Fluffy Parker House Rolls (An Easy Holiday Classic!)

Are you searching for the ultimate, show-stopping side dish for your holiday table? The kind of warm, pillowy-soft, and impossibly buttery dinner rolls that will have your family and friends swooning? This incredible, from-scratch Classic Parker House Rolls recipe is your new holiday must-have. We’re talking magnificently light and airy pull-apart rolls with a beautiful golden-brown top, a hint of sweetness, and a final, glorious brush of melted butter and flaky sea salt.

This isn’t just another roll recipe; it’s a guide to mastering a legendary American classic. While from-scratch yeast rolls may seem intimidating, we’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to a flawless, foolproof result every single time. Forget the store-bought kind. This is the recipe that will fill your home with the most incredible, comforting aroma and become the star of your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Fluffy & Buttery Holiday Roll

What makes these Parker House Rolls so spectacularly delicious is their incredible, cloud-like texture and their wonderfully rich, buttery flavor. This recipe is a masterpiece of classic American baking. The secret to their signature texture is a classic enriched yeast dough. This means the dough is “enriched” with fat and sugar—in this case, milk, butter, sugar, and eggs—which is the key that creates an unbelievably soft, tender, and cake-like crumb. The dough is then shaped into simple balls and nestled together in a pan, which bakes into a magnificent, golden, pull-apart loaf before being brushed with one final, luscious layer of melted butter.

Metric	Time / Level
Total Time	3 hours 30 minutes (includes rising)
Active Prep Time	25 minutes
Difficulty Level	Easy
Servings	24 rolls

The Baker’s Secrets: The Essential Ingredients

This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality, simple ingredients to create its signature rich and comforting flavor.

• The Enriched Dough (The Secret to Softness!):
  • Milk, Butter, Eggs & Sugar: This “holy trinity” of enrichment is the key to the rolls’ signature soft, tender crumb and rich flavor. Using whole milk and real butter will provide the best, most flavorful result.
• The Yeast:
  • Active Dry Yeast: This is a classic, reliable choice for home bakers. The crucial first step is to “proof” or activate your yeast in warm water. This is the key that ensures your yeast is alive and well, guaranteeing a beautiful rise.
• The “Double Butter” & Flaky Salt: The secret to rolls that are flavorful through and through is the brilliant “double butter” technique. Melted butter is brushed on the risen rolls before they bake to help them brown, and again after they bake for a luscious, glossy finish. A final sprinkle of flaky sea salt is the perfect, crunchy counterpoint.

The Baker’s Masterclass: The Secrets to Perfect, Fluffy Rolls

This recipe is all about a few simple but brilliant techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.

1. The Rise is KEY: The number one, non-negotiable secret to a light, airy, and fluffy dinner roll is a proper rise. You must give your dough a warm, draft-free place to rise until it has at least doubled in size. This is the crucial step where the yeast does its magic, creating all the tiny air bubbles that result in a light texture.
2. The Pull-Apart Method: The genius of this recipe is its simplicity and its communal, pull-apart nature. By simply shaping the dough into individual balls and arranging them snugly in a baking dish, they will rise and bake together into one, beautiful loaf that is incredibly fun and easy to serve.
3. The Final Butter Brush: The final, luxurious touch! Brushing the hot rolls with melted butter the moment they come out of the oven is the professional secret that gives them a beautiful, bakery-quality sheen and an extra, irresistible layer of buttery goodness.

Step-by-Step to the Best Parker House Rolls

This elegant, festive side dish is a joy to prepare.

Part 1: The Art of the Rich & Fluffy Dough

Step 1: In a small saucepan, heat your 1 1/3 cups of milk until it just starts to simmer. Remove it from the heat and stir in the 1 stick of butter and the 1/3 cup of sugar until the butter has melted. Let this mixture cool until it is lukewarm.

Step 2: In a small bowl, dissolve your 1 package of active dry yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, until it is foamy.

Step 3: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine your cooled milk mixture, the foamy yeast mixture, the 3 beaten eggs, the 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and about half of your flour. Mix on a medium speed for about 2 minutes, until everything is smooth.

Step 4: With the mixer on a low speed, slowly add the remaining flour until a smooth ball of dough forms. Increase the speed to medium-high and knead for about 5 more minutes, until the dough is very smooth and elastic.

Step 5: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm place for 60 to 75 minutes, until it has doubled in size.

Part 2: The Classic Shape and Second Rise

Step 1: While the dough is rising, melt your remaining 1 stick of butter and prepare a 9×13-inch baking pan by spraying it with nonstick spray and lining it with parchment paper.

Step 2: On a lightly floured surface, gently punch down your risen dough. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and shape each piece into a small ball.

Step 3: Place the dough balls in your prepared baking dish in rows of 4 by 6. Brush the tops of the rolls with about 4 tablespoons of your melted butter.

Step 4: Cover the pan again and let the rolls rise in a warm place for another 30 to 40 minutes, until they have almost doubled in size and look puffy. While they are rising, preheat your oven to 350°F ($175^{\circ}C$).

Part 3: Bake to Golden, Buttery Perfection

Step 1: Uncover the risen rolls and sprinkle them lightly with flaky sea salt.

Step 2: Bake for about 40 minutes. You will know they are perfectly done when they are beautifully puffed up and a deep golden brown on top.

Step 3 (The Best Part!): As soon as the rolls come out of the oven, brush them generously with the remaining 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Serve the rolls warm, straight from the pan.

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What to Serve With Your Parker House Rolls

These beautiful and savory rolls are a fantastic and incredibly versatile side dish. They are the perfect accompaniment to almost any holiday meal or Sunday supper.

• Holiday Roasts: They are an absolute must-have alongside a cla ssic Roasted Turkey, a Glazed Ham, or a beautiful Prime Rib. They are the perfect vessel for sopping up every last drop of delicious gravy!
• Soups & Stews: They are also the perfect, cozy side for a hearty winter soup or a rich beef stew.

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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

• Make-Ahead: This is the perfect make-ahead holiday side dish! You can prepare the dough through its first rise, then cover it and let it rest in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. You can also fully bake the rolls, let them cool, and then freeze them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
• Storage: Store any leftover baked rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Reheating: The best way to reheat these rolls is to wrap them in foil and warm them in a 350°F oven for about 10-15 minutes, until they are soft and warmed through.

Frequently Asked questions (FAQs)