Parker House Rolls

Holidays are coming and these buttery, super light Parker House Rolls will become a wonderful addition to any holiday table. Soft, fluffy, and beautifully golden, they are the kind of bread rolls that instantly make any dinner feel warm, cozy, and special. Whether served for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or a family gathering, these classic rolls pair perfectly with almost any holiday meal.

What makes Parker House Rolls so special is their iconic folded shape and the layer of butter tucked inside each roll before baking. As the rolls bake, the butter melts into the dough, creating extra richness, tenderness, and incredible flavor in every bite. The folded design also gives the rolls their beautiful pull-apart texture, making them both elegant and comforting at the same time.

The dough itself is soft, rich, and easy to work with, producing rolls that are incredibly light and airy with a delicate buttery aroma. Fresh from the oven, the tops become lightly golden while the inside stays fluffy and tender. Brushed with melted butter after baking, they become even softer and more flavorful.

One of the things I love most about these rolls is how versatile they are. They work beautifully alongside roasted turkey, ham, beef, soups, or even simple spreads of butter and jam for breakfast the next morning. Leftovers make fantastic mini sandwiches as well.

Despite their bakery-style appearance, Parker House Rolls are surprisingly approachable to make at home. The shaping process is simple and fun, and the final result always feels impressive. Watching them puff up beautifully during proofing and baking is incredibly satisfying.

These rolls are best enjoyed warm, straight from the oven, when the buttery aroma fills the kitchen and the soft layers pull apart effortlessly. They bring a nostalgic, homemade touch to the table and are often one of the first things to disappear during holiday dinners.

If you are looking for a classic homemade bread recipe that feels festive, comforting, and absolutely delicious, these Parker House Rolls are a perfect choice. Once you try them fresh and homemade, they may quickly become a permanent holiday tradition in your kitchen.

Ingredients

Dough

• 300g bread flour 
• 40g potato flour or potato starch
• 190g lukewarm milk
• 1 large eggs
• 40g sugar
• 7g salt
• 40g soft unsalted butter 
• 2g dry instant yeast
• 50g soft butter (for spreading)

Directions 

Dough

• 8 am pour warm milk into a bowl add dry instant yeast, sugar, egg, flour and potato starch.
• Mix dough on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 minutes until well incorporated.
• Add salt and butter, mix for a couple more minutes, increase the speed of mixer to medium high, mix for 10 more minutes until the dough is well incorporated and comes up together. You should be able to perform the windowpane test.
• Cover the dough and let it proof for 1-2 hours at 80F/ 28C.

• During that time perform 2 stretches and folds.
• The dough should become puffy.
• Roll or pat the dough into an 8″ x 12″ rectangle.
• Spread the soft butter all over the dough.

• Cut the dough in half lengthwise, to make two 4″ x 12″ rectangles. 
• Cut each rectangle in to 5 smaller rectangles. So you will have 10 rolls in total. Working with one rectangle at a time, fold it lengthwise to about 1/2″ of the other edge, so the bottom edge sticks out about 1/2″ beyond the top edge.
• Flip the rolls over (so that their smooth non-folded side is facing up), and place them in a pan, covered with parchment paper.

• Let the rolls proof for about 1 hour until bigger and puffy 
• Preheat the oven to 375F
• Bake the rolls for 20-22 minutes, until golden brown.
• Remove rolls from the oven.
• Brush hot rolls with melted butter.

Enjoy.

Parker House Rolls

223kcal

No ratings yet

Pinterest Facebook Share on X

Share Print

Prep 30 minutes mins

Cook 22 minutes mins

Rise & Rest Time 3 hours hrs

Total 3 hours hrs 52 minutes mins

These legendary, ultra-buttery rolls are famous for their unique folded shape and hidden interior layer of rich, melted butter. Enriched with fresh egg and milk, the dough includes a secret addition of potato starch to guarantee a signature, feather-light texture that melts in your mouth—making them the absolute perfect side dish for any holiday table.

Servings 10 Large Rolls

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1x2x3x

The Enriched Dough Base

• ▢ 190 g Lukewarm milk
• ▢ 2 g Dry instant yeast
• ▢ 40 g Sugar
• ▢ 1 Large egg
• ▢ 300 g Bread flour
• ▢ 40 g Potato flour or potato starch
• ▢ 7 g Salt
• ▢ 40 g Unsalted butter (softened completely to room temperature)

The Interior & Exterior Finish

• ▢ 50 g Unsalted butter (Extra soft, designated strictly for spreading inside the rolls)
• ▢ tbsp Melted butter (Reserved for brushing over the rolls straight out of the oven)

Equipment

• ▢
  Stand Mixer (Fitted with the dough hook attachment)
• ▢
  Baking Pan (Standard rectangular cake pan or rimmed baking sheet)
• ▢
  Rolling Pin
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale
• ▢
  Parchment Paper
• ▢
  Pastry Brush

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

Enriched Mechanical Kneading & Windowpane Test

1. 8:00 AM: Pour the 190g of lukewarm milk directly into your stand mixer bowl. Add the 2g of dry instant yeast, 40g of sugar, 1 large egg, 300g of bread flour, and 40g of potato starch.
2. Mix on the low speed of your machine for 2 to 3 minutes (or if using a KitchenAid mixer, run it on speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until the ingredients are well incorporated and no dry spots remain.
3. Sprinkle in the 7g of salt and add the 40g of softened room-temperature butter. Increase your mixer speed to medium-high and knead continuously for a full 10 minutes. The dough will look slick initially but will quickly gather into a highly smooth, elastic ball. Verify strength by performing a clean windowpane test—you should be able to stretch the dough thin enough to see light through it without it tearing.
4. Cover the dough tightly and let it proof for 1 to 2 hours at a warm ambient temperature of 80°F (28°C).
5. Perform two separate rounds of wet-handed stretch-and-folds spaced evenly across the first hour of rising to organize the gluten strands. By the end, the dough mass must feel light, fragile, and noticeably puffy.

Butter-Layer Trimming and Precision Folding

1. Tip the puffy dough out onto a clean work surface. Gently pat, press, or use a rolling pin to stretch the dough down into an even, clean rectangle measuring exactly 8×12 inches (20×30 cm).
2. Using a flexible spatula or palette knife, spread the 50g of soft interior butter across the top surface of the dough sheet, leaving no bare spots.
3. Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel, cut the dough rectangle cleanly in half lengthwise to create two long 4×12 inch rectangles.
4. Cut each long strip crosswise into 5 smaller equal pieces, yielding exactly 10 small rectangular portions total.
5. Working with one small rectangle at a time, fold it over lengthwise to about 1/2-inch of the opposite edge. Press the fold line gently to set the shape; the bottom edge should stick out roughly 1/2-inch past the top edge.
6. Flip each folded roll completely over so that the smooth, non-folded side faces directly upward, and arrange them side-by-side into a baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Final Shaped Rise and High-Heat Gloss Baking

1. Let the rolls proof uncovered at room temperature for approximately 1 hour until they look plumper, wider, and have pushed against each other in the pan.
2. While they undergo their final proof, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
3. Slide the pan onto the middle rack and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20 to 22 minutes until the tops expand into a uniform, rich golden brown.
4. Remove the rolls from the oven. Using a pastry brush, coat the piping hot tops with your 2 tablespoons of melted butter immediately, allowing it to soak into the crust. Let them cool down slightly before pulling them apart to serve.

Nutrition

Calories223kcalCarbohydrates30gProtein6gFat9gSaturated Fat5gPolyunsaturated Fat1gMonounsaturated Fat2gTrans Fat0.3gCholesterol39mgSodium67mgPotassium119mgFiber1gSugar5gVitamin A281IUVitamin C0.2mgCalcium36mgIron0.4mg

Notes

• The Starch Textural Secret: The addition of 40g of potato flour or potato starch is what elevates these rolls above standard dinner buns. Potato starches are highly hygroscopic, meaning they absorb significantly more moisture than standard wheat flours. This prevents the gluten networks from becoming tough or rubbery, resulting in an incredibly soft, tender crumb that stays fresh and moist for days.
• Mastering the Iconic Fold Geometry: The secret to getting the classic Parker House pocket look is making sure your top flap is shorter than the bottom flap when you fold the rectangle over. Leaving that 1/2-inch lip at the bottom forces the dough to expand outward rather than upward during baking. Flipping the roll over so the smooth side faces up ensures a beautifully neat top appearance.
• Controlling the Windowpane Proof Matrix: Enriched doughs containing high volumes of fat from butter and eggs take slightly longer to build solid structure. If your dough fails the windowpane test after the initial 10-minute mechanical mix, do not begin shaping yet. Continue running your machine on medium-high speed in 2-minute increments until the dough can stretch cleanly into a translucent membrane.
• Make-Ahead Holiday Freezer Strategy: These rolls are an amazing option for stressful holiday dinner prepping. After shaping and placing the rolls into your baking pan, wrap the entire tray tightly in two layers of plastic wrap and freeze immediately for up to 3 weeks. The night before your dinner, transfer the frozen tray into the refrigerator to thaw overnight, then allow them to sit on the counter for 1.5 to 2 hours to complete their final proof before baking fresh.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.