Parker House Rolls with Sage-Honey Butter

By Marge Perry & David Bonom


  • Yield:

    24-26 rolls


Ingredients

Rolls:

  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 (.75-ounce) envelope active dry yeast
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • Softened butter, to grease pan

Sage-Honey Butter:

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. For the rolls, heat the milk in a small Anolon saucepan over medium heat until lukewarm (100-110°F). Whisk in the sugar until dissolved then add the butter and yeast; let stand until frothy, about 5 minutes. Whisk one of the eggs into the milk mixture. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Pour the milk mixture into the flour and stir until a soft dough forms. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly sticky, about 4-5 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat then cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk 1-1 1/2 hours.
  2. Lightly grease a cast iron 12-inch skillet with softened butter. Deflate the dough by pressing down with your hands. Divide the dough into 24-26 pieces each about 1 1/2 ounces. Form each piece of dough into a ball then arrange them in a single layer in the prepared skillet; cover with plastic wrap and let rise until the rolls fill the pan, about 30-35 minutes.
  3. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  4. Beat the remaining egg in a bowl. Gently brush the tops of the rolls with some of the beaten egg. Bake in the center of the oven until the tops of the rolls are golden, 19-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
  5. For the butter, combine the butter, honey, sage and salt in a bowl and stir until well combined. Serve with rolls.