Parker House Rolls

Servings: 3 1/2 Dozen

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours

Source: Baking Bread with Father Dominic

Ingredients

6 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 packages Active Dry Yeast

1 cup (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened, divided

2 cups hot tap water

1 egg

Directions

Combine 2 1/4 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in large bowl; stir to mix. Add 1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine. With electric mixer on low speed, gradually pour hot water into flour mixture. Add egg. Increase mixer speed to medium; beat 2 minutes, scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Beat in 3/4 cup of the flour, or enough to make a thick batter; continue beating 2 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl. With spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour (about 2 1/2 cups) to make a soft dough.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead about 10 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic, working in remaining flour (about 1/2 cup) while kneading. Shape dough into a ball and place in large greased bowl; turn dough so top is greased. Cover with cloth and let rise in warm, draft-free place about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled. (Dough is doubled when two fingers pressed into dough leave a dent.)

Punch down dough by pushing down the center of dough with fist, then push edges of dough into center. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead lightly to make smooth ball. Cover ball with bowl and let dough rest 15 minutes.

Put remaining 1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine in 18x12x1-inch baking pan. Place over low heat to melt margarine; tilt pan to grease bottom.

On lightly floured surface with floured rolling pin, roll dough 1/2-inch thick. With floured 2 3/4-inch round cutter, cut dough into circles. Holding dough circle by the edge, dip both sides into melted margarine in pan; fold in half. Arrange folded dough in rows in pan, each nearly touching the other. Knead trimmings together; reroll and cut more rolls. Cover rolls with a cloth and let rise about 40 minutes, or until doubled.

About 15 minutes before end of rising time, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake rolls 15-18 minutes.