Name: Recipe "Garlic Herb Parker House Rolls"
Prep time: 120 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 145 min
Ingredients: 0.75 cup unsalted butter; 1.25 cup whole milk; 3 tbsp sugar; 2.25 tsp active dry yeast; 4 cup all-purpose flour; 1 large egg; 2 tbsp fresh herbs (rosemary and thyme) (chopped); 4 cloves garlic (minced); 2 tsp kosher salt; flaky sea salt (for sprinkling)

Sharing a vegetarian theme with this one: Rosemary Roasted Almonds, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Yams, and Brussels Sprouts with Fresh Rosemary, or Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Agave Nectar and Fresh Rosemary.

Why These Garlic Herb Parker House Rolls Are a Must-Bake

I think every meal should have warm dinner rolls on the side. These Garlic Herb Parker House Rolls are exactly that: soft, tender, buttery, with fresh rosemary and thyme, a hint of garlic, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. This recipe comes from The Staub Cookbook, written by my friend Amanda Frederickson, so I knew it would be fantastic. (Fun fact: our cookbook photographer Colin Price shot it too.) Let’s not waste time, let’s make some rolls.

Why You’ll Love These Garlic Herb Rolls

The garlic and herb butter brushed on warm rolls gives them a savory punch that plain rolls just don’t have.
The dough uses whole milk and plenty of butter, so each roll is tender and soft.
A final sprinkle of flaky sea salt adds a little crunch and a salty finish that makes you reach for another.

Key Ingredients for These Dinner Rolls

Unsalted butter, Using unsalted lets you control the salt level. The butter is used both in the dough and for brushing, so quality matters. You can use salted butter, but reduce the kosher salt by a pinch.
Active dry yeast, This recipe calls for active dry, not instant. Make sure it’s fresh and bloom it in the warm milk mixture. If you only have instant, you can add it directly to the flour, but the rise times may be slightly shorter.
Fresh herbs, Rosemary and thyme give a woodsy, aromatic flavor. Dried herbs won’t have the same punch, but you can substitute 1 teaspoon each of dried rosemary and thyme if that’s what you have.

Kitchen Tools for Making Parker House Rolls

Stand mixer with dough hook (or a large bowl and strong arms for hand kneading)
Cast-iron roasting pan or a 9×13-inch baking dish
Instant-read thermometer to check milk temperature
Pastry brush for brushing garlic butter

Tips for Making Perfect Parker House Rolls

First, check the date on your yeast. Active dry yeast needs to be alive to work. Melt half a cup of butter with milk and sugar, then bring it to exactly 105°F, too hot and you’ll kill the yeast. Add the yeast and let it sit for about 5 minutes until it gets bubbly and smells yeasty. If it doesn’t, toss it and start over.

Use a stand mixer with the dough hook to make things easier. Start with 4 cups of flour, then add the egg, herbs, half the garlic, and salt. Knead on low until the dough is soft and smooth, tacky but not sticky. If it’s too wet, add the remaining quarter cup of flour a little at a time. You can knead by hand, but the mixer saves effort.

Expert Tips for Fluffy Garlic Herb Rolls

When the dough has doubled in size after the first rise, punch it down gently. Cut it into four equal pieces, then shape each into small balls about 2 ounces each. You should get 18 total. Butter your baking dish well, a cast-iron roasting pan works great. Let the shaped rolls rise for 30 minutes while the oven preheats to 350°F.

Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. While they’re still warm, melt the remaining butter with the rest of the garlic and brush it over the tops. Sprinkle with the remaining herbs and flaky sea salt. Serve warm for the best texture.

Variations to Try with These Dinner Rolls

You can swap the rosemary and thyme for other fresh herbs like parsley, chives, or oregano. If you love garlic, add an extra clove or two to the butter. For a cheesy twist, sprinkle grated Parmesan over the rolls before the final rise. Or skip the garlic and herbs entirely for classic Parker House rolls, just brush with plain melted butter and sea salt.

What to Serve with Garlic Herb Parker House Rolls

These rolls are great alongside a bowl of tomato soup or a hearty beef stew. They also shine at holiday dinners, think Thanksgiving turkey, Easter ham, or a Sunday roast. For a simpler meal, serve them with a big green salad and some roasted chicken. And if you have leftovers, split them and make mini sandwiches with leftover turkey or roast beef.

How to Store Leftover Garlic Herb Rolls

Store any leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you need to keep them longer, refrigerate them for up to 5 days. The garlic butter may soften the crust a bit, but they’ll still taste great. Let them come to room temperature or reheat before serving.

How to Freeze Parker House Rolls

To freeze baked rolls, let them cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw at room temperature, then reheat in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes until warm and slightly crisp on the outside.

Best Ways to Reheat Garlic Herb Rolls

The best way to reheat these rolls is in the oven. Preheat to 350°F, place the rolls on a baking sheet, and warm for 5 to 10 minutes. This restores the crust and keeps the inside soft. A toaster oven works too. Microwaving is faster but will make them soft and a bit chewy, fine in a pinch, but not as good.

Garlic Herb Parker House Rolls FAQs

Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry?

Yes, you can substitute instant yeast. Use the same amount (2 1/4 teaspoons) but add it directly to the flour instead of blooming it in the milk mixture. The rise times may be slightly shorter, so keep an eye on the dough.

Why didn’t my dough rise?

The most common reason is that the milk-butter mixture was too hot and killed the yeast. Always check the temperature with a thermometer, it should be 105°F. Also make sure your yeast is not expired and that the mixture bubbled after 5 minutes.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

You can prepare the dough through the first rise, then punch it down, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let it come to room temperature before shaping and proceeding with the second rise.

How do I know when the rolls are done?

The rolls should be golden brown on top and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a roll should read about 190°F.

Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh?

Fresh herbs give the best flavor here, but you can substitute 1 teaspoon each of dried rosemary and dried thyme. Add them to the dough with the other dry ingredients. The flavor will be less bright, but still good.

Recipe

Garlic Herb Parker House Rolls

Parker House Rolls with garlic, herbs, and a sprinkling of sea salt are a great addition to any dinner menu. The dinner rolls are soft, buttery, and SO delicious.

mediumVegetarian

2 hr

Prep Time

25 min

Cook Time

2 hr 25 min

Total Time

Servings

American

Cuisine

291 kcal

Calories

Ingredients

Servings

0.75 cup unsalted butter
1.25 cup whole milk
3 tbsp sugar
2.25 tsp active dry yeast
4 cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg
2 tbsp fresh herbs (rosemary and thyme), chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp kosher salt
flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

1
In a small pan, melt 1/2 cup of the butter over medium heat. Add the milk and sugar and stir to combine. Using a thermometer, check the temperature of the butter and milk mixture; when it's 105 degrees F, remove from the heat. Add the yeast and stir to dissolve. Let the yeast bloom for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly. If mixture doesn't bubble and smell "yeasty," throw it out and start over.
2
Pour the yeast mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add 4 cups of flour. Turn the mixer to low and knead until just combined, about 1 minute. Add the egg, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the chopped herbs, half of the garlic, and the kosher salt, and continue kneading on low speed until soft and smooth, tacky but not sticky, adding the remaining 1/4 cup flour if the dough is too wet.
3
On a lightly floured surface, shape the dough into a ball and place it in a large greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free area for about 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
4
Remove the plastic wrap and gently punch down the dough. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces, then shape into small balls about 2 ounces each for 18 dough balls in total.

5
Butter a large cast-iron roasting pan or baking dish and place the shaped dough into the dish. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6
Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
7
In a small pan or in the microwave, melt the remaining 1/4 cup butter with the remaining garlic. Gently brush the dough with the melted garlic butter, top with remaining herbs, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

291kcal

Calorie breakdown

Protein9%27 kcal

Fat29%86 kcal

Carbohydrates62%180 kcal

How this was calculated — 10 of 10 ingredients matched

unsalted butterButter, salted1291 kcal

whole milkMilk, buttermilk, fluid, whole186 kcal

sugarSugars, brown171 kcal

active dry yeastLeavening agents, yeast, baker's, active dry37 kcal

all-purpose flourFlour, wheat, all-purpose, enriched, bleached3514 kcal

large eggEgg, whole, raw, fresh1 kcal

fresh herbs (rosemary and thyme)Tea, herbal, brewed, Hohoysi (Hopi)1 kcal

garlicGarlic, raw30 kcal

kosher saltSalt, table0 kcal

flaky sea saltSalt, table0 kcal

Serving size ≈ 87 g · 18 servings

Nutrition information is automatically calculated from USDA FoodData Central, so should only be used as an approximation. Actual values may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, and preparation methods used.

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Keyword: american, Garlic, herb, Oven Baked, vegetarian

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