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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
Hello! I have made these many times and everyone loves them. This tine, the dough didn’t rise. Can I still try to salvage them? I used the active dry yeast I have on hand and followed the instructions (honey, warm milk and yeast- yeast did bubble!). I’m crossing my fingers and also reasonably worried they won’t rise at all if the dough didn’t rise before rolling out. Thank you for your wisdom/guidance!
Hey there,
Thanks for making this recipe so often! Is the dough resting in a warm spot? You could turn your oven on and allow the dough to rise sitting on top of the oven so it’s warm. I hope this helps!
If you havent already made these, you need to. This is one of HBH best recipes. Its so evil, its good. It is requested, no wait, demanded for thanksgiving and christmas. It is calorie rich so we reserve it just for the holidays, but OMG the best rolls ever.
Lol thanks so much, Bee:) Love to hear this recipe always turns out well for you! Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi. Can I leave these in refrigerator longer than overnight before baking?
Hi Tracey,
If you are leaving longer than 1 night, I would follow the freezing instructions:) Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi, love all your recipes and usually prefer to search your site or books when I have something in mind. I was wondering is it possible to bake these a day or 2 ahead of time a reheat or do you recommend fresh, day of.
Hey Kahley,
Thanks so much for your kind message:) You can follow any of the make ahead instructions written above. If you want to make them 2 days in advance, I would just cover with foil and warm on low for 15 minutes before serving.
I hope this helps! Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi there! I want to prep these tonight to bake Thursday. Do you recommend I leave in the fridge until Thursday or should I freeze and then thaw on Thursday? I love making these I’m just trying to prep more ahead!
Hi there,
You can keep in the fridge until Thursday. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Could I double this recipe and bake them on a full size jelly roll pan?
Hi Cailin,
I have never tried that, I would use 2 baking pans if possible:) Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m planning on making these the day of and transporting them. What’s the best way to reheat them?
Hey Diana,
I would just cover with foil and warm on low in the oven for 15 minutes.
Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi! I have made these the last two years and they are delicious! But each time the inside doesn’t cook through all the way and the outside gets a little too dark if I try to keep them in the oven longer. Any suggestions?
Hi Jessica,
Thanks so much for making these rolls! I would cover them with foil once they are golden on top so the middle can finish baking.
I hope this helps! Happy Thanksgiving!
In the video, you show 12 rolls baked in an 8×8 pan but the recipe calls for a 9×13 pan. Should a 9×13 pan be used if baking 24 rolls and 8×8 for baking 12?
Hey Dorrie,
You will want to use a 9×13 baking dish for the 12 rolls. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try!
I’m new to bread baking and had a quick question about the end of step 1. Is the dough supposed to double in size while it sits in the bowl?
Hi Josephine,
Yes, the dough should pretty much double in size by the end of step 1.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Do you have this recipe in any of your cookbooks by chance?
Hi Krislyn,
So sorry, this recipe is only on the blog. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Could I do these using an all purpose gf flour?
Hey Greg,
Yes, that should work well for you!
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi Tieghan, I dont have a stand mixer — is it possible to mix this with a handheld? Thanks in advance!
Hi Sara,
You can mix with a wooden spoon and knead by hand for 5 minutes.
I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try!
Do you have a good gluten free option?
Hi Kazmine,
I’ve had lots of readers have success using gluten free flour in this recipe.
Please let me know if you give it a try!
I have made this recipe for a few years and I don’t remember it including potato flour. Does it really need to be included?
Hi Paige,
You are probably thinking of this recipe:
https://fett-weg.today/salted-honey-butter-parker-house-rolls/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> I hope this helps!
I make these every single thanksgiving because they are incredible
Hi Bri,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe each year and your comment. So glad to hear the rolls are always enjoyed!