Original Parker House Rolls

Parker House Rolls

The Spruce 

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Rise Time: 105 mins
Total: 2 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 24 servings

This recipe works best if you have a large stand mixer. If you don't, go ahead and make it anyway. Just beat the dough really well as you add the flour. 

Each batch of rolls that you make will be better than the one before. Be sure to read the instructions carefully before you begin. There are a lot more tips after the recipe instructions.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup milk

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1/2 ounce dry yeast

  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

  • 2 large eggs

  • 4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Parker House Rolls Recipe
    The Spruce 
  2. Warm the milk and water in a small saucepan over low heat.

    Parker House Rolls Recipe
     The Spruce
  3. Mix 1/3 of this mixture with the dry yeast in a small bowl and let sit until bubbly, about 15 minutes.

    Parker House Rolls Recipe
     The Spruce
  4. In a large bowl, combine remaining milk mixture, melted butter, salt, and sugar and beat until the sugar is dissolved.

    Parker House Rolls Recipe
     The Spruce
  5. Then add the beaten eggs and yeast mixture.​

    Parker House Rolls Recipe
     The Spruce
  6. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, beating on high speed of stand mixer. When the dough gets too stiff to beat, stir in rest of flour by hand, if necessary, to make a soft dough.

    Parker House Rolls Recipe
     The Spruce
  7. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, until smooth and satiny.

    Parker House Rolls Recipe
     The Spruce
  8. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size—about 1 hour. 

    Parker House Rolls Recipe
     The Spruce
  9. Punch down the dough.

    Parker House Rolls Recipe
     The Spruce
  10. Roll out on floured surface to 1/2-inch thickness and cut with 3-inch round cookie cutter.

    Parker House Rolls Recipe
    The Spruce 
  11. Brush each roll with melted butter and fold in half to make half circles. Pinch edge lightly to hold, so the rolls don't unfold as they rise.

    Parker House Rolls Recipe
     The Spruce
  12. Place in 2 greased 9 x 13-inch pans, cover, and let rise again until double—about 45 minutes.

    Parker House Rolls Recipe
     The Spruce
  13. Bake rolls at 350 F for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

    Parker House Rolls Recipe
     The Spruce
  14. Remove from pan immediately and brush with more melted butter.

    Parker House Rolls Recipe
     The Spruce
  15. Serve alongside your chicken-fried steak, ham dinner, Sunday dinner, or holiday dinner and enjoy.

What to Do With the Scraps

Here's what to do with the scraps that are left over when you have cut out all the rounds:

  1. Gather some pieces and gently squeeze them to form a rough ball.
  2. Dip in melted butter and place in a greased pan.
  3. Let rise, bake, and brush with more butter when they come out of the oven. You may even like this version even better than the beautiful, perfectly formed half moons. They have crisp edges and are very buttery.
  4. The next day (and the next), heat the rolls in the microwave about 10 seconds per roll on high and they will be as pillowy as they were when they first came out of the oven.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
134 Calories
3g Fat
22g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 134
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 23mg 8%
Sodium 118mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 13mg 1%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 47mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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