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These Salted Honey Butter Parker House Rolls are light, airy, buttery, perfectly salted, and SO delicious. Serve them warm right out of the oven with homemade honey butter for a dinner roll that’s melt in your mouth good. Incredibly quick and easy to make and uses just six everyday staple ingredients. It doesn’t get easier or tastier than that! These are the perfect rolls for all of your upcoming holiday dinners…Thanksgiving included!
This post is sponsored by Fleischmann’s®.
If there’s one thing that my mom really passed on to me it’s a love of soft, buttery dinner rolls. She’d make a point most Sunday nights to bake fresh bread for the family dinner. Just like dessert, mom would often have the bread ready to go before dinner was even a thought. That’s just how she does it, carbs and chocolate. Everything else was secondary. And for that, I love her even more.
Seeing as we both share a love for good bread, you can imagine that it’s a very important item on our Thanksgiving table. And that’s where these Parker House Rolls come into play. These rolls are on my 2019 menu. They are some of the BEST rolls to come out of my kitchen. They’re simple, but yet have “special touches” that make them worthy of any holiday table.
My two secrets? Salted butter and sweet honey butter.
The background…
The story is that Parker House Rolls were created by the Parker House in Boston. It was one of the great nineteenth-century hostelries. As you can imagine, the rolls have been copied by just about every cookbook author and baker that’s out there…myself now included. There are a lot of variations, but classic buttery Parker House Rolls should be light, soft, and a touch sweet.
The dough is traditionally shaped into a folded over roll, but these days there are many ways in which to do it! I ended up rolling mine into coils for a fun, pretty touch.
To make the dough.
As you can tell, my recipe is a little different than the classic. I’m using honey in place of sugar and salted butter. Two simple ingredients that make ALL the difference.
For the dough, simply mix flour with Fleischmann’s® Rapid Rise Yeast, and a pinch of salt. Add warm milk, a touch of honey, and salted butter. Mix until smooth, let the dough rest for ten to fifteen minutes, and then it’s time to shape the rolls. And that’s the beauty of Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® yeast! We get to skip an entire hour-long rise when using the instant yeast. Yes, please!
To shape the rolls.
Shaping the rolls is easy. If you’ve made a cinnamon roll, you can make these Parker House Rolls.
To keep it simple, just take strips of dough and roll them up into a tight coil. I have a bunch of photos to help you guys visually with what your rolls should look like. Once you complete one roll, you will quickly get the hang of the process.
When all the rolls have been shaped and arranged in a baking dish, cover the dish and let the rolls rise until puffy, about twenty to thirty minutes. Then bake! Minutes later your kitchen will be smelling like glorious home-baked bread.
Let’s talk about that honey butter…
Of course, me being me, I had to include a little honey butter. You all know it’s my favorite and I cannot think of a better butter to pair with these soft rolls. The sweetness from the honey is mouth-watering on a warm, fresh out of the oven roll.
Especially when topped with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt as well.
What I love most about these rolls is that you really can’t mess them up. The dough and process are so easy and very forgiving. Trust me, if you’re fearful of making bread, start with this recipe. It’s SO GOOD every time.
And yes, you should make these for Thanksgiving. They’re perfect for soaking up all that gravy and then eating for breakfast the next morning. There’s nothing not to love.
Again, soft, buttery, perfectly sweet, and just a touch salty. What every dinner roll should aspire to be!
If you make these salted honey butter parker house rolls, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the how-to video:
Salted Honey Butter Parker House Rolls
Servings: 12 rolls
Calories Per Serving: 290 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more if needed
- 1 packet Fleischmann’s® Rapid Rise Yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup warm whole milk
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 4 tablespoons salted butter at room temperature
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- flaky sea salt for topping
Honey Butter
- 6 tablespoons salted butter melted
- 3 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, yeast, and salt. Add the warm milk, honey, the egg, and butter. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated, about 4-5 minutes. If the dough seems sticky, add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes or up to a few hours at room temperature. 2. To make the honey butter. Combine the butter and honey together in a small bowl. 3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.4. Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Turn out the dough, punch it down, and divide the dough in half. Roll each half to a 12-inch square, about 1/4-inch thick. Brush each square with honey butter, saving any leftover butter for serving. Cut each square of dough into 6 strips. Roll each strip into a coil (see above photo) and arrange seam side down in the prepared baking dish. 5. Cover the dish and let the rolls rise for about 30 minutes, until they're puffy. Alternately, you can let the rolls sit in the fridge overnight.6. Bake the rolls for 18-25 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven and brush with the remaining honey butter. Pull them apart to serve warm with flaky sea salt.
Notes
To Make Ahead: prepare the rolls through step 4. Do not let the rolls rise at room temp. Cover the rolls and place in the fridge (up to overnight). When ready to bake, remove the rolls from the fridge 30 minutes prior to baking, then bake as directed.
To Prepare and Freeze: assemble the rolls through step 5, then cover the pan and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the rolls overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours. Once thawed, bake as directed.
To Bake and Freeze: bake the rolls as directed and let cool completely. Cover well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and warm before serving.
To Use Active Dry Yeast: Mix 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast with the warm milk and honey. Let sit 5-10 minutes, until bubbly and foamy on top. Add the flour and follow the directions as listed for the remainder of the recipe.
{This post is sponsored by Fleischmann’s®. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!}
This post was originally published on November 13, 2019
Hi Tieghan! I see that it’s been pointed out before, but the flour conversion from US customary to Metric is still not fixed. In the ingredients list, it says 3 1/4 – 3 1/2 cups of flour when checking in US customary. However, when changing to Metric, the amount is converted to 843 g which is wrong. 1 cup of flour should be 120 g, therefore 3 1/4 – 3 1/2 cups of flour is 400-420 g. Hope you can correct this.
I guess this is most relevant for the Europeans here as we don’t use cups but rather grams (which is more precise). Thankfully, I noticed this mistake in the recipe before making the dough and the rolls turned out amazing!
Hi Elin! I am not sure how to fix this, but we are looking into it and hope to find a fix. Thank you for pointing this out! Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This recipe is one of those recipes that becomes your tried and true, no-fail kind of recipes. I have made these rolls so many times for so many different people and the reaction has always been, “this is hands down the best roll I have ever eaten in my life. Like ever.” The only slight change I made was melting the butter in the milk while I warmed it, and I do two rises, the first for about 90 minutes, the second for about an hour. Definitely not necessary, but I find the rolls become lighter and more pillowy. Thank you for a phenomenal recipe!
Hey Jade,
Happy Weekend! Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Hi! My dough didn’t rise…what do you do in a scenario like this? I’m trying to use the oven method (lowest heat,oven off) but just in case, for next time?
Hey Mollie,
So sorry to hear this! What kind of yeast did you use? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Hi,
I’m dying to try these but have no idea how to use yeast. What’s the difference between rapid rise and dry active? Also what temp should the milk be?
Thanks so much!
Hey Kathy,
If you use instant, rapid rise yeast you can follow the recipe as is. I also have the instructions listed for using active dry yeast. I don’t have an exact temp for the milk, you just want it to be warm. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I dont have that yeast. How would I use active dry yeast and also how would I use instant yeast
Hey Marwa,
So the instructions are for instant yeast, so you can follow those as is. If you want to use active yeast you can follow the instructions that are given under “recipe notes”. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can you use bread flour instead of all purpose? Can’t wait to try these!
Hey Annie,
Yes, bread flour will work well here! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can you use gluten free flour in place of the regular baking flour? Or do you have any other suggestions on how to make These gluten free for someone with celiac?
Hey Jess,
Yes, you can use an equal amount of GF flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Did you try making them gluten free? I’m curious how they turn out ?
I’ve made these for thanksgiving the last couple years and they are a big hit , now my son is on a gluten free diet and I was curious how they come out and if it’s worth it to make a small batch for the holiday
Thanks
This recipe is fantastic!!! I’ve never baked bread much at all, even though I love to bake. Nevertheless, the recipe was easy to follow and the rolls turned out great!! These are definitely a family favorite!! Thank you for sharing the recipe with us!!
Hey Sheila,
I am thrilled you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
I have made this at least weekly since Thanksgiving. My grandsons request them all the time and everyone loves them. An easy and very delicious recipe.
Thanks so much
Marilyn
Hey Marilyn,
I am so thrilled the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Happy Friday! xTieghan
Amazing – I can’t make them fast enough for my family! Thankyou #Half-Baked Harvest
Hey Rebecca,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a go, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
These are delicious! My rolls never rise, but I bake them anyway, and they still come out great. My littlest daughter loved them so much she wanted to share with our neighbors.
Hey Kim,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have the best week. xTieghan
Amazing!!! Everyone loved them!!
I used white truffle honey and they were good!
Thanks for the recipe❤️?
Hey Daniela,
I am thrilled that you liked the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a go! Have an awesome week:) xTieghan
Hi Tieghan – Some readers have asked if this can be done without a stand mixer. The dough reminds me of my babka recipe, so perhaps users can mix with a wooden spoon. It will take a good 10 – 15 minutes of mixing, and add any extra flour until the dough begins to pull away from the wooden spoon. Then move to your counter, dusted with flour, and knead a few times. Then put in the bowl to rise from there. Just a thought
Thanks so much Jane! xTieghan
Hi! Similar question to one of the steps…. “let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes or up to a few hours at room temperature.” Do they only rise for 15 minutes?
Seems to me, if you use the instant rise yeast, then you let sit for 15 minutes. If you use regular active dry yeast, then you need to let rise for 2 hours???
Hey Jane,
You can leave them for 15 minutes or if you have more time, up to 2 hours. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I forgot to add the room temp butter when kneading the dough—how will this effect the rolls? Will they still be tasty with the honey butter inside?
Hey Taylor,
They should be okay, let me know how they turn out! xTieghan
Hmmm. I’m not sure what I did, but my rolls did not rise. Do you know what I would’ve done wrong? (I used warm milk-but it was 1%)
Hey Adah,
So sorry the rolls did not rise for you. What kind of yeast did you use? Did you allow the dough to rise in a warm spot. Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan