Parker House Rolls

These buttery, slightly sweet dinner rolls originated at Boston's Parker House hotel in the 1870s—thus the name "Parker House Rolls." We tweaked a few ingredients to make them healthier but just as snatch-the-last-one delicious as the classic version.

Parker House rolls are known for being rich and buttery. We substituted canola oil for some of the butter to cut back on saturated fat—without sacrificing tenderness. (We tried equal parts butter and oil, but found 2 parts butter to 1 part oil made for the best texture.)

We originally tested these rolls with white whole-wheat flour, but found that whole-wheat pastry flour—which is more finely milled—made them more pillowy and tender. Bonus: It has about three times the fiber compared to all-purpose white flour.

Adding milk instead of water lends a hint of sweetness to the rolls thanks to the natural sugars (lactose) it contains. The sugars in milk also cause a Maillard reaction—a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars—that helps make the rolls golden brown.

We like instant yeast because it works faster than active dry yeast and doesn't need to be bloomed first (which many bread recipes call for). Simply dump your packet of instant yeast in a bowl with the other ingredients and mix them all together.