Parker House Rolls are soft, buttery, and slightly sweet with a honey and rosemary butter inside and glaze on top. The perfect addition to any meal or holiday dinner table.
Best Parker House Rolls Recipe
These soft Parker House rolls are a slightly sweet, buttery twist on classic dinner rolls and, in my opinion, a great place to start if you’ve never made yeast rolls before.
I added some rosemary throughout the rolls, as well as a honey butter filling, which makes these rolls a little sweet, a little earthy, and super buttery. They’re amazing. (Though if you’re not a rosemary fan, you can absolutely omit it!)
Why You’ll Love These Dinner Rolls
- Sweet and buttery. These rolls are filled with a honey butter mixture and topped with a glaze as well. Each bite is rich and buttery with just a hint of sweetness from the honey.
- Easy to make. If you’ve never worked with yeast before, this recipe is a great place to start! You’ll need to allow about 2 hours total for rise time but the actual hands-on process is quite simple.
- Soft and fluffy. These rolls rise nicely in the oven and the texture, in part thanks to the buttery flavor, is super soft and fluffy. They practically melt in your mouth.
- Perfect for the holidays. These Parker House Rolls make an excellent addition to any holiday table, from Easter to Christmas, to Thanksgiving and Rosh Hashanah.
What Are Parker House Rolls?
Parker House Rolls are a type of dinner roll that are typically rectangular in shape and folded instead of rolled. They are said to have originated in Boston in the 1970s at the Parker House Hotel when a baker threw half finished rolls in the oven. They are soft and buttery and, in the case of my recipe, slightly sweet thanks to the honey glaze.
Ingredients Needed
This recipe for Parker House rolls uses yeast and pantry staples.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Granulated sugar – For a bit of sweetness.
- Warm whole milk – Warm to the touch, not hot. It should be about 105F.
- Active dry yeast – Be sure it’s not expired. If it doesn’t foam, it’s not good anymore.
- Unsalted butter – Melted, then cooled.
- Eggs – Binds the dough. They should be room temperature.
- Salt – Elevates the other flavors.
- Flour – Be sure to spoon and level, don’t scoop, for accurate measuring.
- For the Filling and Glaze – Unsalted butter, honey, and finely chopped fresh rosemary.
How To Make Parker House Rolls
These rolls do need to rise twice. Beyond that, the process is quite simple.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions and don’t miss the video below.)
- Prepare the yeast. Combine the warm milk and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixture. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let sit for 5-10 minutes, until the mixture becomes frothy.
- Make the dough. Add the melted butter, eggs, and salt to the yeast and give it a rough mix. Gradually add the flour with the dough hook on low speed until a soft dough forms. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading for 5-7 minutes.
- Let rise. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let rise for 1 to 1.5 hours, until doubled in size.
- Make the filling. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, honey, and rosemary.
- Form the rolls. Punch down the dough then roll it into a rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the dough and cut into squares or rectangles. Fold each piece of dough in half, enclosing the filling, and place in a greased 9×13 baking dish, folded side down.
- Let rise. Cover the baking dish with a kitchen towel. Let rise for 30-45 minutes, until the rolls have doubled in size.
- Bake. Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Add the glaze. In a small saucepan, mix butter, honey, and chopped rosemary over low heat to create a glaze. Brush the warm rolls with the honey glaze as soon as they come out of the oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Tips for Success
- Make sure the milk used in the recipe is warmed to 105 – 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Cold milk can slow down yeast activation, affecting the dough’s rise. Alternatively, if the milk is too hot, it will kill the yeast.
- Adjust the dough consistency. If the dough is too sticky, gradually add 1 tablespoon of flour until it reaches a soft, manageable consistency. Avoid adding too much flour, as it can result in denser rolls.
- Brush the honey rosemary glaze onto the rolls while they are still warm. This allows the glaze to soak in, adding extra flavor and a glossy finish. Adjust the honey glaze consistency if needed. If it’s too thick, you can add a bit of warm water to achieve a brushing consistency.
- Can I use dried rosemary or a different herb? Fresh rosemary will provide a more aromatic flavor, but you can use dried rosemary. Just reduce the quantity by half. Feel free to swap the rosemary with fresh thyme, if preferred. Or simply omit it entirely. These rolls are delicious without the herbs or honey.
Video: Parker House Rolls
Serving Suggestions
Parker House rolls are absolutely wonderful when served warm. With the buttery filling and glaze, there’s no need to add anything to them though I do sometimes add some butter.
These make a wonderful addition to any holiday meal, whether it’s Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, or Rosh Hashanah. They pair nicely with other holiday classics like honey glazed spiral ham, roast turkey, gravy, green bean casserole, and sweet potato casserole.
Proper Storage
- Room temperature. Store the cooled Parker house rolls at room temperature for up to 2-3 days in an airtight container.
- Fridge. Refrigerate for up to a week in an air-tight container or ziploc bag.
- Freezer. Parker House rolls freeze well too. Just tightly wrap them in plastic wrap, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.
More Bread Recipes To Try
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Parker House Rolls
Ingredients
Ingredients for dough
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 & 1/4 cups warm whole milk (105-110 F)
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs , room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled
Ingredients for filling
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
Ingredients for glaze
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
- In the bowl of the stand mixer, combine warm milk and sugar. Sprinkle yeast over the mixture and let it stand for 5-10 minutes until it becomes frothy.
- Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer. Add melted butter, eggs, and salt to the yeast mixture. Give it a rough mix. Gradually add the flour to the mixer on low speed until a soft dough forms.
- Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for 5-7 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours, or until it doubles in size.
- In a small bowl, mix softened butter, honey, and chopped rosemary, and set it aside.
- Punch down the risen dough and roll it out into a rectangle on a floured surface. Spread the honey rosemary filling evenly over the dough. Cut the dough into squares or rectangles.
- Fold each piece of dough in half or rolled, enclosing the filling, and place them in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish with the folded side down.
- Cover the baking dish with a kitchen towel and let the rolls rise for another 30-45 minutes, or until they have doubled in size.
- Preheat your oven to 375 F degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown and cooked through.
- In a small saucepan, mix butter, honey, and chopped rosemary to create a glaze. Brush the warm rolls with the honey glaze as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Allow the rolls to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
These rolls were AMAZING!! Making them again for Easter. Thanks for much for the detailed instructions and tips.