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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020 4
Larissa Zimberoff
BLOOMBERG - In the United States
(US), bread sales aren’t rising the
way they used to. The market
in bread and bakery products is
projected to grow at a dismal 1.5
per cent from 2020 to 2023. Yet
a modest dinner roll is elbowing
its way into the kitchens of top
restaurants across the country.
The ascension of Parker House
rolls isn’t just surprising because
so many diners continue to forgo
bread as part of low-carb, high-
protein diets-and when they do
indulge, it’s with rustic, seeded,
more “artisanal” styles perceived
to be more nutritious. Parker House
rolls are as white as you can get in
the baking world (with the possible
exception of Japanese milk bread),
its pearly, puffy interior encased in
a golden-brown top that’s invariably
drenched in butter. At a time when
dark, dense, fermented loaves are
the cool kids in the bread basket,
Parker House rolls could be their
grandmother.
Notable chefs such as Joshua
Skenes don’t care. He’s been
making the rolls for around
eight years, starting at his three-
Michelin-starred Saison in San
Francisco. Now at Angler, his cult
seafood spots in Los Angeles and
San Francisco, a fat-glazed version-
cooked –irst in the oven in a copper
pan, then –inished beside an open
hearth-arrives tableside, piping
hot, with high-fat butter made from
Petaluma cow milk.
“We picked the rolls up from
back in history because we saw a
way to make them taste better with
fresh milled –lour-with –ire,” he says.
At USD12, they’re a bargain; Skenes
said they lose money on the butter.
There are two origin stories for the
widespread adoption of the Parker
House roll. The –irst comes from the
Parker House Hotel that opened in
Boston in 1854. Allegedly, a rankled
baker tossed a batch of un–inished
rolls into the oven. They came out
with a distinct shape, a light interior,
and a buttery exterior.
Food historian Ken Albala
credits ef–iciency as one reason
the roll took off: “The Parker House
was simply a more ef–icient delivery
system for white bread. It’s more
compact, –its in a basket, and is
easier to butter.”
An additional story comes via
another baker, LB Willoughby, who
had the idea to sell fresh biscuit
dough to consumers. In 1932, he
patented his method for processing
and packaging the unbaked dough
in a pressurised can. Willoughby’s
patent was eventually acquired
by Pillsbury, which introduced the
seminal canned crescent rolls to
the world in 1965; they continue to
be its best seller.
“When I grew up in Hingham,
Mass, it was the only bread
we had,” said chef Chris Bleidorn,
owner of Birdsong in San
Francisco.
Although Bleidorn points to the
Pillsbury version as his inspiration,
he didn’t embrace Parker House
rolls for nostalgia. “We do it because
it’s ef–icient,” he says-and as an
unconventional showcase for the
restaurant’s open –lame cooking.
His straightforward yeast-leavened
recipe is hard to bungle. After being
pre-baked, the rolls are –inished over
Why classic white bread dinner rolls are
suddenly trendy
Angler’s Parker House rolls are inished at a hearth. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
an open –ire and then brushed with
boar fat, honey butter, or seaweed
butter. “The –ire gives it rustic
qualities where you might get burnt
ends, or smoke hangs on to the fat
that you brush on. You get a really
special experience,” said Bleidorn.
In New York, Crown Shy pastry
chef Renata Ameni also began
baking Parker House rolls for the
experiential aspect. “We wanted
something that was communal. I
like the idea of breaking bread,”
says chef-owner James Kent,
so they settled on the special
bread with a singular shape. The
Crown Shy version arrives warm,
stuffed with a three-olive blend-
green, cured, and Kalamata-plus
capers, roasted garlic, parsley,
and lemon zest. Instead of a butter
accompaniment, guests are given
labneh yogurt spread.
Unlike most of the current crop of
premium Parker House rolls, Crown
Shy’s are complimentary. “When
restaurants sell the bread, maybe
only 10 per cent of customers will
buy it. It’s not usually worth it for a
restaurant,” says Kent. The good will
of a free snack, though, is invaluable.
Mitchell Davis, cookbook author
and executive vice president of the
James Beard Foundation, sees the
rolls as Exhibit A in the casualisation
of –ine dining and chefs’ desires to
upgrade homey foods. It’s “a huge
switch,” he said, from the dense,
dark bread that’s been popular.
He notes that it also makes retro
sense: In the ‘70s, one of the
hallmarks of a fancy place was the
hot bread.
“I want to take a humble food,
and make it discussed as seriously
as a black truf–le,” says San Diego
chef William Bradley, who serves a
Parker House roll “course” midway
through his 10-course, USD270
tasting menu at Michelin-starred
Addison. The rolls come with
three types of butter churned in-
house: clover, –leur de sel, and
–ines herbes.
Ellie Krieger
THE WASHINGTON POST - My fruit-
as-dessert “aha!” moment took
place in Greece. Years ago, at a
modest, family-owned taverna, I
was served a complimentary after-
dinner treat of thinly sliced apples
sprinkled with ground cinnamon.
A nice gesture of hospitality, the
dish was not something I expected
to wow me. But what hit me in
that moment, and has stuck with
me to this day, is how appealing
and utterly sweet-tooth-satisfying
it was, so much more than the
fruit eaten out of hand had ever
managed to be.
The simple steps of slicing the
apple, fanning it out on the plate,
and treating it to a sprinkle of warm,
fragrant spice transformed the fruit
to dessert.
I’ve been reliving the moment at
home regularly ever since, varying
the fruit as well as the herbs and
spices. This version takes the idea
in a tropical direction, using tangy,
Don’t give up dessert when you can have this tangy pineapple
drizzled with spiced honey
Fresh Pineapple With Warm Spice-Infused Honey.
PHOTO: THE WASHINGTON POST
fresh pineapple. The pineapple is
thinly sliced, then drizzled with
warmhoney infusedwithCaribbean
–lavours - lime, thyme and allspice.’
A pinch of chile adds a teasing
tingle, and a sprinkle of salt at the
end ties it all together.
If you never looked at a fresh
pineapple and thought “dessert”
before, this recipe might just
change your mind.
FRESH PINEAPPLE WITH WARM
SPICE INFUSED HONEY
Eight servings
Turn thinly sliced fresh
pineapple into an elegant dessert
with a drizzle of warmhoney infused
with Caribbean –lavours - lime,
thyme and allspice - along with just
enough chile for a seductive tingle.
A –inishing sprinkle of salt brings
it together.
Make Ahead: The infused
honey may be made up to two
weeks ahead and kept in an airtight
container in the refrigerator.
Warm over medium-low heat
before serving.
The pineapple may be sliced
up to one day ahead and kept
in an airtight container in the
refrigerator; bring the pineapple to
room temperature before serving.
Ingredients
1/2 cup mild honey
Two strips lime peel, white pith
removed
Three tablespoons fresh lime juice
Three to four fresh thyme sprigs,
plus two teaspoons fresh thyme
leaves, for garnish
Six whole allspice berries
Four slices fresh habanero peppers
or six thin slices jalapeño chile
peppers
One (2 1/2 pounds) pineapple
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
Steps
In a small saucepan over medium-
low heat, combine the honey,
lime peel and juice, thyme sprigs,
allspice and sliced pepper and,
stirring occasionally, bring to
a gentle boil. Remove from the
heat and steep for 10 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, discard the
seasonings from the honey.
Trim the top and bottom from
thepineappleandcut away thepeel.
Quarter the pineapple lengthwise
and remove the core from each
quarter. Using a mandoline or a
very sharp knife, slice the pineapple
very thinly.
When ready to serve, warm the
honey over medium-low heat, if
necessary. Evenly divide the sliced
pineapple among the serving plates
and drizzle each serving with about
one tablespoon infused honey.
Garnish with 1/4 teaspoon thyme
leaves and season lightly with salt
and serve.