These Unbelievably Fluffy Dinner Rolls Have Taken Over Restaurant Tables. Here's How Easy It Is to Make Them at Home

With a top coating of melted butter and a sprinkling of sea salt, fluffy, golden Parker House rolls are nothing short of trophy worthy. They’re arguably America’s favorite dinner roll, but before these buttery, glossy rolls were a mainstay on restaurant tables nationwide, they were a regional favorite from Boston, Massachusetts. They owe their name to Boston's famed Parker House Hotel, where they were created. The hotel has been a bastion of hospitality since 1856, and the rolls were added to their menu just a few years later in the 1870s and remain on their menu today, according to the hotel's website. At the time in the US when these rolls were first served, most other widely available breads were hard and crusty, so these pillowy soft, lightly sweet, butter-loaded dinner rolls were a standout revelation that eventually caught on in restaurants nationwide. 

These classic yeast rolls, also sometimes called pocketbook rolls because their folded shape resembles a purse, are just as ideal for sandwiching a slice of Thanksgiving turkey or holiday ham as they are slathered with honey or a slick of jam for breakfast. And while Parker House rolls have taken over restaurant tables nationwide, there's no reason that baskets full of these warm, tender rolls should be confined to restaurants, especially since baking them at home is relatively easy. To perfect the foolproof recipe we're sharing here, our test kitchen colleague Nicole Hopper shaped and baked batch after batch of these rolls. Here are a few tips for perfecting the soft dough and their signature shape at home.

Key Techniques for Buttery Soft Parker House Rolls

Enrich the dough with butter, milk, and egg for the Parker House roll's signature plushness. In the world of breads, there are two basic categories: lean and enriched. Lean breads such as French bread and hard rolls have a chewier texture with more bite and a hard crust, while enriched ones such as brioche and challah, are, well, richer. Parker House rolls sit firmly in the enriched bread category. Hopper relies on a trio of butter, milk, and egg to enrich the rolls, ensuring they are tender and fluffy once baked. The fat in all three ingredients coats the gluten strands and makes both the crumb and the crust more tender; it also makes the interior texture more finely grained, so when you cut or pull the rolls apart, you are guaranteed a smooth surface for smearing with butter. Beyond texture, the fat and proteins in all three ingredients adds rich flavor to the rolls.

Proof properly to create the hallmark shape. Getting Parker House rolls to hold their signature shape is notoriously challenging. When portioned and folded, glutinous dough is prone to springing back to its original shape, as well as over-puffing and losing its shape when baked. The result in either case will be misshapen blob-like rolls.

The first step to ensure this doesn’t happen is to properly proof the dough. Well proofed dough will hold its form when shaped and baked. You can gauge if dough is properly proofed by time or how much the dough grows, but the best way to check is with the knuckle test. Use the back of your knuckle to gently press into the dough: If the dough immediately springs back, it is not fully proofed yet; if the dough holds the shape of the indent and doesn’t spring back at all, it’s over-proofed; but if the dough slowly springs back into its original shape, it is ready to shape into rolls.  Properly proofed dough will not only hold its shape after you fold the raw dough, but it will rise in the oven at a steady rate, guaranteeing it holds its shape once baked.

Roll the buns for easier shaping and better baking. First rolling the buns into a ball (as with standard dinner rolls) redistributes the yeast and sugars and removes any large bubbles of carbon dioxide that might create an irregular crumb when baked. Once rolled, it’s also important to let the dough balls rest for ten minutes before flattening them. This brief rest after rolling relaxes their gluten so they won’t spring back once flattened. 

Butter before folding to secure the fold. Once each roll is flattened, but before they’re folded, brush their flattened tops with ample melted butter. The butter here not only adds another layer of incredible rich flavor, but it acts as a glue, binding the layers of dough together once it's folded and pressed into itself, further guaranteeing the buns will hold their folded shape. 

For softer buns, snuggle them together when baking. Buttered and folded, the last key step to ensure the rolls bake up properly is to tuck them closely next to each other, flat side down, in a baking dish. When baked close together, the rolls will press into each other, further anchoring their shape. Baking them close together also traps in their steam as they bake, which softens the dough, further ensuring pillowy buns. 

Don’t forget the buttery finish to create a beautiful gloss. Ok, so you’ve added ample butter to the dough when mixing and you’ve brushed even more butter between the folds of each bun before shaping—that should be plenty of butter, right? Wrong! Take it a step further, and give those buns a buttery shellac while they are fresh and warm right out of the oven. This final buttery glaze will soften the crust and create their restaurant-worthy glossy sheen. A final sprinkle of good flaky sea salt balances their sweetness. 

And while they’re delightfully buttery as is, don’t be shy—go ahead and rip one apart and slather it with even more butter for the richest possible roll experience.

For the Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together flour, yeast, and salt until combined. In medium bowl or 2-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk milk, sugar, egg, and egg yolk until combined. Set mixer bowl into stand mixer base and fit mixer with dough hook. On medium-low speed, slowly pour in the liquid mixture until dough comes together and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl and dough hook frequently. Increase speed to medium and, with mixer running, add 4 tablespoons butter, 1 piece at a time, allowing each piece to incorporate before adding next, about 2 minutes total, scraping down bowl and dough hook as needed. Continue to knead on medium speed until dough is elastic, sticky, and pulls away cleanly from sides of bowl, about 10 minutes longer. 

Transfer dough to a lightly greased large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside to proof at room temperature until about doubled in size and, about 60 to 90 minutes. (Dough is properly proofed when it slowly springs back to its original shape when gently pressed with your knuckle).

Punch down dough and turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide dough into 15 even portions (about 2.25 ounces; 65g each). Working with 1 dough portion at a time, cup dough with your palm and roll against counter into a smooth, tight ball. Cover balls loosely with a clean towel or greased plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

Working with one dough ball at a time, gently stretch dough into a rough rectangular shape, about 2 inches wide by 5 inches long. Brush the top side with a generous layer of melted butter and fold dough in half over itself, stretching the top half slightly over the edge of the bottom half to create a square that measures roughly 2 inches x 2 inches. Transfer to a buttered 9- x 13-inch baking pan, flat side down. Repeat with remaining dough balls, arranging folded dough squares into pan in 3 rows of 5.

Cover pan with a kitchen towel or loosely with a piece of greased plastic wrap and proof at room temperature until rolls are puffed but not quite doubled in size, and dough springs back slowly with poked, about 45 minutes.

6. For Finishing the Rolls: While buns proof, adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (175℃). When ready to bake, in a small bowl, beat egg and water until smooth. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the rolls evenly with the egg wash. Bake until golden brown and an instant read thermometer inserted in center of rolls registers 190℉ (87℃), 20 to 30 minutes.

Immediately brush hot rolls with reserved melted butter and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let cool slightly, about 20 minutes, before serving warm. Or let cool completely in pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour, to serve at room temperature. 

Special Equipment

Stand-mixer with dough hook, pastry brush, 9- x 13-inch baking dish

Make-Ahead and Storage

The baked rolls can be stored covered at room temperature for 1 day. To refresh them before serving, wrap them in aluminum foil and heat them in a 350°F (175℃) oven until warmed through, about 15 minutes.

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