Parker House Rolls

Why this recipe works Parker House rolls are the fully loaded Cadillac of dinner rolls. These thin-crusted, fluffy-crumbed, glossy American rolls are pillowy-soft, a little sweet, and packed with butter. They owe their name to Boston’s famed Parker House, a hotel that has been a bastion of Brahmin hospitality since the middle of the 19th century. Luxurious as the dough is, the folded shape and buttery shellac are the hallmarks of these rolls. We found the best way to shape the dough was to first roll each piece into a ball (like with standard dinner rolls) to redistribute the yeast and sugars and expunge the carbon dioxide. Then we lightly flattened each piece of dough into a round shape. Once the rounds were formed, we created a crease in the middle with the handle of a wooden spoon. Keeping the edges of the dough thicker than the center so that they adhered to each other when the dough was folded ensured that the rolls didn’t puff open during baking. Many recipes for Parker House rolls call for baking them in a dish. While we liked the height of the rolls baked together in a baking dish, the rolls situated in the middle were still gummy and raw long after the outer rolls were perfectly baked, and the sides of the rolls lacked browning. Instead, we arranged the rolls on a baking sheet; the rolls baked evenly from crust to crumb since they were all exposed to the same amount of heat. For buttery flavor and sheen, we brushed the rolls with melted butter before folding them and again before baking.

MAKES: 24 rolls

RESTING TIME: 15 minutes

RISING TIME: 2 to 3 hours

BAKING TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 4 to 5 hours, plus 15 minutes cooling time

KEY EQUIPMENT: 2 rimmed baking sheets, pastry brush, water-filled spray bottle

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups (20 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2¼ teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 1¼ cups (10 ounces) whole milk, room temperature
• 14 tablespoons (7 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Whisk flour, yeast, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer. In a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together milk, 8 tablespoons melted butter, egg, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Using the dough hook attachment on low speed, slowly add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
3. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and clears the sides of the bowl but sticks to the bottom, about 8 minutes.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball, about 30 seconds. Place the dough seam side down in a lightly greased large bowl or container. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours.
5. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Press down on the dough to deflate it. Transfer the dough to a clean counter and divide it in half. Stretch each half into an even 12-inch log. Cut each log into 12 equal pieces, about 1½ ounces each, and cover loosely with greased plastic.
6. Working with one piece of dough at a time (keep the remaining pieces covered), form it into a rough ball by stretching the dough around your thumbs and pinching the edges together so that the top is smooth.
7. Place the ball seam side down on the clean counter and, using your cupped hand, drag it in small circles until the dough feels taut and round. Cover the balls loosely with greased plastic and let them rest for 15 minutes.
8. Working with a few dough balls at a time, press them into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Using the thin handle of a wooden spoon or a dowel, firmly press down across the width of the rounds to create a crease in the center.
9. Brush the tops of the rounds with 3 tablespoons of melted butter, then fold them in half along the creases and gently press the edges to seal.
10. Arrange the rolls on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Cover loosely with greased plastic and let them rise until nearly doubled in size and the dough springs back minimally when gently poked with your knuckle, for 1 to 1½ hours. (Unrisen rolls can be refrigerated for at least 8 hours or up to 16 hours; let the rolls sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.)
11. Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Gently brush the rolls with the remaining melted butter, then mist them with water. Bake until golden brown, for 20 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. Transfer the rolls to a wire rack and let them cool for 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.