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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!}
Do you recommend any substitutions for the honey so that it is vegetarian?
Hi Jenn,
You could use maple syrup in place of the honey:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
These are delicious! They are super easy and quick to make. The honey butter is next level! Yet another hbh recipe that we love!!
Hi Katie,
That’s fantastic to hear! Thanks for trying this dish and your comment, love that it was enjoyed! xT
Hey! I have been making these rolls a couple of thanksgivings now, and going to make them for my friendsgiving this weekend. Curious how to make them more fluffy. I feel like the last two times they have been a bit dense. Let me know your thoughts! 🙂
Hey Lindsay,
Thanks for making these rolls:) I would let the dough proof longer the next time you make them. I hope this helps! xT
I’m going to make these today, but I do have a silly question. With this recipe, can you roll the dinner rolls like traditionally instead of the coils? Like, flatten and roll on the countertop? And just for clarification, these do not need a second proof because we’re using rapid rise, right?
Hi Lana,
So sorry, I guess I am not understanding exactly how you want to roll these! But, I’m assuming that these would be just fine to bake in another shape:) Correct, no need to do a second proof! I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xT
I’ve made these a few times in the past, but have since started usually measuring my ingredients in grams. When I clicked on the option for metric units, it seems like the conversion for the flour is way off. Might want to check into that to make it easier to convert.
Hey! Thank you so much for letting me know! xT
Sorry I’m so curious because I’ve made these a few times…..
Flavour is amazing! But when I do them in a 9×13 as your recipe says they are too small and flop.
Your video has them in a 9×9 …..
Are they intended to be 12 rolls in a 9×13 dish or 12 rolls in a 9×9? Thanks!
Hi Rachel! I have done both ways, but I find that the rolls have a little bit more space to rise and puff up in the 9×13! If you feel like your rolls are too small in the 9×13 you could maybe do 6-8 rolls in a 9×9 and see how that turns out for you! xT
I put them in a 9×13 pan and they looked way too small so I transferred them to a 9×9. Bad idea. They rose and looked OK, but when I baked them, the middle didn’t cook all the way through. My error, should have followed the recipe! The rolls were amazing, and soft and so easy to make. Definitely will be doing this again!
Oh no I’m so sorry about that! Yes, they will turn out much better in a 9×13! xT
LOVE these rolls! Always a hit at events. Do you think I could use this recipe to make cinnamon rolls, just add the cinnamon mixture and icing?
Hi Emily,
Happy Friday!! I’m thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it and your comment! Sorry, I’ve never tried that, I have plenty of cinnamon roll recipes:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/#search/q=cinnamon%20rolls
😎🍑 xx
I haven’t made these yet but was wondering about using a muffin pan for more domed rolls?
Any thoughts or suggestions?
Hey Lacey,
So sorry, I’ve never tested that, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
I LOVE these, so does my family. My husband at 4 in one sitting 😂BUT they never stay rolled!! I can’t for the life of me figure it out.
**Edit** I figured out my problem! Lol I would butter my 9×13, place my rolls in and let them proof. They would go everywhere!! Then I watched your tiktok to see what I was doing wrong! My pan is too big. These babies like it snug ❤️ will try a 9X9 next time or make 24 😂
Hi Brittany,
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback! I’m so glad you were able to figure that out! xx
I made these for Thanksgiving, and they were a huge hit. I’m craving them today, but I don’t have whole milk. Can I use oat milk, or will that affect the recipe?
Hey Brynne,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! Oat milk will be just fine for you to use! xT
I discovered this recipe end of 2020. It has been a family favorite ever since. I just wish that the recipe was written a little better. Nowhere does it say to sprinkle the flaky sea salt before you roll them, but the video says to do so. Also, what is the goal in the first rising? It’s only 15 minutes. Are you waiting for it to double? Still delish!
Hey Megan,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you:) Yes, you want the dough to rest for the first rise, if doubled in size that’s even better. The flaky sea salt is noted in step 6:) xT
One of the best carbohydrates to have entered me mouth. Another HBH that had made it to the regular rotation.
Hey Kira,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xx
Best rolls ever!
Thank you so so much!!
These rolls are fabulous! I’ve never tasted anything quite like them before. They are easy to make yet they look so beautiful and taste delicious. I made them the first time for a family dinner and everyone loved them. I am so glad I found this recipe! Thank you for sharing:)
Hey Laura,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and your comment, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
These turned out delicious!!! Getting ready to make them again today! Any ideas on how to keep them warm after they’ve been cooked (about 2 hours)? Thanks!
Hey Hannah,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and your comment, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! You could keep them covered on top of a warm oven. xT