These famous Parker House rolls from the Boston Parker House Hotel are irresistibly soft and buttery. Bonus: They only require one rise! They're a great side dish for Thanksgiving dinner, a holiday buffet, or Sunday supper.

Photography Credit: Sheryl Julian

One day in Home Ec class when I was younger, we learned to make Parker House rolls. As they came out of the oven, we grabbed the hot rolls off the baking sheets even though the teacher protested that we’d burn ourselves.

Of course they were too hot to eat, but that didn’t stop us. Tender, buttery rolls with a hint of sweetness shaped like puffy half-moons—who can wait? They looked like Pac-Man, and they were delicious!

Video! How to Make Parker House Rolls

What Are Parker House Rolls?

The Parker House in Boston (now called Omni Parker House) was a grand old hotel built in the mid-19th century. Many politicians and famous people stayed there, and legend has it that John F. Kennedy proposed to Jacqueline Bouvier in the dining room.

Parker House rolls, which the hotel became famous for and which I later learned to make in Home Ec, are made from a yeast dough made rich with milk, butter, and a little sugar.

How to Make Parker House Rolls

The dough is rolled out, stamped into rounds, spread with even more melted butter, and folded in half.

They puff in the oven and look quite charming. Every once in a while, a roll or two will fan open completely while baking, but don’t fret. They’ll still taste just as good.

I let the dough rise for an hour, but have found that you can bake the shaped rolls right away without a second rise. I think that helps them keep their shape, plus they’re just as feathery without the second rise.

Why Are Parker House Rolls Shaped This Way?

The classic shape—the one that Fannie Farmer writes about in the dog-eared copy of “The Boston Cooking School Cook Book” that sits on my shelf (a second-hand edition from 1934)—is a half-moon made by folding a flat round of dough in half, as shown here.

Today, bakers make the rolls all kinds of ways, like forming balls and packing them into a baking dish so the edges touch and become soft. Or, cutting squares and baking them the same way. These methods are quicker than folding, which is probably why they became popular. You also see Parker House rolls sprinkled with salt before baking; salt and butter together are certainly irresistible.

None of these are traditional, but does that matter? If you want to make a different shape, the dough comes together easily and you’ll enjoy working with it.

Storing and Freezing Parker House Rolls

Serve them warm. They’ll make you smile when you bite into one. Leftovers will keep for a few days in an airtight container at room temperature.

You can freeze these rolls after you’ve made them. Let them completely cool, and then tightly wrap them in a double layer of plastic (aluminum foil and plastic) and freezing. They should be fine in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To reheat, remove the plastic, wrap loosely with foil, and warm in a low oven until hot. You can brush the warm buns with a little melted butter as well, if you like!

You might be tempted to freeze the dough, thaw it and then bake them. I wouldn’t recommend it. Freezing unbaked and thawing these rolls is tricky because the half-moon shapes might open up in the oven and wreck all your hard work.

Bring on the Carbs, Please!