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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 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. 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!}
These were SO good, but wanted to leave a note for other international followers like me – they are *very* sweet/buttery for a dinner roll by international standards. I am Australian and used to dinner rolls being very plain/dry, this is closer to something we’d have for breakfast or a snack – and perfect for that! I have read before about American dinner rolls being sweet, so it was very interesting to try, I think I will definitely make again as a sweet snack.
Note: I used normal yeast and let it rise for 90 mins (which was probably a tiny bit too long).
Hi Steph,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
I’m getting ready to make these over the weekend. The instructions say to us a 9×13 pan but in your video it looks like you’re using a square pan. Just wondering what size is best?
Hi Victoria,
I would use a 9×13 pan. Please let me know how they turn out! xTieghan
Wow!
Just made these for my family this evening! So easy and sooooooo amazingly good! Not too sweet- just perfect!
These will now be a staple in our home!
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi Steph,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I’ve been looking for a good dinner roll recipe for a while. These are terrific! And even better as a breakfast roll with some more honey butter or jam. Although, I let the dough sit in the bowl for 15min and it didn’t rise at all. Not sure what I did wrong, or maybe it’s an altitude thing (6500′)? I rolled them out and spiraled anyway. They sat in the baking dish for 30min and still hadn’t risen. Almost gave up. But I gave them about an hour total and they puffed up splendidly. Bread structure was great with a 20min bake.
Hey Elise,
Fantastic!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try. What kind of yeast did you use? Have the best week! xTieghan
WOW. I am writing this review before i even sit down to eat my plate of dinner because that’s how amazing my one tiny bite of roll was. These are better than any dinner roll i have ever had- ANYWHERE. The taste is perfect and they’re so soft and light they practically melt in your mouth! Even better that they’re so easy and quick to make. All i had at home was active yeast and they still turned out perfect, although the dough took quite a bit longer than 15 minutes to rise but i expected that. This will be a regular in our house.
Hey Ashleigh,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
And can I knead by hand?
You bet:)
Can I use wholewheat flour?
Hi Rosie,
Yes, that should work well for you. I hope this recipe turns out amazing, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
These rolls were an awe some hit with family and friends for Christmas!! The roll came out perfect and the light sweet butter with the salty top was absolutely delicious. Why would I ever buy a roll when I have this recipe. If I don’t want to sweet I just simply leave out the honey! ?
Thank You for your delicious recipes!
Hey Jean,
Thank you so very much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
How long do you need to thaw before baking if you froze the dough after step 5?
Hi there,
You’ll probably need a few hours for thawing. I hope you love the recipe! xx
I have made 6 batches of these rolls since Christmas for various family dinners. The new family favorite! What a great recipe!! Thank you
Hey Heather,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it. Have the best week! xTieghan
Can this recipe be doubled?
I’ve doubled it several times and tripled it once.
Hey Jessica,
For baking recipes, I prefer to just make 2 separate batches for best results. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I can’t wait until Easter to make these again! This is the absolute best recipe. My family loved them!
Hi Kelly,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan
I tried to make this for Christmas yesterday. I tried 3x and each time my dough never rose.
I used the exact brand of rapid rise yeast called for in the receipt. I made sure the milk was between 120-130 degrees as the back of the yeast called for. I made sure the house was warm enough to help it rise. Butter and eggs were at room temperature. All ingredients were purchased brand new specifically to make these, so I know nothing was bad.
What did I do wrong!? It was so frustrating wasting that much food trying to get it right.
Hi Teah,
So sorry to hear this. Honestly, I bet my milk is not as hot as 120, it’s just warm, if it’s too hot it will kill the yeast. But, sounds like you did everything right so I am not sure what went wrong for you here! xT
I did just warm milk on the first attempt. Did some research and that’s when I tried the 120 degree milk. Hmm, wish I knew too.
I put the flour, yeast and salt in my mixer. Then added the milk, egg, honey and butter and mixed with dough hook. Should I have done anything different here?
Nope, that’s correct, as long as you used instant yeast. If you used active yeast, you need to dissolve in the warm milk and honey first. xT
I’ve tried this recipe with the cool for later method and they never rise properly and turn out dense.
Hi Erica,
So sorry to hear this. Was there anything you adjusted? What kind of yeast did you use? Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Rolls are so good even though I did my best to botch the recipe. Ugh. I put them in with the swirl facing up and I forgot to put on the salt at the end! When my son said they were good but needed salt I remembered! So Don’t forget the salt. It’s a must. Can’t wait to try again with salt and placed correctly! Lol
Hey Gail,
I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for testing it out! Have a great week! xTieghan
My husbands family loved these with our Christmas dinner! They were gobbled up pretty quickly! My husband has now asked for me to always make these rolls when it’s fitting for a meal.
Hi Sarah,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas!?? xT
These were incredible! I know yeast can scare many people but these were soooo simple (and I’ve had my fair share of dough failures). I left like in for 25-26 minutes and they were still a little underdone, but they were perfect just like that! Highly recommend.
Hi Hannah,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas!?? xT
Omg these are AMAZING!!!!!!! So easy and the best rolls EVER
Hi Sarah,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas!?? xT