Parker House Rolls

Method

1. 1
   Bloom the yeast

   Heat milk and 55 g butter in a small saucepan to 110–115°F — warm to the touch but not hot. Pour into a large bowl. Sprinkle in yeast and sugar, stir, and let sit until foamy, about 5–8 minutes. If it doesn't foam, your yeast is dead or the milk was too hot.
2. 2
   Build the dough

   Whisk flour and potato flakes together in a separate bowl. Add egg and salt to the yeast mixture and whisk to combine. Add the flour mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
3. 3
   Knead

   Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic, 4–5 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Oil a large bowl, transfer the dough, cover with plastic wrap.
4. 4
   First rise

   Let rise at room temperature until roughly doubled in bulk, about 1½ hours. The dough is ready when a floured finger poked in leaves an indent that springs back slowly.
5. 5
   Melt butter and prep pan

   Melt 55 g butter. Brush a 9×13-inch baking dish with some of it. Punch down the dough and divide into 4 equal pieces (about 225 g each).
6. 6
   Shape the rolls

   Working one piece at a time, roll out on a lightly floured surface into a 12×6-inch rectangle with a long side facing you. Cut lengthwise into 3 strips (2 inches wide), then crosswise into 3 rectangles each (4×2 inches). Brush each rectangle lightly with melted butter, then fold in half — butter on the inside — to make 2×2-inch squares. Repeat with all 4 dough pieces to make 36 rolls.
7. 7
   Arrange and second rise

   Place rolls in the baking dish in 4 rows of 9, shingled so they overlap slightly with the folded edge against the short side of the dish. Brush with remaining melted butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until puffed, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F during this time.
8. 8
   Bake

   Uncover and bake until golden and puffed, rotating the dish halfway through, 25–35 minutes total. Melt the remaining 30 g butter and brush over the hot rolls immediately out of the oven. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve warm.

Tips

• Instant potato flakes are the key to the unusually soft crumb — don't substitute real mashed potato without adjusting hydration.
• Make ahead: do the first rise in the refrigerator overnight. Pull out 30 minutes before shaping.
• Brush the inside with garlic butter, honey butter, or chive butter before folding for a flavored variation.
• The rolls are best eaten the day they're baked. Reheat in a 300°F oven for 8 minutes to revive day-old rolls.
• If your yeast doesn't foam in step 1, start over — the rolls won't rise without active yeast.