Just Baking

When you sit down to a nice meal, what do you look forward to the most? Is it the main course, the salad, the dessert? I do look forward to all of those things, but the one thing I really look forward to is the bread. I’m a bread girl…I love my carbs. Crusty bread, soft rolls, honey wheat bread, rye bread…I have yet to meet a bread I have not liked.

When I am invited to a meal at someones home, I am the provider of bread. If I walk into the house without a basket of bread, I will not live it down. I often will switch up the kind of bread I make to take to these dinners, but one standby bread that goes well with just about every meal and is loved by all is Parker House Rolls. Parker House Rolls are easy to make, flaky, buttery and versatile. They can be as simple or as elegant as you would like for them to be based on how you choose to present them or what kind of meal they are accompanying. Take it from this carb lover…you will not go wrong with these tender and delicious rolls.

Parker House Rolls for the Bread Machine
12-18 Rolls

1. Add water, 1/4 cup butter, egg, salt, bread flour, sugar and yeast to bread machine pan in the order suggested by manufacturer.
2. Select dough/manual cycle.
3. Meanwhile, put 1/4 cup butter in baking pan.
4. Melt butter over low heat.
5. Tilt pan to grease bottom.
6. When cycle is complete, remove dough from machine to lightly floured surface.
7. Roll out dough 1/2-inch thick.
8. With floured 2 3/4-inch round cutter, cut dough into circles.
9. Holding dough circle by the edge, dip both sides into melted butter in pan; fold in half.
10. Arrange folded dough in rows in pan, each nearly touching the other.
11. Knead trimmings together; re-roll and cut more rolls.
12. Cover and let rise in warm, draft-free place about 45 minutes, or until doubled.
13. Bake in a preheated 400° F oven 15 to 18 minutes, or until done.
14. Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack.
15. Brush With additional butter if desired.
16. Makes approximately.
17. 12-18 rolls. At 4 rolls each calories = 154.
18. I’ve made the mistake of using margarine in this recipe and ended up with flat rolls even after a good raise due to the water content in some margarines. Best Wishes and Enjoy! The original recipe is more than 30 years old.