Parker House Rolls With Sea Salt Food

THE BEST PARKER HOUSE ROLLS

Steps:

• Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium-high until it just starts to simmer, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter and the sugar until melted. Set aside to cool.
• Put the warm water in a small liquid measuring cup and stir in the yeast. Let it sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Combine the milk mixture, yeast mixture, eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and half the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the remaining flour, mixing until a smooth ball forms. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to knead the dough until very smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Coat a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray, then place the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 60 to 75 minutes.
• Melt the remaining 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Set aside.
• Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, line with parchment paper then spray the paper.
• Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto the prepared surface. Pat into an even thickness.
• Use a chef's knife or bench scraper to divide the dough into 24 pieces, then shape into balls to create small rolls. Place in the prepared baking dish in rows of 4 by 6, then brush the tops of the rolls with 4 tablespoons of the melted butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven 350 degrees F.
• Remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the rolls lightly with flaky sea salt. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with the remaining 4 tablespoons melted butter. Serve warm.

PARKER HOUSE ROLLS

Steps:

• Bloom the yeast: Add yeast to lukewarm water, stirring to dissolve, and leave at room temperature for 10 minutes so the yeast can "bloom," or activate. Meanwhile, heat milk in a small saucepan just until warmed through, but not hot. Remove from heat and stir in the molasses and butter. Cool slightly.
• Proof the dough: Add the flour to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a dough hook on low speed, add milk mixture, salt, buttermilk, and the bloomed yeast. Mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue mixing until the dough comes together and takes on a glossy consistency. Place the dough in a bowl covered with plastic wrap (or a container with a tight-fitting lid) and let it rest in a warm place (68-74 degrees F) for 1-1½ hours, until the dough has doubled in size.
• Roll the dough: Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and place onto a lightly floured surface. With a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough until it's about 1/3-inch thick. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter (or drinking glass), cut circles out of the dough (use remaining dough to make more rolls). Using the flour-dusted rolling pin, indent the middle of each roll to make ovals. Fold the ovals in half, pinch to close, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a dry kitchen towel and let the rolls rest in a warm place until they've doubled in size, 45 minutes.
• Bake the rolls: Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Place rolls in the oven and bake until golden brown, 15-18 minutes. Remove and brush with melted butter and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt; serve piping hot. Note: If you've made extra rolls and want to freeze some, bake as directed, but don't finish with melted butter or salt. Cool on the sheet pan, then place in a plastic freezer bag and put the bag into the freezer for up to two weeks. To thaw rolls, remove from the freezer the night before you want to serve them. Take the rolls out of the plastic bag and wrap loosely in foil. Let thaw at room temperature overnight. Rolls can be served as soon as they've thawed, but are even better if re-warmed in their foil packing for about 10 minutes in a 300 F oven. They can also be microwaved (out of the packaging) directly from the freezer for 15-30 seconds, depending on your microwave. Finish with melted butter, salt and serve.

PARKER HOUSE ROLLS

Steps:

• Activate the yeast: In a medium bowl, gently whisk the yeast into the warm water. Whisk in the sugar. Allow the mixture to sit for a minute; it should bubble and froth slightly. Stir in 1 cup of the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and set the bowl aside in a warm spot.
• Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, blend the melted butter and the milk. Add the eggs, one by one, on low speed. Add the yeast mixture, the remaining 5 1/2 cups flour, and the kosher salt. Mix until the mixture forms a ball, 2 to 3 minutes. If the dough seems wet or sticks too much to the sides of the bowl, add more flour in 1/4-cup increments. Grease a large metal bowl with a little butter. Put the dough in the bowl, cover it with a towel, and allow it to rest in a warm place until it doubles in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Make the rolls: Lightly flour a flat, clean surface and turn the dough out onto it. Flour your hands and gently press the dough to form an 8-by-16-inch rectangle between 1/2 and 3/4 inch thick. Cut the dough lengthwise into 2 equal strips. Cut each strip into 12 pieces, making 24 individual strips of dough. Brush the extra flour off the dough with a dry pastry brush.
• Take a piece of dough and fold it unevenly in half so the top part overhangs slightly. Tuck the overhang underneath and put the roll, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, lining up the rolls right next to one another so that you have 3 tightly packed rows of 8 rolls each. (It helps if you imagine gently pulling the rolls apart after they have baked!) Cover the rolls with a kitchen towel and allow them to rise again until they increase in volume by about half, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Bake the rolls: Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Then rotate the sheet and continue to bake until the rolls are golden brown, another 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and brush the rolls with melted butter. Sprinkle them with Maldon salt. Serve immediately.