Easy as 1-2-3 Parker House Yeast Rolls, Light as a Feather and Delicious

Delicious and Easy as Pie!

If I only make one yeast roll recipe again for as long as I live this will be the one.  It combines many of my favorite elements into an easy, light as a feather, moist, delicious and forgiving yeast roll!

The recipe from the King Arthur Flour website combines instant mashed potato flakes in the recipe for the soft feather light characteristics of potato bread.  It uses the one bowl dump the dry then the wet ingredients and allows for a 7-8 minute knead on a dough hook from your electric mixer.

The rolls are easy to form and rise beautifully.  Just a great great recipe and dinner roll!

Ingredients for Parker House Rolls:

3 C. all purpose flour (I used King Arthur)
3 T. sugar
1 1/4 t. kosher salt
3/4 C instant potato flakes
2 1/2 t. instant yeast
1 C. warm milk
1 large egg
3 T. soft butter
3-4 T. melted butter for tops

Compile all of the dry ingredients in a large mixer bowl and whisk together.  Add the egg to the warm milk and whisk.  (The milk needs only to be warmed enough not to be cold and not cook the egg!)
Add the wet mix and the butter to the dry ingredients and mix together to form a shaggy dough.  I used the dough hook.  Then knead with dough hook for 7-8 minutes until smooth and elastic.  I added a little additional flour so  the dough did not continue to drag the bottom of the bowl as I had an extra large egg!

HELPFUL HINT:

This step is borrowed from the English who lave long used heavy pottery type bowls warmed and used to enhance the rise of bread dough.

Use a heavy bowl and fill with very hot water,  next empty and dry the bowl quickly.  Butter the bowl well and turn the ball of dough into it coating on all sides with the butter.  Cover and let rise for 90 minutes.

Cut the dough in half and butter a clean work surface lightly.  Pat or roll the dough into a 8" x 12" rectangle.  Butter the top of the dough.  Cut the rectangle in half longways forming two 4" x 12" rectangles.  Fold over longways about 1/4" from the edge.  Cut into 4, 3" portions and place side by side longways in a buttered 9" x 13" pan.  Do the same for the remaining strip of dough then repeat with the other half of the remaining dough.  Cover and let rise one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Brush tops of rolls with melted butter.  Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes until browned and serve warm.

Yield 16 rolls.