High-Altitude Butter Rolls

This is my version of the famous Parker House Rolls, and while the method is somewhat similar, these rolls are super easy to make and ready to go for high-altitude bakers.

If you’ve never had a Parker House Roll, they get rolled up with lots of butter, and honestly the results are pretty incredible. Super fluffy, easy to pull together, and overall a really beautiful dinner roll for any occasion, including just wanting some good bread. Let’s get to it!

How to Make High-Altitude Rolls

I’m using a simple bread dough base that uses honey for some additional flavor. Start by blooming the yeast in warm milk, water, sugar and honey until it becomes puffy and fluffy. Then we’re kneading it together with some butter, salt, and flour until you have a lumpy, shaggy mess.

From there, add flour in 1/2 cup increments until you have a dough that pulls away from the sides of your bowl at the top but still is slightly tacky to the touch and sticks to the bottom of your bowl. Knead it for 5-10 minutes, and then it’s off to rise.

Once your dough has risen once, roll it out into a large rectangle and spread softened butter all over. Then cut it into 12 rectangles that are about the same size. Roll each rectangle up tightly, and place them into your prepared pan for a second rise. By the way, if you have a newer oven, you might have a proof setting on it, and this is a great time to use it!

Once your dough is risen, turn on your oven and brush the tops with melted butter. Optionally, sprinkle flakey salt on top before baking until the rolls are golden brown all over. Brush them with more butter straight out of the oven and serve these babies warm.

Honestly a fantastic roll- I think you guys are going to love this one!

Tips and Tricks for High-Altitude Rolls

Here are all my tips and tricks for the perfect little butter rolls that you’ll obsess over if you’re anything like me:

• Do I have to use a stand mixer? No, you can knead this dough by hand, though it’s definitely more work. You’ll want to stir the dough together in a large bowl with a sturdy spoon until you have added enough flour that the dough is tacky but workable. Then knead away for about 10 minutes!
• Do I need to use honey? You can replace the honey with more granulated sugar, or even brown sugar, but I really love the flavor and light sweetness that honey brings to these rolls.
• How do I know when I’ve kneaded the dough enough? The dough may still look slightly lumpy, but it should feel much more smooth than when you started. It should hold together when you gently tug on a corner of the dough, not breaking apart easily.
• How do I know when the dough has risen enough? For the first rise, you want the dough to rise by about 1/3 in size. I like to take a picture of my dough so it’s easier to compare how much it’s risen. For the second rise, the dough should double in size.
• Do I need to add the butter to the middle of the rolls? This is the classic format for Parker House Rolls, and I think it makes these rolls extra delicious so I don’t recommend skipping it.
• I am at about 5,000 ft. above sea level, and I find that my recipes usually do not need any adjustments for people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft above sea level.

Enjoy!

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High-Altitude Butter Rolls

Servings 12 rolls

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbs. sugar
• 2 tbs. honey
• 3/4 cup softened unsalted butter separated
• 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
• 4 – 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp. salt

Instructions

1. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the water, milk, sugar, and honey in the microwave until it reaches 110-115 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Stir in the active dry yeast, and set aside to bloom for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly and foamy.

2. Transfer the yeast mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer (or into a large mixing bowl), and add in two cups of flour along with the salt and 1/2 cup softened butter. Mix until combined with a paddle attachment, or with a wooden spoon. The mixture will be liquidy and lumpy at this point.

3. Add in another cup of flour, and continue adding in 1/4 cup portions until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Switch to a hook attachment at this point. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky when you stop adding flour, and it should still stick to the bottom of your bowl slightly.
4. Knead either in the mixer or by hand until the dough is elastic. By hand, this will take about 10 minutes, and by mixer it should take about 5. The dough may still be slightly lumpy, but should spring back when you touch it.
5. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise by about 1/3 in size, which takes about 30 minutes for me, but keep an eye on your dough size to avoid over-proofing.
6. Grease a 9×13 inch cake pan and set aside. Roll out your risen dough into a large rectangle, and spread 1/4 cup of softened butter evenly over the dough. Cut the dough into 12 small rectangles that are roughly the same size. Roll each rectangle into a tight roll, and place them into your prepared cake pan. Cover and let the dough rise again for about 45 minutes, or until the rolls are very puffy.
7. While the rolls rise, place the remaining 1/4 cup of butter into a microwave safe bowl, cover, and microwave for about 30 seconds, or until the butter is melted. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
8. Once the rolls have risen, brush the tops with about half of the melted butter and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown all over. Brush the remaining melted butter over the rolls right when they come out of the oven. Let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes in the pan before serving warm. Enjoy!

Dough-Eyed

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!