Oct 8, 2010
56
reviews
Rate & Review

Colicchio & Sons' Parker House Rolls

Chef Tom Colicchio's fluffy, buttery dinner rolls may be the best we've ever eaten. The secret? Barley malt syrup, a molasses-thick liquid sweetener that adds a hint of malty flavor.
Related Topics:
Print Save Recipe
Colicchio & Sons' Parker House Rolls Enlarge Image Credit: Todd Coleman
3/4 cup milk, heated to 115°
1 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. barley malt syrup or dark corn
   syrup
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into
   1/2"cubes, softened
1/4 cup clarified butter, for greasing
   and brushing
Fleur de sel, to garnish

1. Stir together milk, yeast, and malt syrup in a large bowl; let sit until foamy, 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt; add to milk mixture along with butter and stir with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, 5–6 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let sit until nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour. Uncover and punch down dough; cover and let sit until puffed, about 45 minutes.

2. Heat oven to 325°. Portion dough into fourteen 1 1/2"-diameter balls, about 1 1/4 oz. each, and transfer to a greased 8″ cast-iron skillet or 8" x 8" baking pan, nestling them side by side; cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Brush with clarified butter and bake until puffed and pale golden brown, 20–22 minutes. Transfer to a rack and brush with more clarified butter; sprinkle each roll with a small pinch of fleur de sel and serve warm.

MAKES 14 ROLLS


Colicchio & Sons' Parker House Rolls

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #133

Subscribe now

Ratings & Reviews (56)

noAvatar
This is a wonderful recipe. I made it the same day that I read the recipe, and I ended up eating a few more rolls than I should have!!! So good!! I had to alter the recipe slightly because I didn't have dark corn syrup. Instead I made a substitute out of brown sugar and water. It was fantastic!!
noAvatar
Where did I go wrong? I followed the recipe very precisely and ended up with some very average biscuit-type rolls. I doubled the recipe for a family gathering and people were actually calling them biscuits. I did not over handle the dough. Is the oven temperature a mis-print? 325 degrees seems really low and mine were nowhere near done after 25 minutes. I had to crank the heat to finish them.
noAvatar
I found the Barley Malt Syrup at Whole Foods over the weekend, so decided to try these right away. While the flavor imparted by the syrup was delicious, I wonder if there is an error in the amount of kneading time in the recipe. The article states to knead only until the dough does not stick to your hands, but the recipe states to knead for 5-6 minutes. Long before that time was up, the dough was no longer sticky, so I stopped kneading. They did seem a bit heavy, probalby due to the gluten development from all that kneading. I will definitely try these again, but knead only 5 or 6 TIMES, not for 5 or 6 MINUTES. Anyone else experience this?
noAvatar
Was this recipe tested? No way is 325 hot enough for this dough. I followed the instructions, but I got a bit leery when I was asked to preheat the oven to a mere 325 degrees BEFORE allowing the rolls to rise for two hours. The rolls were very pale after 22 minutes. I was afraid of eating raw yeast dough, so I left them in longer. They never got very brown. Can you please run a correction?
noAvatar
The temperature can't be correct on this recipe. I made this recipe twice. The second time I baked them at 425 which corrected part of the problem but both times they were a bit gummy tasting.
noAvatar
This recipe can't be right. The dough didn't rise much at all. It calls for starting the oven 2 hours prior to cooking (no thanks) and after 25 minutes you end up with pale, dense biscuits. Something is tragically wrong with this one.
noAvatar
Ummm... Saveur... You might want to actually try to bake these rolls. I gave them a second try with fresh ingredients and got, again, really average biscuits. Come on! Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I need some smack-down yeast rolls. You don't know my relatives. I bring bread to every get-together and these could get me hurt.

They kinda rise but not like you think they should considering the yeast/flour ratio. You put them in the oven after the long process and at 325 they just look back at you and sweat a little bit. Saveur are you reading these reviews? Maybe shift some bucks from the photography budget to the kitchen budget?
noAvatar
Makes a fellow wonder if the first review was, well, ahemmm...
noAvatar
Saveur and Tom Colicchio need to review this recipe as I see I am not the only one with problems! This dough does not rise correctly, maybe too much flour? The yeast foams up fine, maybe kneading for 5 minutes is too much? Whatever the issue, it needs to be resolved, because this is making me crazy!

I hope someone actually reviews these comments.
noAvatar
Glad I checked the reviews before attempting this. I hope it gets resolved.
noAvatar
I read the article and made the recipe as written: though the same things folks have mentioned above confused me during reading. Got the same results others have.....bad biscuits! They were no where near done at 22 minutes, so I pulled one of the pans and let the others go another 5-6 minutes. Still pale, and they were beginning to stiffen up. They were pretty much all equally as bad, and they all hit the trash can. These are absolutely NOT Parker House rolls, they don't even resemble dinner rolls. There simply has to be something wrong with the recipe. Not a good first crack at Saveur, Mr. Colicchio, perhaps you should spend more time proofreading and less time plugging your establishments!
noAvatar
I reworked the recipe and found the errors. The yeast should be 1 packet (2-1/4 tsp) instead of 1 tsp. The temperature should be 400F. If you are making these in a heavy-duty stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix until dough cleans the sides of the bowl. Knead on a lightly floured board for 1 to 2 minutes or until the dough is satiny and no longer sticky. The first two rises are 60 to 75 minutes each and the final rise is 2 hours. If you would like to see my version, visit http://wwww.theheritagecook.com
noAvatar
"by MATTSTEG on 2010-11-07
Makes a fellow wonder if the first review was, well, ahemmm... "

Exactly what I was thinking! I always wonder about "signature" recipes that are just handed over by a restaurant chef. Are you getting the real thing? Maybe I'll try THEHERITAGECOOK's version.
noAvatar
These turned out great…very light & fluffy. My only complaint is poor browning. A few notes: 1)Using an 8” dish (*not cast-iron), I baked my rolls for an extra 15 mins. Raising the temp. to 400F will help oven spring & browning. 2)Don’t over mix, but do knead the dough gently for several mins. Stop when it's not tacky & pulls away from the kneading surface. 3)Rising times will depend on the ambient temperature. Watch the rolls to see when they've doubled rather than following a set time. 4)If your dough is dense you may be over measuring your flour. Weighing flour instead of measuring by volume can alleviate this. I hope this helps. These were delicious. I’ll be making them for Thanksgiving!
noAvatar
Hello from Ganda, Saveur.com editor. Our Asst. Test Kitchen Director, Ben Mims, confirmed that the recipe is correct as written. The lower oven temperature keeps the rolls soft and moist, not crusty.
noAvatar
Based on the comments, I will do a test run before Thanksgiving. I can make dinner rolls in my sleep, so if the recipe doesn't work, I'll report back.
noAvatar
Very easy to make and very delicious but I do have a lot of bread baking experience. My second batch is now rising in a cast iron skillet and will go into the oven in about 1 hour.
noAvatar
After reading the reviews here is how I altered the recipe. 1 package of yeast, not ! tsp. I mixed in a stand mixer with a paddle mixer until butter was incorporated and then kneaded for 6 minutes with the dough hook. Started in 325 oven but raised the temperature to 350 to finish.
noAvatar
I find it interesting that Ganda, the Saveur.com editor, confirms the recipe is correct as written, after seven out of 12 reviews that rated the recipe were two stars or fewer, out of five. And five out of the six recipes that did not rate the recipe were skeptical about the originally-written recipe. Was going to make these, but the consensus is that the original recipe is INCORRECT, regardless of Ganda's stubbornness. Cook's Illustrated would correct the original recipe if they made this same mistake. I've eaten at Colicchio's restaurants in New York, this is not his work.
noAvatar
Followed the recipe, including the temp at 115. Used a proofing oven and they were flat and dense. I'll try altering the recipe as I was excited to try these for Thanksgiving. I'm having 35 people so I need to maintain my reputation
noAvatar
Please revise this recipe. 325 is not hot enough. Nor do the rolls have any flavor. Followed the recipe and had to turn the oven heat up to 350 and finish off to brown.
noAvatar
Will not make again. USUALLY recipes are pretty spot on. This one is not a keeper. Glad I tried it first on my guinea pigs at home instead of with the in-laws.
noAvatar
Something is very wrong with this recipe. Nobody preheats an oven for 2 hours and 325 will never brown a roll. I suspect it's a typo for 425 degrees.

As for "these may be the best rolls we've ever eaten," all I can say is come to my house for Thanksgiving. And quote my mother's line, "Some people just don't know what's good."

Now I read the earlier comments and see many of the same -- so I am just another voice in the chorus.
noAvatar
I'm not sure why people keep trying to make this obviously flawed (and not especially interesting) recipe when there are a gazillion other dinner roll recipes out there that work. I recommend heading over to King Arthur Flour and checking out their "Soft White Dinner Rolls" recipe, which has 128 user reviews and a 4.5 rating. I can attest to these rolls’ excellence. For ease, I mix and proof the dough using my bread machine's Dough cycle, then finish them off by hand. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/soft-white-dinner-rolls-recipe
noAvatar

I'm a pretty experienced bread baker and I had problems with this recipe also.I was able to get them to nicely rise, but they came out of the oven pale, gummy. My better judgement tells me 325 is too low in a cast iron skillet. I tried Heritagecooks method and refrigerated overnight. They've been sitting on the counter for 3 hours with barely any rise. Grrrrrrrrrr.
noAvatar
I'm NOT an experienced bread baker, but tried THREE TIMES today to make the dough. The yeast didn't proof well in milk (there was nothing specific about the type of milk best to use), and then when I added only 2 cups flour to 3/4C milk, I got a dough slightly thicker than cake batter. I added flour - a lot of it - but then worried if it would work, so I checked here to see if anyone had tried the recipe already. Well, they can't all be winners, Saveur - this one is clearly NOT.
noAvatar
I have to say that I've experienced alot of the same issues as far as the the 1st step with the milk, yeast and I used light corn syrup (what I had in the cupboard), which may have been the difference, but placing a bowl of water in a cold oven with the rises did help alot! I did the cast iron skillet as I love this method but did notice also that they did not brown on the tops. What I came up with was to brush with a little more clarified butter and them placing them under a low broiler for about 1-2 minutes and everyone loved them! I will try a higher heat setting as that could make the difference but do like this recipe!
noAvatar
I have tried twice with no success. Bought new yeast for the second try, no difference. I used whole milk, an instant read thermometer to ensure temp, and the barley malt syrup. From the start on both tries it seemed off because the yeast mixture never even foamed. However, I continued on (the first time anyway...), with very little success with it rising. Didn’t even continue the second time. Hmm, I like the idea of 1 pkt yeast vs. 1 tsp, maybe? Please review.
noAvatar
Sorry that I didn't check reviews before making this recipe. Won't trust Saveur blindly again. We made these rolls twice today. The first time, I didn't put the malt barley syrup into the yeast mixture (and I did use a whole packet of Fleischmans Active Dry Yeast) right away so I thought that might be why they weren't rising much. Then a friend came over to help with the dinner so I set him to remaking the rolls. He temp'ed the milk and used a completely different brand of yeast (suggested amount). Again, little or no rising. We had two batches of hard yet tasty little dough rocks. I would love to know what is wrong with the proportions on this recipe.
noAvatar
I did not read reviews of this recipe because everything else I've tried from Saveur has turned out very well. This is not a very good recipe. I've had homemade dinner rolls before and know what texture I'm looking for. This did not even begin to approach it. They were pale and flat despite a good rise both times. I wondered about the 325 temperature since I was baking another dinner roll recipe using sourdough starter and they turned out brilliant. Those were baked at 425. Hmmmmmm I will not make this one again without checking it against other recipes for similar style rolls.
noAvatar
I just don't see how anything gets browned in a 325 degree oven. Not happy with the results.
noAvatar
Same failed results as most of the above (2 attempts). Possible explanation...

"However, in bread baking, scalding the milk before cooling and adding it to the recipe is still used. It is necessary because of the whey proteins in milk need to be inactivated. They can weaken the gluten of bread dough and produce a dense loaf unless the milk is scalded."

Source...
http://www.baking911.com/howto/milk_scald.htm
I read the reviews in advance so I included a full packet of yeast. Also, I used maple syrup (one tablespoon) instead since I didn't feel like going to the store for barley malt syrup. Everything else I followed faithfully. The rolls were great and looked exactly like the photo.
noAvatar
I was sooo inspired by this article and so excited to make them for Thanksgiving. To my disappointment (and sounds like many others), Saveur should have named them "Parker House Biscuits" rather than Parker House Rolls! I agree with the others, the temperature and time were off. The density of the final product was off. I followed the recipe EXACTLY and thought maybe along the way I goofed so tried it again the next day...same result. I can't believe Saveur responded and said the recipe is correct. It's clearly NOT! DO NOT TRY TO MAKE THESE!
I really think this recipe is off as well.... I've been experimenting. I think there needs to be a tablespoon of Malt Barley syrup, an entire packet of yeast, and the oven needs to be on at LEAST 400 degrees. I just put another batch in my oven at 450 and i'm waiting to see what will happen. Definitely some significant issues with this recipe.
noAvatar
Very disapointing. Recipe does not work. If a baker tried to serve these at Craft, Colicchio would fire him. And as for the $8 jar of barley malt, good luck finding another use for that!
noAvatar
Seriously, if there was a 0 stars, I would definitely have selected it. Shame on Tom Colicchio for wasting EVERYBODY's time (mine included as I did try it) with giving such a crappy recipe. All the time he spent on writing the article, it never occurred to him that this, being a cooking magazine, to never have tried the recipe himself to save the wasted hours (this is bread - mind you) of the readers' time trying to follow the recipe. Its sad that I can blindly follow 'cooks_illustrated_dot_com' can come up with great results everytime. Is Saveur selling themselves out by just dumping 'creative' writers instead of actual cooks?
noAvatar
I am an experienced baker (not always sucessful-just experienced) and I followed this recipe exactly. I was concerned about the one teaspoon of yeast....but..... The rolls were perfect, a huge hit! Cast Iron skillet is a great idea. I did not dust with salt, personal taste.
noAvatar
Colicchio, please pack your knives and go, along with this recipe.
noAvatar
THIS RECIPE DOES NOT WORK- i have been to Craft and the rolls served are amazing, i was excited to find this recipe and tried it twice. Both times resulted in nasty, hard, tasteless rolls. This is nowhere near the quality of rolls served in Craftsteak. There is alot wrong with this recipe. Temp is too low, yeast is too low, and the knead time is too much. There are many other great parker house roll recipes. WHY WONT SAVEUR REVISIT THIS RECIPE? IT DOES NOT WORK.
noAvatar
I'm going to go against the grain and say that the recipe is spot-on. I've made it twice and had excellent results both times -- soft, buttery rolls that have been a hit.
Two thoughts: 1) Adding more yeast isn't the answer. It will just make the rise faster. If it's taking longer to rise, so be it. The longer the rise, the better it's going to taste anyway.
2) I wonder if people are adding the yeast to too-hot milk? If the milk is at 120 or above, you'll start killing the yeast. At 140, all the yeast will die and you'll get no rise. Please check the temperature of your milk and err on the side of a bit too cool.
noAvatar
I followed the recipe exactly except I made a double batch and baked it in a 12 inch cast iron skillet. They were excellent. Everybody loved them. I believe them since the rolls were gone in 20 minutes...
noAvatar
I was so excited to try this recipe. I've been baking bread and rolls for many years and wanted to impress my grandchildren with the "best rolls ever" by Saveur. First attempt: flop. We fed the leftover rolls to the dogs. I thought maybe it was me, so I went out and bought fresh yeast. Same result. Then I thought maybe there was a misprint and tried twice more with a whole packet of yeast. Duds. Inedible. Very disappointing. This recipe cannot possibly be right for home cooks. Like other commentors, I hope someone actually reads these reviews and responds. I can't tell you how disappointing this is! Shakes my faith in the beautiful magazine, Saveur...
noAvatar
Not making much progress here, are we?
noAvatar
Confirming the previous poor reviews. In fact, I think Saveur could have legal liability for suggesting a sequence in which it suggests that you put a cast-iron skilled with plastic wrap on it in the oven for two hours at 325. A good recipe for a fire; less so for a perfect Park House roll.
noAvatar
After reading all of the comments I couldn't help but to try the recipe myself. As many have said 325 is too low a temp to brown the rolls anywhere similar to the picture accompanying the recipe. I used a cast iron skillet as well. After baking for 22 minutes, I turned the broiler on high and baked for an additional 3 minutes to brown the tops of the rolls. Making this adjustment I will make this recipe again.
This is an addendum to a previous post where I advocated using an entire package of yeast. I decided to make them again this year and it occurred to me that for only two cups of flour a teaspoon should be enough. So I followed the recipe (once again substituting maple syrup for malt syrup) and they came out great! It is an interesting puzzle as to why people are having difficulties. Is it the low oven temp.? If ones oven isn't calibrated and it is, say, 25 degrees off then it would be a problem. I'm going to continue to use this recipe...until April Bloomfield publishes the recipe to her John Dory rolls!
noAvatar
I think that the barley malt syrup interferes with the proofing of yeast. Have tried this recipe several times to different stages but never went so far as to bake as the poor rise of dough was telling me that things are not working. Even went so far as to buy more yeast, did not work. However, when I tested my yeast with just sugar and warm water it proofed quite nicely.

I might try again proofing the yeast with warm milk and a sprinkle of sugar saving some of the warm milk to disperse the barley malt syrup but wonder if it will stop the yeast process.
noAvatar
This is the third time I have made these rolls since the recipe came out last year. I have not had any real problems with them and they have rapidly replaced the butterbottom yeast rolls that I have made for the last 18 years. It is very important that you allow the rising to complete. Make sure that you leave them to rise in a warm place. I usually triple the recipe and have not had any problem doing so. The two hour rise after shaping and putting in the pan I think is the most important and if you need to leave them a little longer just do it. Leave plenty of time. I do bake them at 325 but in a convection oven so that we get a nice browning on top. The extras are in the freezer now. I think the recipe is worth the effort.
noAvatar
this recipe is absolutely correct those of you having issues with this clearly are doing it wrong. if theyre coming out like biscuits its 1 of 2 things: your butter is not soft enough or you overworked the dough. they take a long time to rise as well and proof a fair amount in the oven when you bake them. i should know. i worked at craft as a pastry cook for close to a year and made them every day and still make them at home. also An Honest Cook. stop talking. you sound stupid
noAvatar
Dose anyone know if the cast iron pan is supposed to be sitting in the oven while its warming up ? Is the pan supposed to be hot already when you put the rolls into it ? The recipe doesn't clarify but I have a feeling it is supposed to be hot when the raw dough balls are placed inside the pan ... Anybody ?
noAvatar
Actually never mind. I reread the recipe...I see the rolls proof in the pan for two hours.
noAvatar
I thought about using this recipe last year and stayed away because of the comments. Last night, I did a pre-Thanksgiving trial run of these rolls and I have to agree with everyone who says the recipe is correct. I'll be making a quadruple batch today for the Thanksgiving feast.

I followed the directions and they came out great. The only thing I did differently was that I used my kitchen aid mixer with the dough hook to knead the dough for the 5-6 minutes instead of doing it by hand.

My only suggestions for those having trouble is to make sure your yeast is fresh (it should foam after it sits in the warm milk) and don't skimp on the rise times (there is almost 4 hours of rise time in this recipe and if your kitchen is cold, you'll need more time or a warmer place).

I did use a cast iron skillet and cooked at 325 in my breville smart oven on convection. I probably will turn the broiler on for a brief moment to brown the tops of the rolls a bit more.

For those doubting the recipe, give it a try. The rolls are worth the time and effort.
noAvatar
I forgot the 5 stars! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
noAvatar
Not a fan. I've made these 4 times and only once did they turn out. I tested the recipe pre-thanksgiving last year and they were great. On thanksgiving day they did not work. This year I was seeking Parker roll redemption, and failed. Not only on thanksgiving but the day after (I'm stubborn like that). I think it's fair to ask for a rewrite/revision of this recipe. Not all of us have worked as pastry chefs at Craft, kazooxkore434, we are home bakers. Aren't we, after all, who these sites are geared towards? If there were small tips written into the recipe like 'don't over work your dough', there would be more success.
Anyway, there are several versions of the Parker house roll online. I am trying a new recipe today and this recipe has been kicked out of the 'recipe box'.
Saveurs lack of response to the negative comments perplexes me. Don't they want their readers to have success with recipes that they post?
Made these rolls with my 5 year old granddaughter over Thanksgiving in the mountains they were easy and fun. We used maple syrup for the sugar. Did take longer to cook may be the altitude (5600) will try a bit warmer oven. Winner!
Colicchio & Sons' Parker House Rolls 2 5 20 56

Your Rating & Review

Please log in to leave a comment. Not a member yet? Sign up here.