Parker House Dinner Rolls. November 10, 2025.

Somehow, in two trips to Boston, we have still not stopped at the Omni Parker House hotel, the birthplace of the legendary Parker House rolls that are so beloved in our country. These buttery rolls are a holiday staple and are honestly the best rolls I’ve ever had. While there are many delicious variations of this recipe, I recently learned the hotel has posted the recipe for its rolls on its website, which I am excited to try! Parker House dinner rolls have a history spanning over a century and even made it to the White House menu at the request of Franklin Roosevelt. Their signature fold is curious, but it is what creates the buttery layers that make them so good.

Today, I am using the recipe from the Omni Parker House hotel itself, which is right here, which first opened up in 1855. These rolls are soft and delicious, and flavorful! The roll’s formation is something I will have to get the hang of. There are two ways of folding it. One is a folded circle, and the other is a folded rectangle. Which way you pick is a matter of preference. However, the advantage of the latter is that it bakes them in a pull-apart fashion. They also make good little sandwiches later if there are leftovers….

Ingredients

1 1/4-ounce pkg of dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter (melted and cool a bit; reserve 1/4 cup)
2 cups whole milk (room temp)
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 tbsp. kosher salt
7 1/2-8 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, add the pkg of yeast and 1 tsp of the sugar to the 1/2 cup of warm water and mix a bit.
Let the yeast mixture sit for a few minutes until it is foamy (about 10 min).
To the yeast mixture, add 3/4 cup of the melted butter, the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, milk, eggs, and kosher salt. Combine.
Either in a stand mixer or using a bowl and wooden spoon, add the 7 1/2 cups of flour, and mix until the dough comes together. If it is too sticky, add a bit more flour by the tbsp up to 1/2 cup. If doing this by hand, knead the dough for just a few minutes to bring it together.
Butter a clean, large bowl and put the dough in it, and cover.
Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled (approx. 1.5-2 hours)
Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to a 9 x 16 rectangle.
Cut lengthwise into 3 equal strips.
*I brushed each strip with some of the reserved melted butter here. This step is not in the original recipe.
Fold over the dough so it overhangs the bottom.
Cut each strip lengthwise into 12 rolls (36 total)
Place rolls in rows, seam-side down, on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Rolls should just touch each other, but rows should have about 4 inches of space between. *I opted to grease 2- 9 x 13 pan and equally distribute them.
*At this point, I chose to cover the rolls and let them rise for an hour or until puffy but not doubled. The original recipe doesn't. It's your choice. If you don't move on to the next step.
Bake for 15-18 minutes at 375 degrees until golden brown.
Brush with the remaining melted butter when done.

Notes

*The recipe from the hotel didn’t call for brushing the dough with butter before folding, which many recipes do. On the second round, I brushed with butter because it adds to the flavor of the roll and helps to adhere layers together in baking a bit. Also interesting is that their version didn’t have a second rise time after the rolls were formed. On the second attempt, I let the formed rolls rise for an hour before baking. It made a difference for me.

Have a beautiful day!

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Parker House Dinner Rolls