Diana's Desserts - www.dianasdesserts.com
See more recipes in Christmas

Parker House Rolls

in Guest Recipe Book

[Be the first to post a review!]
Servings: Makes about 2 dozen rolls
 
Comments:
Parker House Rolls were created at the famous Parker House Hotel (now called the Omni Parker House) in the 1850's in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Cream Pie was also created there. Both of these are still served at the hotel's restaurant.

These rolls, delicately textured and rich with butter, are perhaps the quintessential Sunday (and Holiday) dinner roll.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup warm water
1 package (2 1/4 tsp./1/4 oz./7 grams) dry yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk, scalded and cooled
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 to 3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup melted butter (or more as needed)
2 tablespoons milk

Instructions:
1. Combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl and stir well. Set aside for 2 to 3 minutes or until quite frothy.

2. Lightly beat 2 eggs and add them to the yeast with the milk, butter, 1 1/2 cups of the flour, and the salt. Stir well for several minutes until the dough begins to form long elastic strands. Add more flour gradually until the dough is too heavy to stir.

3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead for about 10 minutes, adding enough flour to prevent the dough from sticking. The dough should be moist, smooth, and springy.

4. Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean cloth, and allow to rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 1 to 2 hours or until double in volume. Lightly grease two 9 x 13-inch baking dishes.

5. Punch the dough down and flatten to about a 1-inch thickness. Cut the dough into rectangles, about 1 inch by 2 inches. Press the dull side of a table knife into the center of each rectangle to make a crease.

6. Brush the rectangles with a thin coating of melted butter, and fold the dough over so that the butter is on the inside.

7. Place the rolls into the prepared pans. They should be close, but not touching one another. Cover the shaped rolls and let them rise until nearly doubled. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 C).

8. Beat the remaining egg with the milk. Brush the rolls lightly with egg wash and bake them in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and baked through. Let the rolls cool slightly before serving.

Makes 2 dozen rolls.

Variations on Shaping Rolls
CLOVERLEAF ROLLS
Form dough into one-inch balls. Place three balls into each greased muffin cup. Brush with melted butter.

PARKER HOUSE ROLLS
Roll dough into an oblong shape, about one-fourth inch thick. Cut into three-inch circles and brush with melted butter.

Make a crease across each circle; fold so top half overlaps slightly. Press edges together. Place close together onto greased baking pan. Brush with butter.

CRESCENT-SHAPED ROLLS
Roll dough into a twelve-inch circle, about one-fourth-inch thick. Spread with melted butter.

Cut into sixteen wedges. Roll up, beginning at rounded edge. Place rolls, with point underneath, onto greased baking sheet, curving slightly. Brush with butter.

Preparation Notes:
This dough can be left to rise very slowly in a cool spot, or overnight in the refrigerator. Let the dough return to room temperature before final shaping and baking.

Toppings (optional)
Sesame or poppy seeds can be scattered over the rolls after they have been brushed with egg wash.

Serving Suggestions:
These buttery rolls are at their best when served warm.

Source:
An American Bounty: Great Contemporary Cooking from the Culinary Institute of America. The Culinary Institute of America, 1995, Rizzoli International Publications.

Date: November 23, 2004

Add Your Review

  YOUR NAME (required)
  YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS (required)
 (Excellent)
 (Very Good)
 (Good)
 (Could be Better)
 (Poor)
  RATING (required)
YOUR REVIEW:

More Recipes in this Section

Holiday Mulled Cider 14 Minute Maple Candy Almond Cookies with Kisses Almond Toffee Anise Candy Apple Cider Gingerbread Squares Applesauce Fruitcake Bars with Caramel Icing Butterscoth Apple Dip Buttery Spritz Cookies Chocolate and Pear Christmas Trifle Chocolate and Pecan Tartlets Chocolate Covered Gingerbread Cake Chocolate Cranberry Torte Chocolate Cream Pie Chocolate Crinkles Chocolate Gingerbread Chocolate Raspberry Trifle Chocolate Rum Raspberry Cake Roll Chocolate Sticky Toffee Pudding Chocolate Strawberry Port Cake Chocolate-Almond Yule Log Christmas Ball Cookies Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies Christmas Chocolate Toffee Christmas Egg Nog Christmas Fruit Nut Bread Christmas Fruitcakes Christmas Ice Cream Cake Christmas Lemon Curd Cheesecake Christmas Macaroons Christmas Morning Cinnamon Buns Christmas Morning Sticky Buns Christmas Mulled Cider Christmas Peppermint Candies Christmas Plum Pudding-The Easy Way Christmas Popcorn Crunchies Christmas Shortbread Cookies Christmas Stollen Cinnamon Pecans Country Club Salad Cranberry Apple Crescent Cookies Cranberry Bread Pudding Cranberry Eggnog Cheesecake Cranberry Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip Cookies Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake Cranberry Shortbread Cookies Cranberry Tiramisu Cranberry Upside-Down Cake Cranberry Yam Bread Cranberry-Raspberry Charlotte Cran-Orange Cheesecake with Sugared Cranberries Crostata di ricotta Danish Christmas Gløgg Danish Julekage (Christmas Loaf) Danish Klejners Danish Vanillekranse Christmas Cookies Dark Chocolate Truffles Delectable Chocolate Wreath Easy Fruitcake Eggnog Snickerdoodles Festive Applesauce Cake Festive Pumpkin Bundt Cake Filled Speculaas Fruitcakes for Gift-Giving Gift Cakes and Breads for the Holidays Gift Giving Peanut Butter Snowballs Gift-Giving Cranberry Pumpkin Loaves Gingerbread Gingerbread Bundt Cake Gingerbread Cake with Crème Anglaise Gingerbread People Gingerbread Squares with Chocolate Topping Gingered Fruitcake
Gingered Fruitcake Glazed Gingerbread Cake Gløgg Golden Eggnog Holiday Braid Grandma's Applesauce Cake Greek Christmas Shortbread Holiday Ambrosia Holiday Dinner Rolls Holiday Eggnog Bread Holiday Fudge Torte Holiday Mini Kisses Treasure Cookies Holiday Peppermint Bark Homemade Marshmallows for Christmas Hot Buttered Rum Hot Cocoa Jam Cake Jamaican Dark Rum Christmas Fruitcake Julia Child's Plum Pudding for Christmas Kenny's Christmas Figgy Pudding Kugelhopf for Christmas Linzer Cookies Maple Sugar Tartlets Mincemeat Filling Mincemeat Pie Mini Pecan Tarts Nutmeg Cheesecake Olde English Christmas Pudding Old-Fashioned Fruit Cake Pandoro-Christmas Bread from Verona, Italy Panettone-Christmas Bread from Italy Panforte Parker House Rolls Pecan Tart Penuche Peppermint Cream Filled Yule Log Persimmon Pudding Puffed Pastry Snowflakes and Stars Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies Ribbon of Cherry Cheesecake Rich Steamed Christmas Pudding Ris ala mande-Danish Christmas Rice Pudding Roasted Chestnuts for Christmas Royal Icing Royal Icing-Made with Meringue Powder Russian Tea Cakes Saint Nicholas Cake Snowball Cake Snowflake Eggnog Cookies Soft Glazed Gingerbread Soft Potato Cinnamon Rolls Spicy Applesauce Cheesecake with Caramel Nut Sauce Spicy Chocolate Applesauce Cake Spicy Rudolph's Steamed Christmas Persimmon Pudding Steamed Cranberry Pudding with Pistachio Cream Sticky Toffee Date Pudding Sugared Cranberries Sugarplums Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Streusel Topping Tangy Mince Tarts Texas Cranberry Dip Tres Leches Egg Nog Cake Turkish Delight Venetian Christmas Bars Victorian Christmas Cake Viennese Crescents White Chocolate Cranberry Tart White Chocolate Dipped Gingerbread Cookies White Chocolate Pecan Squares White Chocolate, Whiskey Croissant Butter Pudding White Christmas Pudding Yule Log with Meringue Mushrooms Zesty Orange Bread