Where Did Parker House Rolls Come From? Parker House rolls originated at the Parker House hotel (now the Omni Parker House) in Boston in the 1800s. We spoke with the Omni Parker House house historian Susan Wilson who gave us the full history of these iconic rolls.
Allrecipes reports that light, fluffy bread wasnt all that common before the turn of the 20th century. Bread used to be a tough and fairly crusty baked good until a German baker working at the Parker House worked his magic. The rolls themselves are soft because they are made with oodles of butter and then glazed with more butter after theyve finished baking.
The rich, folded rolls originated in Boston, Massachusetts during the 1870s, according to Foodicles. They were created at the Parker House Hotel (hence the name Parker House roll), which now goes by the title of the Omni Hotel and is also where the famous Boston cream pie was invented.
Southern Living says that these rolls are ideal candidates for holiday meals and large gatherings because there will be no leftovers! Everyone will eat them up regardless of whether they are served plain or cut in half and served as mini-sandwiches. They are the ultimate soft, sweet bread of the century, but what inspired someone to create this buttery delight?
There is nothing better than tearing open a steaming warm dinner roll after finishing off a good meal. Soft, buttery bread is used to mop up any residual sauces on dinner plates or to dip into flavorful bowls of soup. Americans are particularly fond of all things small, buttery, and bready. We have Southern-style biscuits, traditional fry bread, and, of course, the overwhelmingly popular Parker House Rolls.
But if legends are to be believed, this soft dinner roll may have been more of an accidental miracle than we realized. New England Today claims that the baker credited with the Parker House rolls invention did so after hed become deeply disturbed by an argument, and hed become so thoroughly distracted that hed ended up putting unfinished rolls in the oven to bake which is why they had the distinct fold in their top.
Looking for more Thanksgiving recipes?
These easy Parker House rolls are simple enough to make with a little bit of planning ahead. The dough is a cinch to make in a stand mixer, and homemade Parker House Rolls fresh out of the oven are a real treat at Thanksgiving. They’re also great every other day with our Chicken Noodle Soup or our Tortellini Soup. Top with any of our Compound Butters.
Parker House Rolls – Classic American Dinner Rolls – Food Wishes
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