Parker House Crescent Rolls

These delicious rolls were (dare I say) better than Pillsbury crescents! Never again will I pop open one of those little blue tubes. I used a King Arthur Flour recipe and made crescents instead of rolls. I'm finding more and more ways to have my son help out in the kitchen which is the best of both worlds because I get to entertain/occupy him while also doing something I love - cooking! For this recipe he helped spread the butter on the dough and brush more butter on top before they went into the oven.

One thing I have learned is that recipes from King Arthur Flour are always awesome. I have the Baker's Companion baking book by them and it is a wonderful resource. It might not have the fancy, glossy pictures that other cookbooks have but the wealth of knowledge and the quality of the recipes more than makes up for it. These rolls were so rich and flaky they didn't need any extra butter for spreading and they were excellent with soup - cream of broccoli, my favorite!



Parker House Crescent Rolls
Makes 12 | Adapted from King Arthur Flour

3 cups All-Purpose Flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup potato starch or flour
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
1 egg
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened (for filling and brushing)

In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all of the ingredients (except the 4 tablespoons butter for the filling), mixing to form a shaggy dough. Knead the dough, by hand (10 minutes) or by machine (5 minutes) till it's smooth. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, and allow it to rest for 1 hour; it'll become quite puffy, though it may not double in bulk.

Gently deflate dough then transfer to a lightly floured surface and roll out into a large circle, about 12" in diameter if you can. Generously brush the whole round with softened butter. Cut the round into 12 wedges. Roll each wedge up tightly and place seam side down on a baking sheet.

Allow them to rise for about 1 hour. They won't double in bulk, but will become somewhat puffy; if you let them rise too much, they'll pop open in the oven. Brush tops with butter.

Bake the rolls in a preheated 400°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they're a light golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and allow them to cool on a rack till they're almost completely cool; while they're still very slightly warm, place them in a closed container, such as a plastic bag. This will help keep them soft.