When I shared my Whole Grain Skillet Cornbread recipe the other day, I asked if people were cornbread or dinner roll people. The answer was overwhelmingly in favor of dinner rolls. So, today I’m sharing my favorite dinner roll recipe. The Easiest Parker House Rolls. I make these Parker House Rolls every single Thanksgiving and they are always a crowd pleaser.
Making homemade rolls seems like a daunting task, but its worth it. This batch makes 25-28 soft and buttery dinner rolls that freeze really well. Just pull what you will need from the freezer and microwave them or defrost them in the oven and they’re as good as freshl y baked rolls. So, I make this many rolls no matter how many people I am serving. Then, I have homemade dinner rolls even when I make a 20 minute dinner!
Parker House Rolls
Parker House Rolls Originated at the Parker House Hotel in Boston. They are a soft and buttery dinner roll with a distinctive shape. The dough is formed into flat circles and folded over onto itself to create a semi circle.
Parker House Roll dough is made with melted butter (I like to use Earth Balance for baking), milk and a touch of sugar. This keeps the inside of the rolls light and soft while the exterior has a nice thin crust.
Shaping the Rolls
These rolls are perfect for beginners because of how they are shaped. the dough is patted out into a rectangle and then cut with a biscuit cutter rather than rolled into a ball. This makes shaping the rolls basically fool proof.
I brush the top of the round with butter and fold them over, then press the center with my pointer finger to keep the rolls a semi circle shape through proofing and baking. Occasionally one or two will pop open during baking, but thats okay. That one can just be the taste test roll.
My favorite spreads for these rolls are some non dairy butter and blackberry preserves. I’ve had a few of them like this today and I’m not sure that this batch is going to make it to Thanksgiving dinner. Lucky for me they’re incredibly easy to make.
These Parker House Rolls are going to be your go-to for the holidays. They are buttery, soft and deceptively easy to execute. But you don’t have to tell anyone how easy they are. The secret is safe with me.
Parker House Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups Plant Milk (unsweetened and not vanilla flavored), warm I used So Delicious Coconut Milk
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
- 6 Tbsp Non Dairy Butter, melted + cooled I used Earth Balance
- 4-4 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 Tbsp Non Dairy Butter, melted (for brushing)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine warm plant milk and sugar. Add the yeast and stir. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, add 6 tablespoons of melted non dairy butter and stir to combine.
- Add 4 cups of flour and the salt. Stir until a shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured counter top and knead until the dough is smooth, adding a little flour as you go to keep the dough from sticking to the counter. You may need up to 1/2 cup more flour.
- Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp dish towel and let rise until the dough doubles in size. 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
- Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough onto it. Pat the dough into a rectangle that is about 1/4 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter that is about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, cut as many circles as possible from the dough. Peel the scrap away and put it in a pile.
- Brush the tops of the circles with melted non dairy butter and fold each circle in half, pressing to seal with your pointer finger. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet leaving about 2 iInches of space to allow for rising.
- Repeat the with the scrap until no more dough remains. Your last few may look a little wonky, but they will still taste great.
- Brush the tops of the rolls with non dairy butter and cover the baking trays with dish cloths to let the rolls rise for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350* after the rolls have been proofing for 25 minutes. When the oven is preheated bake the rolls for 25-27 minutes or until they are lightly golden.
- Let cool slightly before serving with your favorite spreads.
Let me know how you liked this recipe!
My dad always made the best dinner rolls. Recently my daughters said how much they missed them. I decided to try these today, and they are wonderful “. Thank you. Thank you. Mine aren’t quite as pretty as yours, but I’ll keep working on them. Next!
Brb.
So happy you all liked them! Bread making definitely takes a little practice, but that just means eating more rolls!