Parker House Rolls
Is there anything better than a hot and fluffy yeast roll? I think I would choose one over the most decadent dessert. I have a friend who was telling me how she had never made yeast rolls so I made this recipe knowing I would have some to share with her. You really shouldn’t be afraid of yeast. This recipe is easy to follow and makes perfect rolls. I like a little egg in my yeast rolls, I think it gives them a little more texture. What’s also nice is that it only requires one rise.
If you are new to yeast doughs, I have two handy tricks to make sure they turn out. First, proof the yeast. To do this, add warm water to a small bowl. Add your yeast and a teaspoon of sugar and let it sit for ten minutes. If it doesn’t get foamy, throw it out and try again. The second trick is to let it rise in the microwave. This way you don’t have to find a warm non-drafty place or worry about the dog eating your dough while it sits in front of the fireplace. Just put a small glass bowl filled with water in the microwave and cook it for about 4 minutes or so until it’s boiling. Leave it in the microwave. Add your bowl of dough, covered with plastic wrap, to the microwave and keep the door closed. The heat and steam from the boiled water will keep the microwave warm and steamy and you will have beautiful dough. 
So now, give these rolls a try. I baked half of them and then froze the remaining dough in the shape that I wanted. When ready to serve, put the frozen rolls right in the oven.
Food and Wine Alex Guarnaschelli
PrintParker House Rolls
- Category: bread
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ½ cup warm water
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup butter, melted and cooled
- 2 cups whole milk, room temp
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 7 ½ cups flour
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- In a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix the yeast with warm water and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let stand until foamy, 10 minutes. Beat in the remaining sugar, ¾ cup of the butter and the milk, eggs and salt. At low speed, stir in the flour until the dough comes together. Mix at medium speed until the dough forms a loose ball around the hook, 3 minutes. Brush a large bowl with some of the melted butter. Place the dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm spot until doubled in bulk. 11/2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375º and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a 9-by-16 inch rectangle. Using a floured knife, cut the dough lengthwise into 3 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 12 small strips. Working with 1 piece at a time, fold it unevenly so the top half slightly overlaps the bottom half. Tuck it under and place the rolls seam side down on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, forming 2 rows of 9 rolls on each baking sheet. Each roll should just touch it’s neighbors. but leave about 4 inches between the rows.
- Bake the rolls for about 18 minutes, until browned; rotate the baking sheets halfway through baking. Immediately brush the rolls with the remaining melted butter and sprinkle with sea salt. Transfer the rolls to a rack and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
- Fully formed unbaked rolls can be frozen for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen.
- Food and Wine Alex Guarnaschelli
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