Buttery Parker House Rolls with Honey and Rosemary

Soft, fluffy, and rich with butter, these homemade Parker House rolls have the classic folded shape and a tender, pull-apart crumb. A warm brush of rosemary-infused honey butter and a little flaky sea salt make them especially lovely for holiday dinners, Sunday suppers, or any meal worth lingering over.

Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

• Yield: 24 rolls; 24 servings
• Prep Time: 35 minutes active, plus 1 hour 45 minutes rising
• Cook Time: 22 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 52 minutes, including 10 minutes cooling

Quick Ingredients

• Dough: 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour, plus up to 2 tablespoons (16 g) for dusting; 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 g) instant yeast; 1 1/2 teaspoons (9 g) fine sea salt; 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk; 2 tablespoons (42 g) honey; 2 large eggs; 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled.
• For shaping and the pan: 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon (14 g) softened unsalted butter for greasing.
• Rosemary honey butter: 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons (42 g) honey, 2 teaspoons (2 g) finely chopped fresh rosemary, and 1/4 teaspoon (0.7 g) flaky sea salt.

Do This

• 1. Warm the milk to 110°F (43°C). Mix the flour, yeast, and fine salt, then add the milk, honey, eggs, and cooled melted dough butter.
• 2. Knead for 8 minutes in a stand mixer on medium-low speed, until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.
• 3. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 60 minutes, or until doubled.
• 4. Butter a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan. Divide the dough into 24 pieces, flatten into 3-inch rounds, crease slightly off-center, brush with the shaping butter, and fold with a small bottom lip showing.
• 5. Arrange in the pan, cover, and let rise for 45 minutes, until puffy. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
• 6. Bake for 22 minutes, until golden and the center rolls reach 190–195°F (88–91°C). Meanwhile, gently warm the topping butter and rosemary for 2 minutes; remove from the heat, stir in the honey, and steep for 5 minutes.
• 7. Brush the hot rolls with all the rosemary honey butter, sprinkle with flaky salt, and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A wonderfully tender crumb: Milk, eggs, and butter make these rolls soft and fluffy without being heavy.
• Classic folded tops: The traditional Parker House fold creates a buttery pocket and a pretty, gently curved edge.
• A sweet-savory finish: Honey, fresh rosemary, and flaky salt complement the rich bread without overpowering it.
• Easy to plan ahead: Shape the rolls the night before, or freeze a baked batch for another meal.

Grocery List

• Produce: Fresh rosemary; you will need 2 teaspoons finely chopped leaves.
• Dairy: Whole milk, 13 tablespoons (184 g) unsalted butter, and 2 large eggs.
• Pantry: All-purpose flour, instant yeast, honey, fine sea salt, and flaky sea salt.

Full Ingredients

For the Enriched Dough

• 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus up to 2 tablespoons (16 g) for dusting
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 g) instant yeast, equivalent to one standard packet
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (9 g) fine sea salt
• 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, warmed to 110°F (43°C)
• 2 tablespoons (42 g) honey
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to no warmer than 110°F (43°C)

For Shaping and Preparing the Pan

• 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan
• 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, melted, for brushing inside the folds

For the Rosemary Honey Butter

• 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons (42 g) honey
• 2 teaspoons (2 g) finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon (0.7 g) flaky sea salt, for finishing

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Milk and Butter

Warm the milk in a small saucepan over low heat until it reaches 110°F (43°C), then remove it from the heat. Separately melt the 6 tablespoons of butter for the dough and let it cool to no warmer than 110°F (43°C). The liquids should feel comfortably warm, not hot.

Set the eggs on the counter while you prepare the remaining ingredients. If they are refrigerator-cold, place the uncracked eggs in a bowl of warm tap water for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Mix and Knead the Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the 4 cups flour, instant yeast, and fine sea salt. Add the warm milk, honey, eggs, and cooled melted butter. Using the dough hook, mix on low speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed, until no dry flour remains.

Knead on medium-low speed for 8 minutes, until the dough looks smooth and elastic. It should feel soft and slightly tacky, but should not coat your fingers like paste. If it remains very sticky after 5 minutes of kneading, add a little of the reserved dusting flour, 1 teaspoon at a time.

To knead by hand: Stir the ingredients together in a large bowl, then knead on a lightly floured work surface for 10–12 minutes. Use only enough extra flour to keep the dough manageable.

Step 3: Let the Dough Rise

Shape the dough into a ball and return it to the bowl, scraping in any buttery residue rather than adding more fat. Cover with a reusable bowl cover or plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot, ideally 75–80°F (24–27°C), for about 60 minutes, until doubled in size.

The dough is ready when it looks noticeably expanded and a gentle fingertip indentation remains instead of immediately springing back. A cooler kitchen may require additional rising time.

Step 4: Shape the Traditional Folds

Grease a 9-by-13-inch light-colored metal baking pan with the softened butter. Gently press down the risen dough to release large air bubbles. Divide it into 24 equal pieces, approximately 41 g each, and shape each piece into a loose ball. Keep the pieces covered while you work.

On a very lightly floured surface, flatten each ball into a round approximately 3 inches (7.5 cm) wide. Press a deep crease slightly off-center across each round using the side of a lightly floured wooden spoon handle. Do not cut through the dough.

Brush the upper surface of each round lightly with the 2 tablespoons melted shaping butter, dividing it evenly among the rolls. Fold the smaller half over the larger half, leaving about 1/4 inch (6 mm) of the bottom edge visible. Press gently near the fold so the flap stays in place, but do not pinch the curved edges shut.

Arrange flap-side up in 6 rows of 4, with the straight folded edges parallel to the pan’s 13-inch sides. The rolls should sit close together without being squeezed.

Step 5: Proof the Shaped Rolls

Cover the pan loosely with lightly buttered plastic wrap or a clean, lightweight kitchen towel. Let rise for approximately 45 minutes, until the rolls look pillowy and have expanded into one another. A gentle fingertip press should leave a shallow indentation that slowly begins to fill.

During the final 20 minutes of this rise, position an oven rack in the lower-middle of the oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C), conventional setting. Do not rush the second rise; properly proofed dough gives the rolls their light texture.

Step 6: Bake Until Golden

Uncover the pan and bake for 22 minutes, checking at 20 minutes. The tops should be a rich golden brown, the folds should remain visible, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a middle roll should register 190–195°F (88–91°C).

If the tops are browning too quickly before the centers are done, loosely tent the pan with foil. Allow up to 2 additional minutes if needed to reach the proper internal temperature.

Step 7: Infuse the Rosemary Honey Butter

While the rolls bake, combine the 4 tablespoons topping butter and chopped rosemary in a small saucepan. Warm over the lowest heat for 2 minutes, stirring, until the butter is melted and the rosemary smells fragrant. Do not let the butter brown or the rosemary fry.

Remove from the heat, stir in the honey, and let stand for 5 minutes. Leave the rosemary in the butter. Stir again immediately before brushing, since the honey can settle toward the bottom.

Step 8: Brush, Sprinkle, and Serve

As soon as the rolls come out of the oven, brush the tops generously with all the warm rosemary honey butter, working it into the folds and between the rolls. Sprinkle evenly with the flaky sea salt.

Let the rolls cool in the pan for 10 minutes before gently pulling them apart. Serve warm, when the tops are glossy and the centers are soft and steamy.

Pro Tips

• Weigh the flour if possible. Too much flour is the most common reason homemade rolls turn dense. The dough should stay supple and slightly tacky.
• Watch the dough, not just the clock. The listed rising times assume a warm kitchen. Allow more time if the dough has not reached the visual cues described above.
• Keep the fold slightly uneven. That little exposed bottom lip gives Parker House rolls their recognizable shape and helps keep the top flap from sliding off.
• Chop the rosemary finely. Small pieces infuse the butter quickly and are more pleasant to eat than long, woody needles.
• Glaze after baking. Honey can darken quickly in the oven. Brushing it on afterward gives the rolls a glossy finish without scorched tops.

Variations

• Honey-thyme rolls: Replace the rosemary with 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves.
• Garlic-rosemary rolls: Add 1 small garlic clove, finely grated, to the topping butter during the final 30 seconds of warming. Keep the heat low so the garlic does not brown.
• Classic honey butter: Omit the rosemary and finish with the honey butter and flaky salt for a simpler, gently sweet version.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Room-temperature storage: Cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The honey butter may make the tops slightly tacky; this is normal. For the best texture, avoid refrigerating baked rolls.

Reheating: Place the rolls in a baking dish, cover with foil, and warm at 300°F (150°C) for 10 minutes, or until heated through.

Overnight preparation: Complete the first rise and shape the rolls in the buttered pan. Cover tightly and refrigerate immediately at 40°F (4°C) or below for 8–12 hours, instead of completing the room-temperature second rise. The next day, uncover and loosely re-cover, then let stand at room temperature for 60–90 minutes, or until puffy and properly proofed. Bake and glaze as directed; this overnight option is not included in the listed total time.

Freezing: Freeze completely cooled rolls in an airtight freezer bag for up to 2 months. For the freshest finish, freeze them before glazing and make the rosemary honey butter when serving. Thaw while wrapped at room temperature, reheat as directed, and brush with the warm topping.

Nutrition (per serving)

Estimated per roll, including the rosemary honey butter and finishing salt.

Calories: 155 kcal | Carbs: 19.5g | Protein: 3.2g | Fat: 7.2g | Saturated Fat: 4.3g | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 3.5g | Sodium: 170mg | Cholesterol: 33mg