I'm not sure why I was suddenly overcome with the desire to bake a batch of Parker House rolls, but... it happened.

This was my first time making them from scratch, although I do have some vague memories of making them with readymade Pillsbury dough as a kid.

They were easy enough to make. It's an enriched dough with a truly alarming amount of butter. The dough was very soft, but not at all sticky and it rose well producing light, buttery rolls. Sadly most of my rolls came unfolded, so I didn't end up with the characteristic Parker House shape. But they still tasted lovely regardless.

Parker House Rolls

Slightly adapted from Cook's Country October/November 2020

Ingredients

• 550g all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 tsp. instant (rapid-rise) yeast
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 1/4 c. whole (3.25%) milk, tepid
• 12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, divided
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tbsp. sugar

Directions

1. Combine flour, yeast, and salt and mix well.
2. In a large measuring cup, combine milk, 8 Tbsp. of the melted butter, egg, and sugar and mix well.
3. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.
4. Gradually incorporate the flour, working from the centre outward.
5. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
6. Knead until smooth and elastic.
7. Return to bowl, cover, and let rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes.
8. Knock back and divide into 24 equal portions: first divide into two equal portions, then shape each portion into a log, and divide each log into 12 equal portions.
9. Cover dough pieces.
10. Working with one at a time, carefully round each one: stretch and pinch dough to the bottom to form a smooth, taut gluen sheet on top; then roll on the work surface, creating a bit of pressure and friction to get it nice and round and smooth everything out.
11. Set rounded dough lump aside, cover, and move on to next dough lump.
12. Let rounded dough lumps rest for 10-15 minutes.
13. Working with one ball at a time, press into a flat disc 6-7mm thick. Press the handle of a wooden spoon along the centre of the disc to form a trough/crease. Brush with melted butter. Then fold along the crease and press firmly. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover.
14. Once all the rolls have been shaped, make sure they're covered and allow to proof for 45-60 minutes.
15. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
16. Uncover rolls and brush tops with remaining melted butter.
17. If you have a spray bottle, spritz them with a little water just before putting them in the oven.
18. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20-25 minutes.
19. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.