Authentic New York Hard Rolls/Kaiser Rolls Recipe 

I heard your accent and immediately trust this recipe. I'll be trying it later

Okay. I grew up on the island and have been gone since '84. I just made these and was instantly transported back. Thank you so much for putting in the research.

I can't wait to try this recipe. I grew up and lived on LI for 45 years and recently moved to a little rural area of Upstate NY. There are no deli's. Anything that calls itself a deli, isn't a deli. No one makes breakfast sandwiches. If they do, it's a microwaved scrambled egg patty on a crappy Thomas' bagel from the Dollar General with a microwaved sausage patty. There's a bakery that makes breakfast sandwiches, but only on bagels. They didn't know what I was talking about when I asked for a roll. I tried to elaborate with Kaiser and hard roll. Nothing. Didn't ring a bell. I get to visit LI once a year and the first thing I do the next morning is go to the deli and get a Hungry Man hero. The rest of my time there, 2 eggs, over easy, on a roll with bacon, cheese, and pepper--homefries on the side. Oh, also, they don't know what a hero is. They're subs and all of the sub bread is so doughy and soft. I think it's because most of the people up here are missing most of their teeth and it's easier to gum it. They also don't know how to make pizza. It's bad when there's 3 pizzarias in town and the gas station makes the best pizza, but that's a whole other rant, lol.

This recipe is close, but not quite. I'm 76 years old and grew up in New York and the typical Deli Sandwich rolls were very light and airy, with a flaky, hard crust. With or without seeds, they were the absolutely best roll on the planet. I think I have search and reviewed every recipe "Kaiser/New York Rolls" and none of them hit the mark. However, Shannon's recipe is delicious. I made her recipe, did not have a Kitchen Aid mixer handy, and kneaded the dough by hand. The malt powder is a must have for these rolls. I am going to experiment with Shannon's recipe and see if I can get closer to the classic deli hard roll from my youth. Do make this recipe!!! You won't be disappointed.

Just making them hope there is good as what we had as a kid. We had a bakery in New York City and my father made the best hard rolls. All the police officers and firemen used to come by at three in the morning with the slab of butter and just grab a roll, good memories

I made these for a Jersey girl for her BD. She loved them! I've made them for myself, and I love them! Might make some more today. Thanks for the recipe!

Having lived in Westchester County in the 80's where every convenience store had a sign out front," Egg on a hard roll small coffee $1.50 ". Believe me this was breakfast every day. I just made this recipe and it is spot on! I can't thank you enough for all your hard work making perfect NY hard rolls.

From New Haven, grew up on hard rolls. This is my first attempt. I remember the rolls being denser, firmer all around, but these were great. 😀

In Germany where this roll originated this particular roll was made like this with the slits in it to break or pull it apart in pieces then butter the pieces and put liverwurst on them. This still a standard in every town in Germany.

I’m definitely going to try this. I lived in Brooklyn for 60 years. I moved to Atlanta and cannot find Kaiser rolls. I miss my breakfast sandwiches with these rolls.

Made these today for the first time. Former Long Islander living in Florida. Pretty darn close to the NY hard roll. I immediately made a bacon, egg, and cheese with one. Very nice. Some of the hard rolls I got in Long Island delis were a little more crispy on the outside, but hey - these taste great.😋

Buttered roll with poppy seeds hits so hard. The dry the crust matches the cold butter and lighter than air inside

I made these today and they are simply delicious. Previously I used 1 packet of yeast instead of 3 teaspoons. I come from Queens, then Suffolk County Long Island. I now live in Florida, and these rolls make me a rock star. Thanks soo much

My husband and I grew up in North Jersey, now living in Florida. We crave hard rolls like this. I will be making them!!!!

Omg we moved to Florida 6 years ago and have gone back to NY many times just to have egg cheese and ham or bacon on Kaiser.the best recipe I’ve come across. Perfect Kaiser roll and I put onions in 2 of them for my husband he said save the recipe and thank the lady. So here it is thank you so much.

Super fab video. Love the recipe and will try. Love your down to earth baking! Super!

I made these last week and we loved them! I'm making a batch today. We are originally from upstate NY, moved to FL, now we live in NC. Can't get anything like these in the south. I've tried several so-called NY style hard rolls... all failed. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. There is nothing like a REAL NY HARD ROLL.

Hi Shannon! I made these rolls today and followed your recipe exactly! They are perfect. We’ve moved to Florida and nothing here has even come close here to NY Kaiser rolls. Thank you so much!

For a crispy hard roll crust, bake in a covered pan (like cast iron) since trapped steam not only helps the oven spring, but is necessary for a crispy crust. If no covered baker, the next best thing is to leave the rolls in the oven when done baking (with the door cracked open so as not to overbake the rolls). It's the escaping steam from the rolls that softens the crust. I love the kaiser press - even if you press hard, your oven spring will make them rise again. 😊

Nice tip with the wet cloth for the last proofing. I use a whole milk wash for a more crusty roll. I find it works better than the egg wash. I am a former LI resident now living in WV. I have also worked endless hours to perfect my Kaiser rolls, French bread, Italian bread, ciabatta breads bread and now working on bagels.

So happy to have found this! I miss hard rolls terribly!!

Thank you for this. I moved out of NY in 2005 and have not been able to find anything close. I always stock up when i visit to share the true NY buttered roll with friends when i return. Now i can make them and they are amazing.. Withe the holiday approaching i can make these and have an authentic NY breakfast special. Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!!!

I was raised on Staten Island and moved out west, I have missed hard rolls forever, the ones they make out here are not right. I'm going to try your recipe as soon as the malt arrives from Amazon they look delicious, now I'm going to order some Taylor ham to have on the rolls, I used to eat a buttered roll at the ferry terminal every morning heading to work and a regular coffee. And you are so right about the cold pats of butter. Thank you so much for the revipe

I love this recipe! ❤ I’ve made it 3 times. I’m not much of a baker but the first time they really came out great! The second time I must have done something wrong, but the 3rd time they came out FANTASTIC! (The second time I think I only used a packet of yeast and that is only 2.5 teaspoons! I also used the wet tea towel method and my towel flatten the rolls out and the dough stuck to the towel)

First thing I do when I visit Jersey is stop at Slaters Deli for a buttered hardroll and a cup of Joe. Heaven on earth!

I’m from NY I moved. Never could find these rolls anywhere. They taste just like New York rolls. I love love love them. I take you into the kitchen on my iPad every time I make the rolls. I’m still a little leery doing it myself even though I wrote the directions down. One day I will try it on my own. Thank you so much it’s definitely worth making, Anyone from New York will agree. Thanks again.

Hi Shannon I watched your video on New York Hard rolls I too grew up on Long Island (Sayville) I have now lived in maine for about 45 years and I cannot find anything even close to a new york hard roll so I am going to try your recipe it looks great Thanks for the info

Can’t wait to try these. Live in Tennessee for the last five years originally from New York City. Miss them, miss New York City.😢

Shannon, I'm a fellow Irish American now living in Long Island. This recipe video is fantastic and you are so talented and real. My Dad was a singer as well so I can appreciate really gifted people. Thanks so much for sharing and dont mind the hair comments etc. Keep it real. Nobody cooks or bakes at home with a hair net on. Please keep sharing. I'm a fan.

Love these rolls, they remind me of eating in Delis in Union City and Jersey City. Rolling and tying the rosette the way baker’s shops do will give a better rise and texture, but I see a lot of people shortcutting with the stamp… whatever works! Thanks for sharing!

I've been testing k. rolls and so far this is the best, right up there with her Italian bread, thank you.

I just finished making these for the first time. Success! I ate one with a burger and one with just butter (for dessert). OMG. They were as advertised. Tasty, very lightweight, and stands up to cold butter. I will have to check out more of your recipes!

I made your Italian bread and the Kayser Rolls and both came out spectacular! Thank you for your excellent videos on how to make them! I’m from Long Island and moved upstate and I missed the flavor of these great breads and rolls! Thank you so much!

Omg! I’m a displaced Long Islander, living in North Carolina, desperately missing NY rolls, found your channel, followed your recipe, and damn, this is it! You have nailed the recipe! Have made them twice, second batch I doubled! We are so happy! We’re able to have Long Island breakfast sandwiches now, excellent! Thank you for sharing!❤

I absolutely love this recipe! Thank you. FYI: if you let the rolls rest for 20 minutes before stamping, the stamp mark is more pronounced.

I would never dream of telling you how to bake breads or anything I am sure , But maybe for super beginners I could express my concern for your measurements , I use a scale , but if someone doesn’t have one I think it’s probably a good idea to use a spoon to scoop out your flour and fill up your measuring cups , this gives more control over the correct amounts of flour by ensuring the flour isn’t packed hard on one cup or packed loosely on the next cup , air pockets can really throw off your measurements and make iit difficult to perfect your product , which was great btw way I made you bread last week I remember you saying you worked hard twerking the recipe ,,, so great job :-). !

I grew up in Westchester County and miss the hard rolls. I tried your recipe yesterday and was very pleased with the results. One thing I did miss was the deep lines. When I'm eating a hard roll slathered with cold butter, I like to pull it apart by the lines. Dumb I know, but it's part of my experience. Next time I make them, instead of using the press, I'm going to do a rosette shaping to get the deep lines. Roll the dough into a rope, tie into a knot, tuck one lose end under and through the knot, then tuck the other end over and into the knot.

We, like some others moved away from Jersey, and no one knows what hard rolls are here. So Im so glad I found your video, I'm gonna make these for my family, I'm sure I'm gonna get some kind of reward, lol, thank you so much! -oh, were in Kentucky

You explain everything so clearly and are down home. I would suggest doing more closeup of your processes that is what I wait to see most, you are awesome I hope to see more of your recipes

I know what you mean about all those recipes being heavy. I moved out west in 89. We are moving soon and once settled, I will make these ! 2 suggestions. A super sharp pairing knife to use after you stamp the rolls, just score the lines. 2 - have your husband build you a proofing box. Look into them. Thank You !!!

I am so so excited to make these! Moves to Georgia 7 years ago. I’m a born and bred New Yorker and hard rolls are the food I miss that I cannot get. Thank you for posting

So glad I found you!! I grew up on the North Shore and left in 1980 and have never found a decent LI bread recipe. I have MISSED THE HELL out of a decent BE&C on hard roll and Tilda’s Bakery in Rocky Point Italian bread 🥖!! Thank you!!!❤️

YOU ARE MY ANGLE !!! I grew up in a deli in queens that my uncle owned. Lived in long Island for ever. Last year moved just 4 hours away. And no Kiser rolls. Can't find em anywhere. So looked for a recipe. And found you. Yours. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you !!

This looks great. Just a suggestion, when cooking, you may want to tie back your hair so you don't have it hanging over the dough and you don't have to keep using your hands to push it back. No one wants a strand of hair on these beautiful rolls.

I live in Pa. We could not find rolls that satisfy us so I made your Kaiser Rolls today, they are absolutely D-lish. THANK YOU! Will be making your other breads as well.

Looks like a great recipe. I will definitely try it making the dough in my bread machine. One tip… if you weigh the whole dough ball you can divide by 8 and know exactly how much each individual roll should weigh.

I can't WAIT to try these! I am a native NYer who moved to California 35 years ago and miss my rolls! You just can't buy good ones here. Thanks for a great video & recipe!

SHANNON, I am a transplant from the Midwest now in Southern Colorado. Like New York Kaiser rolls were a staple in the Metro Milwaukee, WI area. I have been craving them for a while now. (We are also having bread shortages here.) So I went on line and searched and found your video. I made them they turned out very good on my first try. I made 3 technical errors. I used AP flour, had 25 pounds on the shelf. Stores in my rural area do not have bread flour one of the shortage items hear. I am in my 70`s and live alone. Moving to a smaller home site I packed and move a lot of things to my new home. The wax paper cutter on the box was bad so I moved the wax paper into the parchment paper box. The egg wash glued the rolls down to the wax paper. Oops! Also the rolls stuck to the wax paper. When they cooled I stripped off the wax paper that took along my nice brown crusty bottoms of the rolls. They taste great even with the errors I made. Since there is only me I did not worry about the stamp design. I watch the dough form in my Zojirichi bread machine on the bread cycle. I felt I added to much water and stopped when I was up to 3 and 3/4 cups of flour. 2 rises and then I it into the 8 rolls. I put the toppings on and then a 40 min. Last rise, egg wash while the stove came up to temperature. I flattened the roll slightly before the wash the rolls still looked like to wet for bread. I held my breath and into the oven they went for 20 minutes. They grew upward and out ward. They easily pulled out apart as you said they would. Taste was what I remembered and was very pleased. This morning I awoke and asked my self can I make only 4 rolls at a time.? I am going to try it with corrections to my errors after these are gone. Here are 2 things I noticed in the recipe. 3 teaspoons make one tablespoon. That gives us one table spoon of bulk yeast, and one tablespoon of malt powder. THAT LEAVES ONLY THE SALT AS THE OUTLIER 1 AND THAT IS ONE and A HALF TEASPOONS. Every dry is now a tablespoon measure. Solves the teaspoon, tablespoon delma. That leaves one problem. . How do you get the dough out of the wet towel? Lol. I will try the half recipe and let you know how it turned out in a few days. Rev Thomas

Lovely demo I can’t wait to try them. Jersey girl living in South Carolina!

Your 100% correct! I moved from NY/LI and can't find them. Can't find a decent bagel either. Thanks for the recipe, i'll be making them.

I’m a 22 year resident of NYC and these look completely legit. Before moving to the city I lived in Munich where the Kaiser roll is found literally on every corner (even inside the small bakeries in the subway stations). These have been in my life for a very long time and I plan on using them in my new catering business.

Moved to SC 16 years ago. Local supermarket makes these but not quite the same. Glad i found this. Looking forward to making them. Thanks

I moved from Garden City, to Northport, to Florida in 1978, haven't had a proper Kaiser since. Definitely going to give this recipe a shot.

Shore Rd Cafe in New Rochelle used to use Kaiser rolls for their burgers, amazing! cannot get them in fl at all

Ok I made these rolls today with a little tweak. I did not put the towel on cause when I did it would deflate . Also put the egg wash n poopy seeds on while they were rising and they came out perfect

The recipe was perfect I’ve tried others there were dense or not right however when I put the towel on in the oven n take it off some of mine deflated so next batch I did not use the towel when I put it in the oven to rise . But this recipe in itself is perfect thank u

Made these today it is the best ever!!!! Going to try your bread next week!!!!

Thanks for the recipe, nice job if you want try weighing the ball first and divide that by 8 now you wioll know that all 8 can be the same size if you want to make it.

OMG. I miss these rolls so much. I grew up on LI and we all ate these rolls. It is a part of your life on LI. I need to make these. They look so good. TY MH

I ordered the kaiser roll dtamp and malt from amazon,bought bread flour and this Staten Islander,who ate a buttered roll practically every morning heacding to work with a teg coffee, and has lived out west for years now will try to make my own hard rolls.thank you for the recipe and video.

Tried this recipe ladt week. Can't find hard rolls in the north country of NY. These are super easy, super tasty, Thanks

I first watched this a while back but I’m trying them right now! On the 1hr rise time. Im sooo excited! I had to use 1t of malt syrup instead of the powder and maybe 4 1/4c of flour but I think I got the texture right🤞 ! cannot waittttt! Ty for this video!

Oh my goodness!!! Another outstanding bread recipe!!! I made these rolls today and used them to make 1/4 lb tavern burgers for dinner!! The buns are incredibly delicious, and held their shape to the last bite. I'm hooked!!! Thanks for sharing! GOD bless!!!

I'm a former New Yorker living in Florida and we sure do miss these rolls. Made NY bagles last night they were awesome

Amazing, I’m so happy I found this. I’ve moved from Long Island and miss breakfast specials so much, thank you ❤️❤️❤️

I have a dear friend from New Jersey that is a Texas transplant. I don't know! Anyway, she's asked me to make these for her a couple of times. I always say no because I thought it would be too difficult. I make bread, not rolls! She's a good friend so I decided to give it a shot. Thanks for the tutorial!

Thank you again...Took me 3 times to get this right plus I popped the pin on my KitchenAid...Hub fixed it. Anyhoo, I tweaked the procedure a bit by doing the egg wash and poppy seeds before 2nd rise and sprayed them lightly with water. :)

Ok I tried making these rolls. Everything went well. Followed you and thought I was doing well. But when it came to placing covered with wet towel after the 35 minutes I took them out of oven and the towel stuck to rolls. Which made them deflated. 😮 I mstill going to bake them. But don’t think they will turn out close to yours 😢. But I will not give up. I will try again and again until I get them right. I will let you known how they turn out. Thank you I think you’re perfect in your directions.

Great video - as a chef for 50 years I appreciate the nice techniques and you even recommend eating them with cold butter. my wife insists that soft butter is better, but I maintain soft butter is greasy and lacks the contrast and flavor of cold. My only criticism is that you should have your hair tied back.

Second time around they came out perfect thank you. Thanks for the tip on restaurant depot we have one here it Jacksonville.

Thank you! We moved to California, no hard rolls, no Italian bread, no Italian sausage, I could go on! Will try both!

Suggestion? Put some flour in a small bowl for dipping your stamp so you don't contaminate your bag of flour! I've been making them for a few years and recently switched to the stamp which I do not like as much as the hand knotting (which my husband does NOT like so I use the stamp!) (Former Jersey girl now in NW FL!) I like your recipe with the malt flour! 👍 ~ Laura

Try those with Caraway seed and Pretzel salt for Kimmelwick rolls. Best Roast Beef sandwiches.

You are so right about the all purpose flour rising differently. I’m making your Italian bread recipe right now😂! I use the bread maker on a dough cycl because of my hands. Thanks. Greetings from New York City.👍🏼🇵🇷🗽🙏 😋

I'm working on my Dough right now I make pizza dough with oo flour all the time that is the only way to make pizza dough but of course I'm using bread flour on your rolls but I have never seen the rise the way my dough has risen and I know it was because of that diastatic malt powder it almost tripled in size.. a lot of Baker's never even heard about it because I tried to find it locally at no avail had to go to Amazon to get it I'm from New York but live in Florida now you are so New York and I love it!! your instructions are very descriptive and easy-to-follow I'll let you know how they turn out but I'm a hundred percent sure they will be awesome maybe not arthur ave but hopefully close! the first thing I will make is a bacon egg and cheese on your rolls then probably a buttered roll because when I go back to New York to visit my family that is what I eat every single morning from the deli the only thing I'm having trouble finding is poppy seeds because I prefer those over sesame seeds

FYI if you weight the entire dough and divide by 8 you will get exactly the number you need for each roll. I do mine in grams

Great recipe - I made these yesterday and we had "smash" burgers on them. The only thing I would do differently next time is to have the batch make 10 rolls; they were a little too large. 👍👍👍

I love your hard rolls and Italian bread. I now live in Texas and can’t get a decent bagel. You mentioned you make your own bagels. Please make a video or send your recipe.

Ms. Shannon, this is my first time viewing one of your videos. I was looking for a Kaiser roll video, and came across yours. I have been baking a 'light' yeast (dinner) roll, similar to your Kaiser rolls for many years. The only difference is, no malt and 1/4 cup sugar instead of 2 Tablespoons. I do not brush the tops nor sprinkle a topping on the roll, before baking. But after they cook and still hot, I brush with melted salted butter. They're soft and yummy. Try them out. I am originally from Massachusetts and excited about trying your recipe. My husband (from Florida), has never had a Kaiser roll. This will be a treat. Thank you again. I am looking forward to viewing more of your videos.🌹❤🌹

I haven't made it yet but the cook sounds like she could make a good buttered roll. I asked for a buttered roll at the cafeteria of my job when I moved from NY to Arizona. The guy behind the counter looked at me like I was a dang tourist and slopped bacon grease on a small roll. It wasn't anything like a NY buttered roll. Ima try it tomorrow.

Great recipe!! I moved down south years ago and have been missing these and get them sent down every so often. Not only are you awesome but cute! I miss the accent too! Thanks for sharing!!

I tried this recipe yesterday and the draped towel, although wet like you suggested, stuck to the rolls and killed the rise. Today I jumped into it again, because the first effort had a great taste. This time I used parchment paper to cover. Next time I'll use non-stick parchment because I still had a bit of sticking dough. The rolls came out great the second time, although I think they could use a bit more rise. By the way, I ditched the egg wash in favor of a water spray. Good job, Shannon!

Best video I've seen on screw tube

yay!!! I am so glad I found your video. I cannot wait to have a real buttered roll. Moved to buffalo and the rolls are not the same. Thank You.

Thank you going to try this.

Home run thanks.

My favorite rolls...Def going to try your recipe because I made them earlier and they were too heavy. Yours look perfect. :)

Cannot wait to try these! Great video. I will watch more of your videos!

Do you get the thin crispy top with the egg wash I've been trying to use the steam method but just spot on with the rolls and the cold butter

I have made these rolls following your recipe and they are really great. My problem is they never rise as big as yours. I'm from Jersey but I live in Wyoming now at 5500' of elevation. I know in some recipes you have to adjust for altitude could this be the reason my rolls don't rise or could it be something else, they still taste yummy they are just not very puffy. I make they at least once a week and my daughter steels them when she comes to visit, so puffy or not my family loves them. Thanks for the great recipe.

I am going to try these! Can't find a good hard roll in Florida 😢thanks! Ps if you weigh your dough before you separate into balls, you have an idea what the weigh per roll should be to start with

I miss hard rolls so much! Just made my first batch - doing the second rise now - can't wait to try them. Can I make them the night and then refrigerate so I can bake in the morning for egg sandwiches? I'm wondering what the best procedure would be...

Growing up on them in NJ. thank you.

Amazing !!!!! ❤️❤️❤️

Thank you for this. I moved to Raleigh, NC and can't find these rolls anyplace. I really miss the old neighborhood bakery. Bakeries in general are hard to find here and most only have premade frozen items that they heat up and try to pass off as home/bakery made. None have good rolls!

This is the first video of yours that I have seen, and I am in love! I moved to South Carolina from Brooklyn 25 years ago and have been missing the rolls and bagels for years! I'll be trying this recipe tomorrow for the pop up kitchen I have in Charleston. I need to use these as hamburger buns. Nothing like them. Thans so much! Quick question though, what difference does the malt powder make?

you're awesome I grew up in New York but I live in Miami now and every time I go home to New York it's the first thing I run to on my morning butted rolls so with the pandemic I haven't had the chance to go home to New York for a while so I tried to make my own The taste was great but I think I made one big mistake I put the dough in the refrigerator the night before after it rise and I think that is okay for pizza but it's definitely not okay for these rolls so I watched your video and I also think I made one other mistake because the taste was there but they didn't rise I see that you make them rise after you stamp them I did the same thing I bought the stamp on Amazon so I stamped them but right after I stamped them I put my egg wash and my sesame seeds on and I stuck them right into the oven so clearly I made some mistakes I ate them anyway I don't have the fancy gadgets that you have I'm old school so I do everything by hand.

What brand of malt powder did you buy on Amazon please.

Would you please post photos (close up) of the rolls after they are done and cut open.

Lot of love goes into those buns. Tipping upside down seems like spoiling the stamp. When I myself bake it is huge. Now I'll reveal my odd food today. Broccoli shake: Use a big mug from the coffee shop. chop 1 tomato and put it in. Take 2-3 pieces of well cooked broccoli and put it in. Some raw onion, salt, pepper, oregano and pieces of chopped garlic. Put on the lid and shake. Warm it a little in the micro is optional . It mixes well since the broccoli holds water from the cooking. Make a toast with hummus and cheese and eat from the cup. This really happened today. Twice!