 g) instant yeast
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1 large (50 g) large egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten
4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm, not hot
3½ cups (440 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1½ tsp (9 g) fine sea salt or table salt
For shaping and finishing
2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface
6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and kept warm
1 tsp (3 g) flaky sea salt

Equipment (9)

Stand mixer with paddle and dough hook (or a large bowl and wooden spoon)
9×13-inch (23×33 cm) metal or ceramic baking pan
Rolling pin
2¾-inch (7 cm) round biscuit or cookie cutter
Pastry brush
Instant-read thermometer
Chopstick or thin rolling pin handle for creasing
Large bowl (about 4-quart/4-liter) for rising
Kitchen scale

Steps

Before you start

Take the egg out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead so it is at room temperature.
Warm the milk to 105–110°F (40–43°C). It should feel comfortably warm, not hot. Above 120°F (49°C) it can damage the yeast.
Melt all the butter (10 tablespoons total) in one go and let it cool until warm to the touch, not hot. You will use it in three places.
Plan on about 3½ hours from start to table, including two rises. The oven is only needed for the last 20 minutes.
Measure the flour by weight if you can. Scooping with a cup can add up to 25% too much flour and make the rolls dry.

1
Activate the yeast
- Pour the warm milk (105–110°F/40–43°C) into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Whisk in the sugar and instant yeast.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes.
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Ready when: The surface looks creamy with a layer of small bubbles and smells yeasty.
Tip: If there is no foam after 10 minutes, the yeast or milk temperature was off. Start again with fresh yeast.
2
Mix the dough
- Add the egg, 4 tablespoons cooled melted butter, flour and salt to the yeast mixture.
- Mix with the paddle attachment on low speed for about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl once, until no dry flour remains and a shaggy, sticky dough forms.
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Ready when: No dry flour streaks remain and the dough clumps around the paddle.
Tip: Keep the salt away from the yeast at the start. Adding it with the flour is fine, but do not stir it directly into the yeast and milk.
3
Knead until smooth
- Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed for 6–8 minutes.
- Stop once to scrape the hook.
- By hand, knead on a lightly floured surface for 10–12 minutes.
- The dough should be soft, smooth and slightly tacky.
- It should clear the sides of the bowl but still stick a little at the bottom.
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Ready when: A small piece stretches into a thin, translucent sheet without tearing (windowpane test), and the dough springs back slowly when poked.
Tip: Resist adding more flour. A slightly tacky dough gives the softest rolls. Add 1 tablespoon only if it sticks to your fingers like glue.
4
First rise
- Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a large lightly buttered bowl (use a little of the brushing butter).
- Turn it once to coat, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and leave in a warm spot (75–80°F/24–27°C) for 60–90 minutes.
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Ready when: The dough has doubled in volume and a floured finger pressed in leaves a dent that fills back in slowly.
Tip: In a cool kitchen, set the bowl in the oven with only the light on, or next to a pan of hot water.
5
Prepare pan and roll
- Brush the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch pan with about 1 tablespoon of the melted brushing butter.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface (use the dusting flour) and gently press out the large bubbles.
- Roll it to an even ½-inch (1.25 cm) thickness, about a 12×16-inch rectangle.
- If the dough springs back, cover it and rest it for 5 minutes, then keep rolling.
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Ready when: The dough is an even ½ inch thick with no thin spots.
Tip: Do not roll thinner than ½ inch. Thin dough gives flat rolls that lose their layered pocket.
6
Cut and fold
- Cut as many rounds as you can with a 2¾-inch (7 cm) cutter, pressing straight down without twisting so the edges can rise.
- Gather the scraps, rest them for 3 minutes, re-roll and cut until you have 16 rounds total.
- Brush each round with melted butter.
- Press a chopstick across each round just off-center, then fold the larger half over the smaller half so the edges overlap by about ½ inch.
- Pinch the curved edge lightly.
- Stand the folded rolls in two shingled rows of 8 in the pan, with the folded edges facing the same direction and each roll leaning against the one before it.
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Ready when: Each roll has a visible off-center crease and a neat folded pocket, and the pan holds 16 rolls in two rows.
Tip: Use about 3 tablespoons of butter in total on the round surfaces. Butter between the layers is what makes the rolls pull apart in sheets.
7
Second rise and preheatOven 375°F / 190°C
- Cover the pan loosely with greased plastic wrap or a towel and let the rolls rise in a warm spot for 40–50 minutes.
- About 20 minutes before the end, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with the rack in the center.
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Ready when: The rolls look puffy and touch each other. A gentle fingertip press leaves a dent that springs back slowly.
Tip: If the dent springs back instantly, give them 10 more minutes. If it does not spring back at all, bake immediately.
8
Bake the rollsOven 375°F / 190°C
- Bake in the center of the oven at 375°F (190°C) for 18–22 minutes.
- Rotate the pan front to back after 10 minutes.
- Bake until the tops are deep golden brown.
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Ready when: The tops are deep golden brown, the rolls sound hollow when tapped, and an instant-read thermometer in the center of a roll reads 190°F (88°C).
Tip: If the tops brown too quickly before the center is done, tent the pan loosely with foil for the last 8 minutes.
9
Butter, salt and cool
- As soon as the pan comes out of the oven, brush the tops generously with the remaining melted butter and sprinkle with the flaky salt.
- Let the rolls cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then pull apart and serve warm.
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Ready when: The butter has soaked in, leaving a glossy top, and the rolls pull apart cleanly.
Tip: Brush while the rolls are hot so the butter soaks in and the salt sticks.

Good to know

Tips

Use warm, not hot, butter and milk. Hot ingredients kill yeast and give dense rolls.
Press the cutter straight down without twisting. Twisting seals the cut edges and keeps the rolls from rising fully.
Do not skip the butter between the folds. It creates the signature layers that peel apart.
For even rolls, weigh the dough (about 790 g total) and cut it into equal portions if you prefer not to re-roll scraps.

Make ahead

"Shape the rolls and place them in the pan, then cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 18 hours. Let them stand at room temperature for 45–60 minutes until puffy, then bake as directed. You can also bake the rolls fully, cool them completely, and freeze (see Storage)."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: cover tightly and keep for up to 2 days. Refrigerator: up to 5 days in an airtight container. Freezer: wrap tightly or freeze in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months and thaw overnight at room temperature. Reheat: wrap in foil and warm at 300°F (150°C) for 10–15 minutes, or microwave a single roll for 10–15 seconds."

Substitutions

instant yeast → active dry yeast, same amount. Let it sit in the warm milk and sugar for 10 minutes until foamy before adding other ingredients. The first rise may take 15 minutes longer.
whole milk → 2% milk. The rolls will be slightly less rich. Avoid skim milk, which gives a drier crumb.
all-purpose flour → bread flour, same weight. Gives a slightly chewier roll. Add 1–2 tablespoons more milk if the dough feels stiff.
flaky sea salt → coarse kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon. Flakes are lighter and crunchier. Use a little less of denser salt so the tops are not too salty.