cooking / breads

Parker House Rolls (Small Batch)

serves 4 rolls · 2.5-3 hours · 15 minutes active hands on · medium

Why This Works

This combines the best ideas from three sources: King Arthur's rectangular fold method (more reliable than the traditional circle-and-fold — the rolls don't pop open in the oven), America's Test Kitchen's high butter ratio for richness, and classic Parker House technique. Buttermilk stands in for whole milk for extra tenderness and a subtle tang, with a pinch of baking soda to neutralize the acidity. Everything is scaled down to four rolls and adjusted for 5,280 ft.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup (90g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • ¾ tsp (2g) instant yeast
  • 2¼ tsp (10g) granulated sugar
  • ⅓ tsp (2g) salt
  • ⅛ tsp baking soda
  • 2¼ tsp (11g) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus 1 Tbsp (14g) melted for brushing
  • ¼ cup (57g) buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 Tbsp beaten egg (about ¼ of a large egg)

You'll also want a 6-inch round springform pan, a rolling pin, and a pastry brush.

Method

  1. Mix. In a small bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Add the room-temperature butter, buttermilk, and beaten egg (the buttermilk should feel neutral to the touch, not hot — over 100°F kills yeast). Stir until a shaggy dough forms.
  2. Knead. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead 10 minutes by hand (or 7-8 minutes in a stand mixer with the dough hook on medium-low) until smooth and elastic — soft and slightly tacky, not sticky. If the dough feels stiff or dry, add 1-2 tsp more buttermilk.
  3. First rise (60-75 minutes at 5,280 ft). Place the dough in a lightly buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot. Watch visual cues, not the clock — the dough should look puffy and feel airy, and may not fully double.
  4. Shape. Turn the dough onto a clean, dry, unfloured surface — slight sticking helps with shaping. Roll into roughly a 4" x 6" rectangle and brush generously with melted butter. Cut lengthwise into two 2" x 6" strips. Fold each strip lengthwise so the bottom edge extends ½" beyond the top edge (the signature fold), then cut each folded strip crosswise into 2 pieces for 4 rolls.
  5. Pan. Lightly butter the 6-inch springform pan. Flip the rolls smooth-side up and arrange them in the pan (1 in the center with 3 around it, or a 2x2 grid). Brush the tops with melted butter.
  6. Second rise (30-45 minutes at altitude). Cover loosely and let rise until the rolls are puffy and touching. Don't over-proof — at altitude, dough rises fast and can collapse if left too long.
  7. Bake. Preheat to 365°F about 15 minutes before the rolls finish rising. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and set in the center — 190°F internal on an instant-read thermometer.
  8. Finish. Brush the hot tops with any remaining melted butter, cool in the pan 5 minutes, and serve warm.

Notes

  • Altitude (5,280 ft): dough rises 25-35% faster than at sea level, so both rises run short — go by "puffy and touching," not the timer. Bake at 365°F instead of 350°F to set the structure before over-expansion, weigh the flour (90g) rather than measuring by volume, and add a splash more buttermilk if the dough feels dry.
  • Yeast: active dry yeast substitutes 1:1 — proof it in the warm buttermilk 5-10 minutes first.
  • Tenderness upgrade: King Arthur's original uses potato flour (or dried potato flakes) to keep rolls tender and moist for hours — worth trying in a future batch.
  • Make-ahead: go through the first rise, refrigerate overnight, then shape the next day.
  • Scaling: the recipe scales linearly (4 → 8 → 12 → 16 rolls); use a 9"x13" pan for 16.
  • Storage: airtight at room temperature 2-3 days. Reheat at 300°F for 5 minutes or microwave 10-15 seconds.