family recipes | Bewitching Kitchen

Inspired by the traditional Parker House Rolls, this is the recipe Phil’s Mom used to make every Thanksgiving. Phil keeps a bunch of recipes handwritten in small cards, held inside an acrylic box that is very likely older than his grownup kids. I learned to love and cherish that little box of recipes because they were all part of his childhood, teenage, and hippie years. His past.

KLEBBA HOUSE ROLLS
(from Louise Wilhelmina Klebba)

One 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
1 + 1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups all-purpose flour, or more if needed

Make the dough. In a stand mixer mix the yeast with the water, sugar, butter, egg and salt.

Fit it with the dough hook, and add the flour in two increments, kneading it at low-speed. Knead the dough for about 4 minutes, until smooth. Remove from the mixer, transfer to a buttered bowl, cover and let it rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

Roll the dough with a rolling pin, cut in circles with a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Place over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let it rise again for 1 to 1.5 hours. Brush with melted butter before baking at 375F for 15 minutes or until golden. Brush again with butter as soon as they are out of the oven.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The traditional Parker House Rolls are shaped differently, they are shaped as rounds, then flattened and folded. I used the method that Phil’s Mom used, which is different, so if you want to check how it was originally made, read this article. I am so glad I made them with very minor modifications from Phil’s family recipe. In those days there was no instant yeast, so the whole method was slightly more convoluted. Most important thing, our Thanksgiving meal this year had a touch of loving memories from a distant past. And that made me very very happy.