Foodstuff: Roll with it, baby

News News | Aug 7, 2023

If you’ve ever had the metaphorical dough to dine at Element 47 in The Little Nell, you’ve likely enjoyed the literal dough, served in the form of Parker House rolls, delivered to the table, warm from the oven in a small cast iron dish, brushed with butter and sprinkled liberally with flaked sea salt.

I recently attended the Nell Culinary Fest where I learned straight from pastry chef Megan McGarvey how to create these dreamy carbohydrate bombs. Chef Megan, like all of us food nerds, in her words, got “really into sourdough” during the pandemic, and we discovered that The Little Nell makes all of their bread in-house, in a surprisingly small kitchen. While these Parker House rolls are an enriched dough, rather than a sourdough, Chef’s passion was evident, and I loved watching her bake, a skill that I still struggle with, despite all my time in my kitchen.

The Nell cranks out 1,000 rolls a day, and even more during the winter holidays. Another hot tip? “Breads bake best in cast iron,” according to McGarvey. The Staub cast iron pans served tableside serve a purpose, but also look pretty; presentation is serious business at this five-star stalwart.

PARKER HOUSE ROLLS

Yields approximately 30 rolls

113g room temperature water

16g instant dry yeast

80g sugar

865g bread flour

490g room temperature milk

34g salt

230g unsalted butter, melted

One egg, beaten

Combine water and yeast, mix until dissolved. Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl with dough attachment. Add water, yeast, melted butter, and milk. Mix until a ball forms, then mix five minutes more. Rest dough for 30 minutes, fold, and rest 30 minutes more. Portion into one-ounce balls. Proof at room temperature until doubled in size.

Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 340’F for about 16-17 minutes. Brush with melted butter. Enjoy!

McGarvey says these types of doughs, which are enriched with fat, such as butter, are “easy” to make in your home kitchen. She provided a few other tips, such as creating a homemade “proofing room” by pouring boiling water into a large bowl, and placing the tray of dough over the top, to provide some warm steaming action while the rolls rise. She also stressed the importance of using the very best ingredients you can find, such as whole milk and French butter (ooh la la!). And as with the burrata recipe I shared from the Nell, you might want to break out your food scale for this, as cup and spoon measurements aren’t exact enough to make this bread the very best it can be.

For what it’s worth, I ate approximately 17 of these rolls during our hour-long group demonstration, each slathered with butter, topped with cheese, stuffed with tomatoes or just plain, hot from the oven. Not one iteration disappointed, so if you decide to tackle this project at home, you may consider a double batch, particularly if you lack self-control, like this food writer.

Katherine Roberts is a midvalley-based writer and marketing professional who does not consider herself a competent baker, but she sure does love hot bread and gets an A+ for eating. She can be reached via her marketing and communications firm, Carington Creative, at [email protected]

Aug 7, 2023

If you’ve ever had the metaphorical dough to dine at Element 47 in The Little Nell, you’ve likely enjoyed the literal dough, served in the form of Parker House rolls, delivered to the table, warm from the oven in a small cast iron dish, brushed with butter and sprinkled liberally with flaked sea salt.

Aug 7, 2023

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