These Handmade Sub Rolls (aka hoagie rolls or grinder rolls) are ideal for any kind of sub sandwich. I developed this recipe specifically for my Homemade Meatball Sub Sandwiches, but they work perfectly for basically any deli-style sandwich that you pile into a roll.
I never hear complaints about having fresh-baked bread in the house-I doubt you will either! These rolls are soft and fluffy inside, but sturdy enough for saucy sandwiches (meatballs, Italian subs, chicken cutlets, etc.) without turning to mush. Honestly, they are so much better than store-bought that it's hard to go back to anything else!
Want a topping variation? Try my Italian Herb and Cheese Bread (Sub Rolls) for a Subway-style herb-and-cheese crust on the same soft dough!
If you're exploring more Kitchen Coalition reader favorites, my Chicken Schnitzel with Lemon Cream Sauce is one of the most requested dishes in my house - crispy, bright, and weeknight-friendly!
Quick Recipe Insights
- Hands-On Time: ~25 min
- Rising Time: 1 hr 30 min (total proofing)
- Bake Time: 15 min (plus 1-3 min if needed)
- Total Time: ~2 hr 10 min
- Servings: Six 10-inch rolls
- Calories: ~363 per roll
- Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
- Flavor Profile: Rich, buttery, lightly sweet-classic deli-style sandwich/hoagie roll.
Handmade Sub Roll Ingredients
I had a few goals I wanted to achieve with this bread. I wanted the rolls to have a good amount of structure to them, yet still remain soft and pliable. Bread flour was the logical starting point in my mind. It has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, which helps form a strong gluten network. In turn, this helps create more structure and body to the bread. I also opted for whole milk for my liquid component instead of water for the added fat content and slight sweetness that it lends.
I also opted for cold, cubed, unsalted butter. Using cold butter versus softened butter extends the kneading time by several minutes, which is by design. Using softened butter takes about 3-5 minutes to completely incorporate into the dough, while using cold butter takes closer to 8-10 minutes. The longer kneading time helps bring everything together to make a really smooth dough and adds more body to the finished product. The longer you knead dough, the stiffer/chewier your bread will be. Having a moderate amount of kneading was key to properly developing the structure of the finished product.
I also strongly encourage you to invest in a digital kitchen scale if you do any baking. In my experience, you will have more accurate, repeatable results when measuring by weight vs. volume, which is always a plus.
Dough Proofing and Shaping Process
This dough will go through two proofing (or rising) stages: a one-hour bulk proof, and then a secondary proof after the dough has been shaped into rolls. I have the complete shaping and proofing process outlined below.
Steps 1 - 4: Mixing & Dough Development
Bloom yeast → combine wet + dry → add butter → knead until smooth.
Steps 5 - 8: Bulk Rise, Dividing, & Shaping
Shaping stages: bulk rise → portion → flatten → roll tightly
Step 9 - Second Proof: The rolls should look puffy and slightly relaxed before scoring.
Step 10 - Egg Wash, Score & Bake: Brush with egg wash, score with quick, shallow slashes, and bake for 15 minutes at 400°F. (If needed, add 1-3 minutes until deep golden brown.)
Did you make this recipe for Handmade Sub Rolls?
Let me know in the comments below how yours turned out, and don't forget to leave a rating!
Recipe
Handmade Sub Rolls
Equipment
- Instant Read Digital Thermometer Optional
- Stand Mixer Optional
- Rolling Pin
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Whole Milk 110-115℉
- 1 Tablespoon + 2 Teaspoons Sugar
- 2 ½ Teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
- 3 ¼ Cups Bread Flour
- 2 Teaspoons Fine Sea Salt
- 2 Eggs Beaten
- 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter Cold, Cubed
- 1 Egg White Beaten - For Egg Wash
- 1 Tablespoon Water For Egg Wash
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, add the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Let bloom for 5 to 10-minutes until frothy.
- As the yeast mixture blooms, combine the bread flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add the yeast mixture and beaten eggs to the flour and salt. Knead on low speed for 3 to 5-minutes until a shaggy dough forms, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Add in the cold, cubed butter, and knead for an additional 8-10 minutes until butter is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth. (The dough ball should weigh approximately 880g at this point).
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and roll into a tight ball.
- Lightly grease a large bowl, turning the dough ball to coat and cover. Cover and let rest for 1-hour, or until doubled in size.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and punch the dough down. Divide into six equal pieces (approximately 140g each) and roll into individual dough balls.
- Using a rolling pin, roll each dough ball into a rectangle that is approximately 9 inches wide by 5inches tall. The dough should be between ¼ to ½-inch thick. Starting with the long side, tightly roll the dough into a log shape. Pinch the end seams together until they are smooth. Place seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Cover the rolls with a damp kitchen cloth, or a second baking sheet, and let rise for an additional 30 minutes.
- While the dough is proofing, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Mix the egg white and water in a small bowl and gently brush over the rolls.
- Using a lame, razor blade, or sharp kitchen knife, score the dough ¼ deep in three spots.
- Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown, or they register 195 - 200°F internally on an instant-read thermometer. (Add 1 - 3 minutes if needed). Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack. Allow them to cool completely before slicing.
Krystal says
I’ve made these twice but both times the final hoagie is much skinnier than it should be and when I slice into the roll, I can still see the individual layers from how the hoagie was rolled up when shaped. Is it underproofed?
Spencer Klickman says
Hi, Krystal! Thanks for giving this recipe a try, but sorry to hear that you're having a little difficulty. It's hard to say without seeing the final results, but I would venture to guess that they're underproofed.
First thing I would also do is to check the freshness of the yeast you have on-hand. Add a small pinch to some warm water with a bit of sugar in it and it should foam up in about 5 minutes or so.
If that's all good, I would double check the milk temperature. Too cold and you'll have slow/sluggish fermentation, too hot and you'll actually kill the yeast. 90 - 100 degrees Fahrenheit is the sweet spot.
If THAT checks out, it may be due to ambient/room temperature. Again, if it's on the colder side it will take longer and vice-versa. They should be nice and plump at the end of the second fermentation, and should lightly spring back when you gently poke them with your finger.
As far as seeing the individual layers goes, it sounds like you may be using too much flour when rolling the dough out. That can can actually create a bit of a barrier for the dough and cause it to not bond together as much as it needs to. It may be hard to resist, especially for a dough that's as sticky as this one can be, but I would recommend using a light hand with the flour the next time.
Please let me know if any of this is helpful! I would love to see you have success with this recipe!
Holly says
Super easy and turned out great!!
Spencer Klickman says
Hi, Holly! Thanks for trying this recipe out - glad they came out well for you!
Amelie says
A perfect recipe!
Spencer Klickman says
I appreciate the kind words, Amelie! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a shot!
Sierra says
I have made several sub roll recipes trying to find the best one, this is it! These are absolutely delicious. And they look beautiful as well.
Spencer Klickman says
Hi, Sierra! Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try. So glad to hear that you enjoyed them as well!
Adina says
Love this recipe!!
I subbed Unsweetened oat milk for milk, and plant based butter. I also did a little bit of honey instead of sugar, and and 1 tablespoon of salt because I prefer less sweet rolls. Oh my goodness, soooo good!
I also like to make them with half whole weather flour for whole wheat sub rolls as well. These make amazing sandwich rolls, or dinner rolls with butter.
Spencer Klickman says
Thanks for the kind words, Adina! So glad to hear you enjoyed them.
Alyssa says
These look AMAZING I just took them out of the oven and am so looking forward to slicing into them and building a sandwich. Thank you for the recipe!
Spencer Klickman says
It's a challenge resisting the urge to cut into them while they're still warm, that's for sure! Thanks for giving this recipe a try!
Brooke says
Would this be a good bread machine recipe. I use mine to make dough for many different breads since it proofs it as well.
Spencer Klickman says
Hi, Brooke! I've never actually used a bread machine, so I can't say for certain, but I would imagine that this would work great in a bread machine. As far as I understand how they work, I believe you could use the machine to combine/knead the dough as well as through the first proof.
Please let me know how they come out if you decide to try the recipe!
Glorya says
Would you be able to substitute olive oil in place of the butter?
Spencer Klickman says
Hi, Glorya! I've never tested this recipe using oil instead of butter, but from what I've looked up you can either swap them out 1 to 1, or use 75% of the amount called for depending the amount of fat per serving of both the butter and oil. The texture will likely be more dense using oil as well, just FYI.
Please let me know how how these turn out if you decide to make them!
Laura says
Hi Spencer, my question is about the shaping of the rolls. After tightly rolling into a cylinder would it be helpful to pinch the long seam as well as the ends, before placing seam side down on the sheet? I ask because I have an Italian bread recipe that calls for the same shaping method and, even though the recipe doesn’t call for it, if I don’t pinch that long seam together the loaf tends to open up during baking. It’s no big deal for a loaf but I wouldn’t want my hoagie roll to do that. Thank you in advance.
Spencer Klickman says
Hi, Laura! You can pinch the long seams together if you want, but you need to careful not to over handle the dough at that stage otherwise you'll degas it too much. I have never had any issues leaving the bottoms "unpinched". Good luck, and please let me know how they turn out for you!
Christie says
Hi! I just pulled these out of the oven and omg, they look delicious!! I can’t wait to make our sandwiches later!! Excellent recipe! Thank you so much for a very detailed recipe! I do bake breads and cakes quite often for my husband, and honestly, this one looks like a winner!!
Spencer Klickman says
Thanks for the feedback, Christie! So happy to hear they turned out for you.
Scott says
These are the softest grocery store like rolls I've ever made. I didnt even think it possible to replicate.
Spencer Klickman says
Thanks for the kind words, Scott! I'm glad you enjoyed them and thanks for giving this recipe a shot!
Jennifer says
These look wonderful!. Could this recipe be used with AP flour? I don't have bread flour on hand.
Thank you,
Jennifer
Spencer Klickman says
Hi, Jennifer! Yes, these can absolutely be made with AP flour vs. bread flour. They may not be quite as soft and fluffy due to the lower available protein/gluten content in AP Flour, but they will still turn out great. Give them them a shot and let me know how they turn out!
Demi says
We could not get enough of these rolls. Seriously the most PERFECT texture. The recipe was so easy to follow and did not take long at all. Will be saving these and making them at least once a week! Thank you!!
Spencer Klickman says
Hi Demi! I'm so glad to hear you liked the recipe, and thank you for trying it out!
Linda Rech says
Can you use instant yeast?
Spencer Klickman says
Hi, Linda! Yes, an equal amount of instant yest will work great for this recipe. You can skip the blooming step and mix it directly in with the flour with the salt in step 2 since instant yeast doesn't need to be bloomed like active dry yeast does.
Be sure to still warm the milk and water though, as that will help with achieving an active first rise! Please let me know how they turn out!
Kassie says
Is it normal for the dough to deflate after scoring with a razer? I don’t score the other half of the dough buns because I got worried
Spencer Klickman says
Hi, Kassie - No, that's not normal for the dough to completely deflate on you when you score it. Seems to be an issue with improper gluten development, or overproofing, but is hard to tell from your comment alone.
Can you tell me a bit more about your process, as I'd love to troubleshoot this with you! The first thing I would check is the proofing times and temperatures, as those are the two biggest variables (barring any ingredient substitutions, etc.) with how this dough holds up.
Please let me know! As always, feel free to email me directly with any questions at spencer@the-kitchencoalition.com too!
Kassandra Simeonidis says
Hi thank you for the reply!
My dough also seemed rather dense (even the dough that I didn’t score)
I’m a little new to baking bread, and it’s also very cold winter where I am.
I let the dough rise for 1 hr, then another 20 min in my oven (needed more time) that I pre-warmed (and then turned off), I had a bowl of hot boiling water in the oven to keep it warm,
The second proof I let rise for 30 min and they didn’t seem like they raised enough so I left them to rise for another 20 min.
The yeast is a brand new bottle I bought last week, it’s active dry yeast not instant.
Thats about it, the bread tasted fine, but could just need a warmer environment to rise better maybe.
Spencer Klickman says
Thanks for the other relevant info, Kassie. It sounds like you're on the right track with keeping things warm, so that's good. If the dough was dense after both rises, I would say that they were more than likely underproofed. It should be relatively soft and "fluffy" feeling even after punching down after the first rise.
If you give this recipe a shot again, I would extend the first proof to 2 hours and the second proof to 1 hour.
If that still doesn't fix your issue, it may be a lack of gluten development (which could be caused by the flour you use and/or a kneading issue). Please report back if you have any further questions!
Elyse says
When it's cold in my house I put a heating pad on my counter on warm, then cookie sheet on top to spread the warmth, then proofing bowl on top. A little unconventional, but it works!
Spencer Klickman says
Elyse - This is a fantastic display of dedication to baking, and I'm TOTALLY here for it! Love the suggestion!
Irene says
You can also put the dough inside you car in the garage. That's my go to for perfect proofing when it's cold out! Works every time!
Liz says
Made these for meatball subs and can't recommend enough. I made 8 smaller rolls. The bread is thick and sturdy for sandwiches. The egg wash is a must! So so so good, will be using this recipe all the time!
Spencer Klickman says
Hi Liz! So glad you tried the recipe and that they came out well for you!
Karen says
I make these once a week. The best recipe I have found so far.
Spencer Klickman says
Awesome to hear, Karen! I'm honored that these made it into your weekly rotation!