German Parker House Rolls Recipes

THE BEST PARKER HOUSE ROLLS

Steps:

• Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium-high until it just starts to simmer, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter and the sugar until melted. Set aside to cool.
• Put the warm water in a small liquid measuring cup and stir in the yeast. Let it sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Combine the milk mixture, yeast mixture, eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and half the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the remaining flour, mixing until a smooth ball forms. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to knead the dough until very smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Coat a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray, then place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 60 to 75 minutes.
• Melt the remaining 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Set aside.
• Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, line with parchment paper then spray the paper.
• Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto the prepared surface. Pat into an even thickness.
• Use a chef's knife or bench scraper to divide the dough into 24 pieces, then shape into balls to create small rolls. Place in the prepared baking dish in rows of 4 by 6, then brush the tops of the rolls with 4 tablespoons of the melted butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven 350 degrees F.
• Remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the rolls lightly with flaky sea salt. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with the remaining 4 tablespoons melted butter. Serve warm.

PARKER HOUSE ROLLS

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in 1/2 cup warm water in a bowl; let stand until mixture is foaming, about 10 minutes.
• Stir warm milk, 6 tablespoons sugar, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup warm water into yeast mixture. Gradually whisk 2 cups flour into yeast mixture until smooth. Add remaining 3 1/2 cup flour, egg, 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons vegetable oil to flour-yeast mixture; stir until dough is soft.
• Turn dough onto a floured work surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6 to 8 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once so top of dough is greased. Cover bowl with a damp towel and let rise in a warm room until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Punch dough and divide in half. Roll each half on a floured surface until 1/3 to 1/2-inch thick. Cut dough using a floured 2 1/2-inch round cutter. Brush each dough circle with melted butter.
• Make an off-center crease in each dough circle using the dull edge of a table knife. Fold along crease so larger half is on top; press along folded edge.
• Grease a baking sheet.
• Arrange folded dough circles, 2 to 3 inches apart, on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Remove towel or plastic wrap from dough.
• Bake in the preheated oven until rolls are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer rolls to a wire rack to cool.

PARKER HOUSE ROLLS

Steps:

• Activate the yeast: In a medium bowl, gently whisk the yeast into the warm water. Whisk in the sugar. Allow the mixture to sit for a minute; it should bubble and froth slightly. Stir in 1 cup of the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and set the bowl aside in a warm spot.
• Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, blend the melted butter and the milk. Add the eggs, one by one, on low speed. Add the yeast mixture, the remaining 5 1/2 cups flour, and the kosher salt. Mix until the mixture forms a ball, 2 to 3 minutes. If the dough seems wet or sticks too much to the sides of the bowl, add more flour in 1/4-cup increments. Grease a large metal bowl with a little butter. Put the dough in the bowl, cover it with a towel, and allow it to rest in a warm place until it doubles in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Make the rolls: Lightly flour a flat, clean surface and turn the dough out onto it. Flour your hands and gently press the dough to form an 8-by-16-inch rectangle between 1/2 and 3/4 inch thick. Cut the dough lengthwise into 2 equal strips. Cut each strip into 12 pieces, making 24 individual strips of dough. Brush the extra flour off the dough with a dry pastry brush.
• Take a piece of dough and fold it unevenly in half so the top part overhangs slightly. Tuck the overhang underneath and put the roll, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, lining up the rolls right next to one another so that you have 3 tightly packed rows of 8 rolls each. (It helps if you imagine gently pulling the rolls apart after they have baked!) Cover the rolls with a kitchen towel and allow them to rise again until they increase in volume by about half, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Bake the rolls: Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Then rotate the sheet and continue to bake until the rolls are golden brown, another 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and brush the rolls with melted butter. Sprinkle them with Maldon salt. Serve immediately.

GERMAN PARKER HOUSE ROLLS

Steps:

• Warm the milk in a small saucepan over low heat. Mix 1/3 of the milk with the dry yeast in a small bowl and let sit until bubbly, about 15 minutes. In a large bowl, combine remaining milk, melted butter, salt and sugar and beat until the sugar is dissolved. Then add the beaten eggs and bubbly yeast.
• Add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, beating on high speed of stand mixer. This step should take at least 5 minutes. When the dough gets too stiff to beat, stir in rest of flour by hand, if necessary, to make a soft dough. Turn out onto floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, until smooth and satiny. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, about 1 hour. (I have also covered the dough well and placed it in the refrigerator overnight. This works really well. If you are going to refrigerate the dough, put it in the fridge before it has a chance to rise. It will rise overnight in the refrigerator; just not as high as it would at room temperature. Let the dough stand, covered, at room temperature for 1 hour before proceeding with recipe.)
• Punch down the dough and roll out on floured surface to 1/2" thickness. Cut with 3" round cookie cutter. Brush each roll with melted butter and fold in half to make half circles. Pinch edge lightly to hold, so the rolls don't unfold as they rise. Place in 2 greased 13x9" pans, cover, and let rise again until double, about 45 minutes. (If you refrigerated the dough, this will take longer, about 60-75 minutes.)
• Bake rolls at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan immediately and brush with more melted butter. Don't use the same butter you used when forming the rolls - melt some fresh just for this step.