According to u003ca href=u0022https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parker_House_rollu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopener nofollowu0022u003eu003cstrongu003eu003cspan style=u0022color:#2e0459u0022 class=u0022has-inline-coloru0022u003eWikipediau003c/spanu003eu003c/strongu003eu003c/au003e, they are a bread roll made by flattening the center of a ball of dough with a rolling pin so that it becomes an oval shape and then folding the oval in half. They are made with milk and are generally quite buttery, soft, and slightly sweet with a crispy shell.  They are named after the Boston Parker House Hotel.  Legend has it that a disgruntled hotel baker threw a batch of unfinished rolls into the oven after an altercation with a hotel guest.  The slightly dented end result was a hit!