Pillow-y soft, light as air, chewy, and garlicky Parker House rolls are my dream bread. They’re so buttery, bread-y, and delicious.
Recently, Mike and I went on a trip to Montreal. We stopped for dinner after a very long walk at McKiernan, a sister restaurant to the very famous Joe Beef. They had fresh baked-to-order garlic Parker House rolls on the menu and even though we ordered a huge amount of food, I couldn’t resist.
They were a revelation. It was the single most delicious bun I’ve ever put in my mouth. They came with four and if I’m being honest, I ate all four except a tiny bite that Mike tried. I loved them. It was my first time trying Parker House rolls and I am obsessed.
So, I’ve been making rolls now for about 3 weeks straight and this is my best version. So fluffy and dreamy. Sinking your teeth into a warm bun brushed with garlic butter and finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt is maybe the best thing ever? It’s definitely a must have on our Thanksgiving
But wait, what are Parker House Rolls?
Parker House come from the Parker House Hotel in Boston. They are buttery, soft, sweet, and have a crisp top. They’re not really round rolls like we see today, instead they’re ovals folded over with a pocket of butter inside.
I didn’t shape these buns in the classic Parker House way and I didn’t leave them plain either. Instead I’ve slathered them in garlic butter because garlic. You’ll love these rolls. They’re buttery, soft, pillow-y and a bread lovers dream come true. And they’re simple to make too!
How to make garlicky Parker House rolls
- Start by buttering a baking pan. This recipe makes 9-12 rolls so you can go with an 8×8 or a 7×11 inch pan. The butter is going to coat the bottoms of the rolls and make them extra delicious.
- Melt the butter in the milk and stir in the honey.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl), stir together yeast, flour, and salt.
- Make an indent in the flour then add the milk mixture and 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk. Knead with the dough hook (or by hand) until smooth.
- Lightly butter a large bowl, form the dough into a ball, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
- Divide the dough into 9 or 12 equal pieces then shape into balls and place them in the buttered pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Brush them with the remaining egg white and bake. While they’re baking make the garlic butter by adding minced garlic to butter and heating it over low heat. Stir in some freshly chopped parsley.
- When the rolls come out, brush them generously with the garlic butter and enjoy warm!
Tips and Tricks
- These taste best fresh and warm but you can easily keep them in an air tight container or sealed bag at room temp for a couple of days.
- Warm them up again, wrapped in foil in a low 200°F oven to make them extra tasty the next day.
- A sprinkle of flaky sea salt adds prettiness and crunch.
- If you don’t have instant yeast you can use active dry yeast, just add the yeast to the warm milk and let bloom before stirring in the butter and honey.
- These rolls are perfect for making ahead, more on that below!
Make ahead Parker House rolls
If you want to make these the day before, just follow the recipe up until they’re shaped. Put the rolls in the pan, cover them tightly, and place them in the fridge to rise slowly overnight. When ready to bake, let them rest on the countertop for 30 minutes, then bake as directed.
You can also go ahead and bake the rolls and save them already baked. Just cool completely and keep in an air tight container. Pop the rolls back into an oven safe container, wrap them in foil and warm in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes and serve with softened butter.
Happy rolling! I hope these bring you as much joy as they brought me. I made 3 batches in 3 days!
xoxo steph
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 7 tbsp butter plus extra for buttering the pan
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 1/3 cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tsp rapid rise instant yeast
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- flaky sea salt as desired
Instructions
- Lightly butter an 8x8 or 11 x 7 inch baking dish or pan and set aside.
- In a small pot, warm the milk and 3 tbsp butter over medium low heat until the butter melts. Stir in the honey.
- Add the yeast, flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the milk mixture, 1 egg and 1 egg yolk. Use the dough hook and knead for 7-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. The dough will be slightly tacky.
- Lightly rub a large bowl with some butter. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. It will be soft and slightly sticky.
- Punch the dough dough and divide it into 9 or 12 equal pieces. If you want to be precise, use your kitchen scale to see how much your dough weighs, then divide by 9 or 12.
- Roll the dough into balls, stretching, and pinching and tucking into balls with smooth tops. Place them in the buttered pan, cover and let rise until doubled and puffy, about 1 hour.
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Brush the tops of the rolls with the remaining egg white mixed with 1 teaspoon water. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 20-25 minutes.
- While the buns are baking, make the garlic butter by melting the remaining 4 tbsp butter, along with the garlic over low heat in a small sauce pan. When melted, stir in the parsley.
- Once the buns come out of the oven, immediately brush the tops with the garlic butter and finish with flaky sea salt. Enjoy warm!
yum, yum, from scratch is always best too, thank you!
I really appreciate your hard work in making this beautiful post. Thank you so much for making it so easy for us the step-by-step picture even makes it easier while preparing the recipe.