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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
I bake a lot and these are amaaaaaazing. Easy and delicious. My family went crazy for them. So I’ll be making them for thanksgiving. Thanks!
Yes! I hope everyone else loves them as well! Thank you Kate! xTieghan
These. Are. Divine. Definitely a keeper!
Thank you Valerie! xTieghan
I made these last night for an early Thanksgiving dinner we are having today and I let them rise overnight in the fridge and baked them this morning. They are AMAZING!!! My only regret is that I did not double the recipe. I will not make that mistake next time, thank you!! These will go perfect with the dishes that will be served tonight.
I am so glad you loved these Talia! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Would subbing bread flour for AP flour work well with these?
Hi Shannon! Bread flour will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! xTieghan
Hi! These look amazing- making them this weekend and can’t wait! Question about this step: “let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes or up to a few hours at room temperature.” Do they only rise for 15 minutes?
HI! Yes, these rolls only need to rise for 15 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! xTieghan
Can this recipe be doubled or is it better to make two separate preparations? Rolls look amazing and can’t wait to try them for Thanksgiving!
Hi Alice, this recipe can easily be doubled. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! xTieghan
This turned out well.. the second time around. The first time , I think my flour was packed a bit heavy leading to a denser product. The second time was a charm and SO simple to make. Definately not a recipe to be intimitdated by. Thanks Teighaen –keep those delicious recipes coming !
Thank you Kimberley! I am so glad you loved this recipe! xTieghan
Oh my gosh. These are so tasty. The toasty top is almost pretzely, but the fluffy soft center is dreamy. The salt and honey butter on top is just the best. I wanted to do a trial run for Thanksgiving and I am glad I did, now I know I need to double (maybe triple!) The recipe!! Thanks Tieghan!
P.s I am loving your new book! ( And my husband is loving all the food lol)
YES!! So glad you loved these Brittany! Thank you so much for trying them! What have you made from the book?! xTieghan
The rolls really didn’t have much flavor- very bland. More rising time is needed than what is allotted for. I would also add quite a bit more salt to the dough. Not my favorite recipe, sorry.
Hi Rebeccah! I am really sorry to hear that you did not enjoy these! I hope you love some other recipes on my blog. If you have any questions, please let me know! xTieghan
what temp does the milk need to be? Thanks…
Hi there! The milk should be about the temperature of bath water, warm to touch, but not pipping hot. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
These look incredibly delicious and I would love to add them to my Thanksgiving menu! Quick question: any idea if I can substitute sugar for the honey in the dough and if so, how much? I have someone with an allergy, but would still love to make these! Thank you so much!
Hi Mercedes! You can use an equal amount of sugar. That will work very well!! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Hello! Are these *as good* when they are prepped, put in the fridge over night, and then baked the day of? Trying to plan thanksgiving timeline and I want to make these but I want them to be as tasty and fluffy as possible!
Hey Heather! Yes, they are just as good. That is what I do for thanksgiving too! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Could you share instructions for these rolls without a stand mixer? I tried to make by hand as well as with a food processor – by hand was a total fail (dough became very stiff immediately) and food processor worked ok, but my rolls came out really tough. I love all your recipes and so want to make this one work for Thanksgiving!
Hey Stephanie!! Sadly, everyone seems to be having an issue mixing these by hand. I think this is a roll that needs to be mixed with a stand mixer. If you wanted to try again, I would add more milk to the dough and really knead the dough for a good 10 minutes with your hands. If you do this I think the rolls should come out nicely. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you end up love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I so want to add these to my Thanksgiving menu but I don’t have a stand mixer or dough hook. Will these work with a regular hand held mixer?
HI! Yes, I think so! Just make sure to thoroughly mix the dough. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
HI there! I’m Europe-based and don’t have access to rapid rise yeast. Can I use active dry yeast instead, and if so how much? Many thanks!
Hi! Of course! Just mix the yeast with the warm milk and honey and let sit for 5-10 minutes, until it is foamy on top. Then continue on as directed. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan