Hoagie Roll Recipe (Video)
Hoagie rolls are long, soft sandwich rolls with a crust that crackles when you cut them. I stopped buying the bagged ones the year I started baking my own. Readers have rated this recipe more than a hundred times since 2020.
If fresh bread is your thing, you will like my Homemade Pita Bread, this Rustic Farmer’s Bread and my Artisan No-Knead Bread too.
What Is a Hoagie Roll?
A hoagie roll is a long, flattish sandwich roll with a soft inside and a firmer outside. It is built to hold a pile of meat, cheese and dressing and still cut cleanly.
I still remember the first time somebody said hoagie bun to me. It sounded like a made-up word. The same roll goes by sub, hero, grinder and Italian sub roll depending on where you live, and there are four different stories about where the word hoagie came from.
Hoagie Roll vs Italian Sub Roll
Same shape, nearly the same dough. An Italian sub roll is leaner and crustier. A hoagie roll has butter in it, which makes the crumb softer. If you want the crustier Italian version from this recipe, skip the egg wash and set a metal pan of hot water on the rack below the rolls while they bake.
Why You’ll Love These Hoagie Rolls
This is the roll I bake when sandwiches are dinner.
- Thin crust, real chew – thin enough to bite through without the filling sliding out, and the inside stays soft under hot roast beef or a saucy meatball sub.
- No bread experience needed – six pantry ingredients, a forgiving dough, and a video that walks you through every step.
- Ready in 2 hours – most of that is the dough rising on its own.
- Not the bagged kind – store rolls are made to sit on a shelf for weeks. These are flour, water, yeast, salt, sugar and butter, and they taste like bread.
- One dough, any sandwich – long for subs, round for burgers, short for hot dogs.
- Freeze for a month – bake a batch, freeze it, and pull out one roll at a time. They toast up like fresh.
Hoagie Roll Ingredients
Six ingredients. The flour and the butter are the two that decide how these come out. Amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom.
Hoagie Roll Dough
- Bread flour: its extra protein builds more gluten, so the rolls come out chewy and sturdy enough for a loaded sub. All-purpose works and bakes a little softer.
- Yeast: it feeds on the sugar and makes the gas that lifts the dough. I use Platinum yeast – a tiny bit of dough conditioner in it strengthens the gluten, so the dough is easier to work with and rises higher without collapsing; it’s instant, so it can go straight in with the flour once you know the packet is strong.
Is your yeast still strong?
Yeast doesn’t tell you when it has gone weak. I have bought yeast on Amazon, months before its expiration date, that took forever to rise. So unless you have used that packet recently and know it works, test it first: stir it into the warm water with a pinch of sugar and wait 10 minutes.
A tall foamy hat means it’s strong. Only a little foam means it’s alive but slow: use it and plan on a longer rise, or open a packet with longer before its expiration date and test that one. Nothing at all after 10 minutes means it’s dead.
- Sugar: food for the yeast, and it helps the crust brown. These rolls are not sweet.
- Kosher salt: it seasons the dough and slows the yeast down a little, so the gluten has time to build. I use Morton, and that’s what the card amount is based on.
- Warm water: it wakes up the yeast, so it goes in warm like bath water, never hot. Hot water kills yeast.
- Unsalted butter: room temperature. The fat coats the gluten, so the crumb stays soft instead of turning into a crusty baguette.
Hoagie Roll Egg Wash (Optional)
- Egg white: brushed on top, it bakes into a thin, firmer, shinier crust. Leave it off for a softer top.
How to Make Hoagie Rolls, Step by Step (With Video)
I like to read a bread recipe through once before I start, so nothing catches me off guard at the shaping stage.
How to Make the Hoagie Roll Dough
This is the part a bread machine can do for you.
- Proof the yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar until it foams. Not sure your yeast is good? Test a packet you haven’t used lately (see the yeast note under Ingredients).
Using a bread machine?
Let the machine make the hoagie roll dough. No need to proof the yeast, and use cold or room-temperature water, not warm, since the long machine kneading heats the dough up on its own. Add the water, sugar, salt and flour to the pan, then the yeast goes in dry, last. Run the dough cycle and drop in the butter when it beeps for add-ins. When the cycle ends, the dough has already had its first rise, so pick back up at shaping.Why warm water, not hot?
The water has to be warm, not hot. Bath-water warm is right. Hot water kills the yeast on contact, and dough made with dead yeast will not rise no matter how long you give it. - Mix and knead the hoagie roll dough on low until it pulls away from the bowl and feels tacky, not wet. Do not knead past that point.
How do I know it’s kneaded enough?
Go by how the dough feels, not by the minutes. Every mixer works at its own pace. The dough is ready when it pulls away from the bowl and feels tacky rather than wet. Knead much past that and the dough turns slack and sticky, and the rolls won’t hold their shape in the oven. - Knead in the room-temperature butter once the dough is smooth.
Why does the butter go in last?
Butter goes in at the end, not the beginning. Wait until the dough is smooth, then work it in. Butter added early coats the flour so the dough never builds its strength, and the rolls bake up short and heavy. - Let the dough rise, covered, somewhere warm until it doubles, and no further.
Can I skip this rise?
Both rises, not just one. The first rise is where the flavor and the fine crumb come from, so plan on it. Short on time? You can skip it: let the kneaded dough rest 15 to 30 minutes so it relaxes, then shape and proof as usual. The rolls will still be good, just with less flavor.Not rising? Don’t throw it out
Wait it out, don’t throw it out. Two hours in and still flat? I’ve been there, and it’s so frustrating. But that dough is almost never ruined. Old yeast is slower, not dead, and a cold kitchen slows it even more, so move the bowl somewhere warm (not hot) and give it time. I once waited 6 hours on a dough because I forgot to check my yeast. It rose. Yours will too. What if nothing happens at all?
How to Shape, Proof and Bake Hoagie Rolls
Shaping takes a few minutes. Most of this part is waiting on the second rise.
- Divide the dough into equal pieces, rest 10 minutes, then roll each one up tight and pinch the seam shut.
How tight should I shape them?
Shape them tight, not loose. A smooth, drum-taut top and a firmly pinched seam send the rolls upward in the oven. A slack shape spreads sideways instead. - Proof the shaped rolls, covered, until doubled and puffy.
How do I know it’s proofed?
Is it ready to bake? The poke test: Flour your finger and gently press a small dent into the side of one roll.- Under-proofed – springs right back and the dent disappears. Give it 10 to 15 more minutes and test again.
- Just right – fills back in slowly and a small dent stays. Score and bake now.
- Over-proofed – the dent does not fill in at all and the roll looks wrinkly or starts to sag. Bake right away; it will be a little flatter but still good.
Where’s the best warm spot?
Proof somewhere warm, not somewhere hot. Run the oven 40 seconds at 350°F, turn it off, leave the light on and set the covered bowl inside. That holds around 75 to 78°F. Much hotter than that and the dough rises too fast to develop much flavor.
- Score the rolls down the length with a sharp blade in one quick pass. Egg white on top for a firmer crust, or leave them bare.
What should I score them with?
Score with a sharp blade, not a dull knife. One clean pass, about a quarter inch deep. A dull edge drags through proofed dough and pushes the air straight back out of it. - Bake the hoagie rolls at 375°F until golden, about 15 minutes, then cool 20 minutes before cutting.
Is my oven really at 375°F?
Trust an oven thermometer, not the dial. Home ovens routinely sit 25°F away from what they say. That gap is usually what is behind rolls that brown on top while the middles stay doughy.How do I know they’re done?
Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Light golden is enough; they will likely get toasted for a sandwich anyway. If they brown much faster than that, your oven runs hot: tent them with foil and give them the full time so the middle bakes through. An instant-read thermometer in the center of a roll reads 190 to 195°F when they are done.
Marina’s Pro Tips for
the Best Hoagie Rolls
I learned every one of these from a batch that didn’t turn out.
- The water has to be warm, not hot. Bath-water warm is right. Hot water kills the yeast on contact, and dough made with dead yeast will not rise no matter how long you give it.
- Go by how the dough feels, not by the minutes. Every mixer works at its own pace. The dough is ready when it pulls away from the bowl and feels tacky rather than wet. Knead much past that and the dough turns slack and sticky, and the rolls won’t hold their shape in the oven.
- Butter goes in at the end, not the beginning. Wait until the dough is smooth, then work it in. Butter added early coats the flour so the dough never builds its strength, and the rolls bake up short and heavy.
- Both rises, not just one. The first rise is where the flavor and the fine crumb come from, so plan on it. Short on time? You can skip it: let the kneaded dough rest 15 to 30 minutes so it relaxes, then shape and proof as usual. The rolls will still be good, just with less flavor.
- Shape them tight, not loose. A smooth, drum-taut top and a firmly pinched seam send the rolls upward in the oven. A slack shape spreads sideways instead.
- Score with a sharp blade, not a dull knife. One clean pass, about a quarter inch deep. A dull edge drags through proofed dough and pushes the air straight back out of it.
- Proof somewhere warm, not somewhere hot. Run the oven 40 seconds at 350°F, turn it off, leave the light on and set the covered bowl inside. That holds around 75 to 78°F. Much hotter than that and the dough rises too fast to develop much flavor.
- Trust an oven thermometer, not the dial. Home ovens routinely sit 25°F away from what they say. That gap is usually what is behind rolls that brown on top while the middles stay doughy.
- Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Light golden is enough; they will likely get toasted for a sandwich anyway. If they brown much faster than that, your oven runs hot: tent them with foil and give them the full time so the middle bakes through. An instant-read thermometer in the center of a roll reads 190 to 195°F when they are done.
- Wait it out, don’t throw it out. Two hours in and still flat? I’ve been there, and it’s so frustrating. But that dough is almost never ruined. Old yeast is slower, not dead, and a cold kitchen slows it even more, so move the bowl somewhere warm (not hot) and give it time. I once waited 6 hours on a dough because I forgot to check my yeast. It rose. Yours will too. What if nothing happens at all?
How to Cut a Hoagie Roll
How you cut it depends on what is going inside. For a cold sub piled with meat and cheese, use the u cut: run a knife down the top and lift out a long, thin wedge. Fill the roll, then set the wedge back on top so nothing slides out on the first bite.
For a hot, saucy sandwich like a cheesesteak or a French Dip Sandwich, cut a deep slit down the middle instead. The roll hinges open, holds the filling and soaks up just enough of the juice.
Ways to Serve Hoagie Rolls
Long rolls hold a classic Italian sub, a meatball sub, or hot roast beef with melted cheese. Shape the same dough round and you have burger buns for a Bacon Cheeseburger. Go smaller and you have hot dog buns.
The dough also works for Egg and Sausage Stuffed Breakfast Boats, which is my favorite way to use up a roll that has been sitting a day.
How to Make Hoagie Rolls Ahead
Mix the dough the evening before and let the first rise happen in the fridge overnight. The slow, cold rise builds deeper flavor than a same-day bake. Next morning, shape the cold dough, let the rolls proof until puffy (they take longer straight out of the fridge), then score and bake.
How to Store Hoagie Rolls
Room temperature: Keep the cooled rolls uncut in a paper bag or a bread box for 2 to 3 days. A paper bag lets the crust breathe; a sealed plastic bag turns it soft.
Freezer: Wrap each roll on its own and freeze for up to 1 month. Slice them before they go in and they come out sandwich-ready.
To refresh: A few minutes in a hot oven brings the crust back on a day-old roll. Frozen rolls can go in straight from the freezer.
A few more questions that come up every time somebody bakes these for the first time.
Hoagie Roll FAQ
Why Isn’t My Hoagie Roll Dough Rising?
Don’t throw it out! Slow dough almost always comes down to one of two things, and you can fix both.
Your yeast is old. Old yeast is weaker, but it still works. It just needs more time.
Your kitchen is cold. Yeast works slowly in a cool room. Move the bowl somewhere warm, not hot, and give it more time.
If a few more hours somewhere warm still show no rise at all, the yeast is dead. That batch is done, so make a new one with a fresh packet of yeast.
Why Did My Hoagie Rolls Turn Out Dense?
Nine times out of ten it is the yeast. If it never foamed in the warm water, it was not alive, and the dough was never going to rise. The other two causes are too much flour from a packed measuring cup and a proof cut short because the kitchen was cold. Let the rolls double, however long that takes in your house.
Why Did My Hoagie Rolls Deflate When I Scored Them?
A dull blade. A knife that drags instead of slicing pushes the gas out of a fully proofed roll. Use a sharp serrated knife or a razor blade and make one confident pass, about a quarter inch deep.
Can I Use All-Purpose Flour Instead of Bread Flour?
Yes. Bread flour has more protein, so it gives you more chew and a sturdier roll. All-purpose makes a softer roll that is still very good, especially if you are using them for burgers or hot dogs rather than a heavy sub.
What Is the Difference Between a Hoagie Roll and a Sub Roll?
Mostly geography. Philadelphia says hoagie, sub is the national name, and hero and grinder belong to New York and New England. Where the bread actually differs is richness: an Italian sub roll is usually lean and crusty, while a hoagie roll has butter in the dough for a softer crumb.
Can I Make Hoagie Roll Dough in a Bread Machine?
Yes, and it is the easiest way to do it. Load the pan in this order: water, sugar, salt, flour, yeast, and run the dough cycle. Add the butter when the machine beeps for add-ins. When the cycle finishes, take the dough out and pick the recipe up at shaping. Full details are in Note 1 of the recipe card, and my Bread Machine Bread uses the same approach.
How Do I Get a Crustier Hoagie Roll Crust?
Two things. Brush the tops with lightly whisked egg white instead of leaving them bare, and put a metal pan of hot water on the rack below the rolls when they go in. The steam keeps the surface soft long enough for the rolls to spring, then sets into a thin, crisp shell.
Can I Shape Hoagie Roll Dough Into Hot Dog Buns or Burger Buns?
That is the best thing about this dough. Roll the pieces shorter and thinner for hot dog buns, or shape them into smooth balls and flatten them for burger buns. The bake time drops a few minutes for the smaller shapes, so watch the color. If you want a dedicated version, here are my Homemade Hamburger Buns.
More Bread Recipes to Try
- 4 Ingredient Artisan Bread Dough – one master dough that keeps in the fridge for a week.
- Homemade Bagel Recipe – the breakfast side of the sandwich family.
- Basic Brioche Bread – the rich, buttery cousin of this dough.
- Pretzel Dog Recipe – dinner and bread baking in one.
- Simple Homemade Sugar Donuts – the most-made recipe on this site.
Watch Marina Make This Hoagie Roll Recipe
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Hoagie Roll Recipe (Video)
Soft homemade hoagie rolls with a crust that crackles when you cut them. Six pantry ingredients, one dough for subs, burgers and hot dogs.
Ingredients
Hoagie Roll Dough
- 2 1/4 tsp (7 g) active dry yeast 1 packet
- 3 1/2 cups (525 g) bread flour or all-purpose flour Add up to 1/2 cup more only if the dough stays wet.
- 2 Tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp (12 g) kosher salt Morton
- 1 1/3 cups (320 ml) warm water about 110F, divided
- 1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
Hoagie Roll Egg Wash (Optional)
- 1 (30 g) egg white, lightly whisked for a firmer crust
Instructions
How to Make the Hoagie Roll Dough
-
Proof the yeast by dissolving 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast in 1/3 cup of the warm water with a pinch of sugar. Leave it 10 to 15 minutes, until the top foams. Only a little foam means slow yeast, so plan on a longer rise; no foam at all means it is dead. Instant yeast can go in with the flour in step 2 if you know the packet is strong.
-
Mix and knead the hoagie roll dough with 3 1/2 cups flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, 2 tsp kosher salt, the remaining warm water and the yeast mixture, until it stops sticking to the bowl and feels tacky.
In a stand mixer: stir with a spoon to bring it together, then knead with the dough hook on low 10 to 20 minutes.
By hand: knead 15 to 20 minutes, until the dough stretches into a thin pane.
Do not knead past that point; overworked dough turns slack and won't hold its shape. -
Knead in 1/4 cup room-temperature butter for about 2 minutes, until it's fully worked in.
-
Let the dough rise in a well-oiled bowl, covered, somewhere warm and draft-free until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Stop at double; a longer first rise leaves too little lift for the second. (Note 2)
How to Shape, Proof and Bake Hoagie Rolls
-
Divide the dough on a floured or oiled surface into 6 to 8 equal pieces, or 4 for extra-large rolls. Roll each into a smooth, tight ball and rest 10 to 15 minutes. Roll each ball into a 6x4 inch rectangle, then roll it up tight into a 6 inch log and pinch the seam and the ends shut.
-
Proof the shaped rolls seam side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced evenly and covered with a clean kitchen towel, until doubled, 30 to 45 minutes, somewhere warm such as the oven with just the light on. Ready when a floured finger leaves a dent that fills back slowly (poke test in the post above). Take them out before you preheat.
-
Score the rolls once the oven is preheated to 375F, about 1/4 inch deep down their length with a sharp serrated knife, in one clean pass. Brush the tops with lightly whisked egg white for a firmer crust, or leave them bare. A dull blade drags and deflates the roll. (Note 3)
-
Bake the hoagie rolls 15 to 20 minutes, until golden. The center of a roll reads 190F to 195F if you have a thermometer.
-
Cool the rolls on a cooling rack at least 20 to 30 minutes before cutting. Cutting into hot bread squashes the crumb and makes it gummy.
Recipe Notes
- Bread machine method: use cold or room-temperature water, not warm. Load the pan in this order: water, sugar, salt, flour, yeast. Run the 1.5 hour 2 lb loaf dough cycle. Add the room-temperature butter about 20 minutes in, when the machine beeps for add-ins. When the cycle ends, pick the recipe up at the divide-and-shape step.
- A warm proofing spot in a minute: run the oven at 350F for 30 to 50 seconds, turn it off and leave the light on. Put the covered bowl inside and shut the door. That holds around 75 to 78F, which is where this dough rises best.
- For a crustier crust: set a metal pan of hot water on the rack below the rolls when they go into the oven. For a leaner Italian sub roll, skip the egg wash and use the steam pan on its own.
- Other shapes: roll the pieces shorter and thinner for hot dog buns, or shape them into flattened balls for burger buns. Smaller shapes bake a few minutes faster, so go by color.
- Overnight option: let the first rise happen in the fridge overnight for deeper flavor. Shape the cold dough the next day. The second rise takes longer straight out of the fridge.
- Storage: keep the rolls uncut in a paper bag 2 to 3 days, or wrap them individually and freeze up to 1 month.
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I first published this hoagie roll recipe in 2020, and readers have rated it more than a hundred times since. In September 2026 I updated the post with the video tutorial, a step-by-step section with the photos sitting in the steps, notes on what each ingredient is doing, storage and make-ahead directions, and answers to the questions that come up most often about dense rolls and crust.
Marina | Let the Baking Begin
Hands down the best Hoagie rolls I ever made. Thank you for that recipe.
I’ve tried many different sub rolls, hoagie rolls dinner rolls. And none of them compared to this recipe. These sub rolls came out so light and airy is so tender. They are fabulous.
Oh boy, do I love hearing this 😀 😀 😀
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for sharing your feedback!
This hoagie roll recipe looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it out for our next family dinner. The tips you included are super helpful, especially about the dough rising time. Thanks for sharing such a delicious and detailed recipe!
I’ve made this recipe repeatedly with many flour brands and types and it always comes out so good. My husband uses them for his daily sandwich and is never disappointed. I have made them in all shapes and sizes and it just works. I’ve done it so many times I wrote the gram measurements on the printed recipe so I don’t have to dirty measuring cups. It’s easy and perfect for regular use.
That’s awesome, Tami! So happy to hear you love this recipe!
Not sure if you’ve noticed, but under the ingredient list there’s a “metric” toggle that you can press and it will show all ingredients in grams instead of US measurements.
I have made this recipe twice, now. I have always loved a soft, delicious, moderately sweet hoagie, and this roll is EXACTLY that. I follow the recipe to “T” and it never fails. My favorite thing to top it with is an Italian seasoning and parmesan to give it the deli-sandwich vibe. 5/5 every single time.
I’ve made this recipe time and time again. I use my bread machine and I add the butter right in with the warm water. I use the dough cycle not the actual baked bread cycle so there is no waiting / wondering when to put the butter in. I shape and then rise again for time stated. I didn’t find the recipe confusing at all and it’s turned out great from the very first try, which is why I continue to make it. Pot roast, meatball and many other sandwiches, dinner loaves, sausage / hot dog buns even dinner rolls and breadsticks. Thank you for this very versatile recipe!
You should make this bread!
I didn’t know how this recipe was gonna be any different than any other bread recipe I’ve tried for 40 years. But I followed the recipe, mostly… Same ingredients just probably not the best measuring.
Anyway to my surprise this is the best recipe for bread, pizza crust, calzones, dinner rolls, pretzels, anything. This is a great bread recipe.
I don’t think I’ve ever used as much sugar in my mix as we did in this recipe, and I certainly never used butter, would’ve never thought of doing it at room temperature. And then rolling the dough out with a pin, and then rolling it up into a several and pinching the ends brilliant. They were wonderful and I made homemade meatballs and marinara to go in them
I never leave a review but I like the spread and you did a great job on the article. Thank you
Hi Tricia! Loved reading your comment! Comments like this make me so happy! So happy to hear about your journey with this recipe!
Proofing ADY is an optional step if you know your yeast is active. The only reason one needs to activate regular dry yeast is IF you aren’t sure it’s good. I’m using ADY like it’s IDY and it works the same.
Followed the pretty confusing recipe and ended up with basically 8 breadsticks. Dough was likely too flour heavy and overworked although I followed the recipe timing. Also, the amount of adds on this website made it nearly impossible for my device to load the recipe which was pretty frustrating. Will likely look elsewhere and I’m jealous of those who had success!
Try it again my house smells like heaven! I always always always over mix I didn’t know you could. I thought that’s how you got gluten.
You should make it you can do it!
Made these tonight and they’re great!
I used the bread machine instructions. I was skeptical about adding the butter after and was anxiously watching it mix in but it worked great! I will be investing in a kitchen scale to make sure they’re all the same size next time 🙂
Thank you for this recipe
I just reread the recipe and found where I put the butter under the tip about over kneading. Pretty disappointment with the layout of the instructions. Here is a tip: tips in nearly all Recipies are at the end so it’s less confusing when your trying to follow the recipie.
The directions do not use the butter. I read the recipe 10 times. I made these rolls and they turned out pretty flavorless because I couldn’t find out when I am suppose to add the butter 1/10 will not make again
The butter step is listed in the recipe. Read it again
I just made this recipe. I ve read it 5-6 times. Why does it call for butter but the instructions don’t have when it add the butter? It’s proofing right now without the butter. I’m so confused.
I made This recipe today and they were very delicious.But I was expecting them to have a harder crust as they appear n the photo. I did egg wash them and added some sesame seeds. They were soft like a hot dog or hamburger bun. Is that how they are supposed to be?
I made these yesterday and they were fabulous. I am from South Philly, where we eat “hoagies” and “cheesesteaks”. I made 4 large rolls and cooked some shaved rib eye, fried up some onions and melted the cheese – ala cheesesteaks. My children and hubby raved about them. Even I exclaimed, ‘this was the best cheesesteak i’ve ever had”.
Thank you – I am making more today.
That’s awesome! Thank you so much for such great feedback!
It’s a perfect hoagie recipe. It’s everything I want it to be. My partner says it reminds him of Jimmy Johns’s bread but better. Made this 3-4 times last month.
Nice recipe. Thank you.
terribly written recipe . waste of food stuff , time & energy.
Sounds like you might’ve not gotten a result that you should’ve from the recipe, sorry about that 🙁
If you would like, I can help you troubleshoot to see what went wrong. Let me know if I can help you.
Made these in the bread machine, which I often do, and they were the very best by far. Perfect texture for a sub roll. Made them for sausage and peppers. I had grown the peppers, and wanted to feature them in a dish that was not tomato heavy. So often the rolls get soggy, if there is a sauce, but not these. And the flavor was excellent!
Loved hearing your feedback! Thank you so much for sharing!
Short version for those who are stumped.
Put the ingredients (minus the butter) in the bowl of a stand mixer, starting with less flour. You can always add more flour if required. I would start with 3 1/4 cups flour. Knead until the dough starts to come off the sides of the bowl. If you need more flour, add 1 Tbsp at a time. To get optimal results, your dough should always a bit on the tacky side. If you add too much flour, your buns will be dense.
Add the butter and knead until incorporated. Shape into a round ball and put in a lightly greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with saran or a plastic bowl cover.
Most ovens have a proof cycle. If yours does, put in the oven and proof for 45 to 60 minutes, until doubled in size.
If your oven does not have a proof cycle, you can proof at room temperature…it will likely take 20 minutes longer to get doubled in size.
Alternately, put the covered dough in a microwave or big tub that has a cover. Put a mug of boiling water beside the bowl with the dough. Close the microwave and let the dough proof until doubled in size, again, about 45 to 60 minutes. ***The water is IN THE MUG, not in the dough. The steam will warm the microwave.
Remove, shape, bake.
My only caveat to this recipe, was that I had to continually re-read as I was going along. Maybe just rearrange, so that it is concrete and stepwise. Otherwise, best hoagie rolls I have ever had.
I have read step 3 upside-down sideways and backwards but I can’t make sense of it. I don’t have a microwave but even if I did I’d have a stroke trying to determine what I’m supposed to do at step 3. Microwave a towel then put a plate on it then put another towel on top then the bowl of dough on top, in the microwave? Are you high?
My dough has been proofing for 3 hours during the summer, at no point in time has it risen. Its, in fact, a hard and solid dough ball.
Hi Atlas,
You got it precisely right. All you’re trying to do with the towels and plate and the microwave is create a warm environment for your dough to rise.
But, in the summer, in 3 hours your dough should’ve proofed already even at room temp on a counter top. If it did not, most likely your yeast is old and inactive.
To break down the towel and microwave situation – the wet towel heats through and will help to keep the bowl with the dough warm. But, putting the bowl with the dough directly onto the wet hot towel will be too hot for the dough, so you’re trying to create a barrier between the hot towel and the bowl. For that, you’re covering the wet towel with a plate, so that the dry towel doesn’t get wet. Then, the dry towel on top of the plate acts as a buffer for the heat. Hope this makes sense. This set up is works well for the winter and cold temps, and really speeds up the rise, but that’s no help if your yeast is old and inactive.
I just bought the yeast and just opened it for this bread, it’s as fresh as it gets.
Also, your kneading times can’t be right. Mine was getting tough at about half that time.
Still don’t know what what wrong. No dinner for me!
I followed this recipe to the letter. Only had to proof mine for 46 mins and they turned out perfect. Absolutely nothing wrong with the recipe or instructions.
Wholly cow folks… is there a bandwagon of peeps out there who just dislike this young lady or what? The recipe, its instruction, and the added tips for proofing are all spot on and in no way confusing?
If you find yourself needing to reread something, thats prolly’ a good thing. This recipe works perfect every single time and they are a great roll of any shape or size. I also use it to make little loaves of bread in a 5″ flat bottom bowl. Great for homes where you don’t eat a lot if bread.
Thank you young Marina!
Thank you, so much, Charlie for your wonderful feedback!!
This recipe is horrible! Please read your directions they go from a-z-b-y. I wish I could be reimbursed for the wasted ingredients
Care to comment on your comment. I was considering making this. Wonder what you did not like about
kneading in a stand mixer for 20 minutes is way too long of a time…Try 7-8 minutes.
The bread tasted good. My problem is the directions-it felt a bit all over the place. In the less detailed directions, there is no mention of butter at all. The detailed directions call for 1/4 room temp butter! Lots of scrolling to make sure what I was doing was correct.
It’s at the bottom under the tip. Usually the tip is just extra stuff to know and there are no instructions following… but this person wanted to make things complicated.
Absolutely fantastic recipe worked out great perfectly crisp on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside.
I haven’t made this particular hoagie recipe yet, but I have a question about your terminology more than the recipe itself, which I’m sure with some tweaking would be fine.
In my experience, proofing is for the yeast, to find out if it’s viable, and it’s a matter of letting it foam up for a few minutes after you add whatever lukewarm liquid you plan on using for your bread, to ensure that the yeast is alive. I believe what you are referring to as proofing is actually allowing the dough to rise, a critical step in any bread-making. So, read in that context, your directions make more sense to me.
I’m not trying to be nit-picky, but terminology for a new bread baker is pretty important. I have never heard of having to proof your yeast more than once, so I was a little nonplused at first, and I’ve made many loaves.
Hi Gele,
Thank you for your comment. Here’s more information for what the term “proofing” means according to Wikipedia – https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proofing_(baking_technique). My use of terminology in this post is pretty consistent with that which is described in Wiki as well.
Please don’t reference wiki to back up your cooking, trust me, you know more than the ever changing wiki gangsters and you are 100% correct in your instructions. “Proofing” occurs anytime you let yeast do what yeast does….
Excellent recipe!! I made 3 hoagie rolls for cheesesteaks today and 6 round rolls for wimpies tomorrow. Perfection. I put the bowl of dough in the fridge for a cold, overnight rise. This morning I shaped them, let them rise and baked them off on a parchment lined baking sheet with a sprinkle of cornmeal. The smell of them baking was intoxicating. They are light, soft but substantial enough to hold up to the fillings we’ll put in them. This will be my go-to recipe for sandwich/hoagie rolls! Thank you!
Fantastic! I kneaded the bread for about 15 min others on low speed and these turned out just perfect! After I added the butter I felt like the dough was a little wet, but 1 tablespoon of extra flour solved that. Thank you for the great recipe and instructions.
Fantastic recipe…I am an avid bread baker and this turned out perfect. I did shorten the kneading time by about 5 because my dough was the right consistency, just need to recognize when it’s ready! So great and simple!!
Love hearing that!
Terrible!!! Wouldn’t try again. I threw out the dough. Why would you kneed so long and then add the butter?
Adding any kind of fat before the gluten is formed will slow down gluten formation. Gluten formation is needed for the best rise/strength of the dough. You can add the butter together with other ingredients, but it will slow down the process of gluten formation.
I made these today for sandwiches for dinner. It is a very good recipe, tender, just lovely. I did want to mention that when you add the softened butter, the dough will look like it is sort of splitting. That’s OK, just keep beating it in until it comes back together. It looks scarey but be assured it does work. I didn’t change a thing in the recipe. It’s great.
I normally knead my bread dough by hand but was busy today so I decided to try the stand mixer. 20 minutes seemed like such a long time so I did 15. The rolls turned out fantastic. Such a nice crumb! Really transformed our chicken sandwiches. Thank you!
Great recipe. First time making hoagie rolls. I did have a slight problem with the way my rolls came out. Def on me. The rolls were a bit heavy. Still good for sandwhiches and what not. I accidentlty bought bleach flour. So would that have caused the heavyness? I did run the mixer for 20 minutes for the kneading . Should have I gone longer?
Thanks.
I’ve done this recipe several times now and my rolls always come out so nice looking and they taste better than any I’ve ever purchased at a market. I make mine in my bread machine so it is even super easier. Thanks for this great recipe. Even my daughter-in-law was impressed!
So good! Can we freeze the extra?
I’m so disappointed, I followed this recipe, but ended up with a bowl of soupy flour in my mixer bowl. I’m not sure if it’s my dough hook (could that possibly be?), but I cannot for the life of me get a workable dough out of my stand mixer, not without adding so much flour that the bread becomes ruined. I’m getting seriously discouraged from bread making.
I started with 3 1/2 cups flour and added the additional 1/2 when the dough did not come together.
Sounds like the problem is your flour. Have you tried changing the brand of flour? I have had an experience like you’re describing and the problem was bad flour. When the flour is bad, sometimes it fails to come into a ball no matter how much flour you add which results in a hard lump instead of fluffy baked good.
Good flour can and fresh unexpired dried yeast are essential to good baked goods. If you’re able to get your hands on King Arthur brand of flour or Bobs Redmill, both of those are good. For the best rise and texture I recommend the Platinum Red Star yeast – ever since I switched to this yeast my baked goods became exceptional. They were good bhbu for, but now they’re amazing!
Great recipe! I bake a lot and have tried many different “hoagie” roll recipes and this one was the best so far. I made 6 rolls and the size was just right for meat ball sandwiches. I toasted them a bit and they held up super well to the meat and sauce! I was a bit hesitant about adding the salt at the start but it didn’t effect the rise at all. My only change was switching to hand kneading when I added the butter. It wasn’t incorporating well in the stand mixer but finishing by hand did the trick. Definitely goes to the top of the class!
Wow! What a great review! Thanks, Diane!
I followed your recipe to a tee, and like all things, it always takes some adjustments because of all the factors you also mentioned in one of your replies to a disgruntled reader.
Well, these are my modifications, for all it’s worth:
1. I used my own batch of sourdough starter, and replace the corresponding amount in flour and water from the listed ingredient’s weights.
2. I delayed the addition of sugar, salt, and butter so that during autolyse (first proofing) gluten’s development is optimized.
3. I use a heat sink (a 1/4″ steel plate in my oven, so that the bottom cooks more uniformly. As a consequence, I had to bake the buns for 30 minutes.
Modifications 1 and 3 are, of course, a personal choice, but I think that modification 2 is important, because sugar and fats hinder gluten development during autolyse.
Hi Paolo Catasti,
Sounds like you definitely know a thing or two about bread baking. This recipe was simplified for a common baker with not a lot of advanced knowledge and skills in bread baking. But, if one wanted to go pro, all your modifications are such valuable info. Thank you for sharing!
I use my bread ma home a lot to make butter rolls. My machine is an older machine and it doesn’t do all those things like beep to tell you to add things in. So with that said when would I add the butter? Usually When making rolls I add the butter after the wet ingredients have been added.
Great and easy to follow.
I don’t have a stand mixer or a bread maker I’ll have to do it all by hand is that okay?
Yes, you can totally make it by hand. Just knead the dough until it stops sticking to your hands, or becomes tacky to touch. Do not add too much flour or the buns will be heavy.
I had high hopes for this recipe but was a little disappointed.
The dough was beautiful and easy to work with but I expected the rolls to rise more in the oven but they were much more flat than I expected. Perhaps because I stretched it to 8 rolls? I’m an avid baker and have used the yeast recently, as well as had no problems getting the dough to rise before shaping.
I definitely plan on trying this out again and making a few tweaks to see how it goes!
Hi Amy, thank you for your honest review.
If you try this recipe again and you want them larger in size, I’d recommend only making 6 or 4 out of this recipe.
Just an FYI, when allowing the dough to rise, only allow it to double in size before putting it in the oven. You know the dough is ready for the oven when you can press with your finger about 1/2 inch deep and the hole fills in only partially and very slowly. If it springs back quickly and fills in completely, it needs a little more rising time. If you poke it and it just stays indented, the dough has over-proofed and will not rise a lot more in the oven. An over-proofed dough actually rises in the oven and deflates a bit when removed.
Can the butter be substituted for margarine or oil, something nondairy?
Yes, you can use margarine or oil.
I made the recipe, following the directions. It was delicious! Thank you for sharing amazing recipe.
This recipe is so confusing. How is it possible the mixer and hand kneading times are the same and SO LONG? And when and how are you supposed to add the butter? I’ve never made bread and kneaded it for 20 minutes and THEN add the butter? So much clarification needed on this one
Hi Ashley,
every mixer and speed of kneading by hand is different, these are only estimations. That is why I included a description of what the dough needs to look like when the kneading process is done. You need to use your own judgement for when you need to stop kneading as only you can see and touch the dough in front of you. Different flours, humidity in the air, equipment and speed, is different, and there’s no way for me to give you a precise time, so I used an estimation based on how long it took me with my equipment, in my environment.
While many recipes will tell you to only knead it for several minutes, and you can for sure knead for only several minutes, there are proper ways for handling the dough and there are shortcuts that can be taken. Kneading until proper gluten formation (in this case 20 minutes) is the proper way to do it, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t do it for several minutes as a shortcut.
The butter can also be incorporated into the dough at the beginning of the mixing process, as a shortcut. But the proper way to add fats to bread doughs is to add it at the end, after the gluten has formed. Adding the butter in the beginning will hinder the formation of gluten in the dough and require longer kneading.
To add the butter into the already kneaded dough, you can break the dough into chunks, then add the butter in chunks and turn your mixer on a higher speed to incorporate it. Or just mix it in by hand by adding flattening the dough slightly, adding the butter to the middle, then folding it in half and continuing the folding and stretching of the dough until the butter is fully incorporated. There’s no need to use any precise method for incorporating the butter, just however works for you.
If it helps, I use a Kitchenaid ProLine Series 7 and I learned that apparently it is *very* particular about how to use it for bread. Apparently, you only ever want to run it at speed 2 and divide the time required by 5 (the conversion is 2 min stand mixing for every 10 min hand kneading), using the dough hook. My initial attempt led to VERY overworked dough because I didn’t adjust in this way and followed the recipe as written. When I only kneaded for 4-5 min with the dough hook and then added the butter after that, it came out perfectly. I actually removed it from the mixer and finished incorporating the dough by hand to make sure it couldn’t overwork.
Technology, super helpful but sometimes a little overenthusiastic.
Those are great tips.
It’s hard to write recipes that will fit everyone’s equipment and knowledge level, but I do my best to try to also include information on what to look for in the dough when you’re kneading. Hopefully those are helpful as well.
Hi there
I made these rolls on a first attemp and will definitely give it another go. I was a made a mistake or two, but know in which areas need improvements.
I have ome simple question? Can these rolls be freezed?
Awaiting your reply.
Kind regards
Zee Dee
Hi Zee Dee,
yes, the rolls can be frozen. Just wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze until needed. When you want to eat them, leave at room temperature or microwave to thaw.
Hi there,
I made these today, and am not an experienced bread baker. They turned out okay. I mean they tasted good. Crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. So I’m glad I didn’t make doorstops! But I found when I cut them open to make subs, they unraveled, like my roll wasn’t tight enough or something. 3 of the six were not sandwich material. If I just make 4 big ones instead of 6, can I omit the rolling up. It really didn’t work for me
Reading the comments, several mention milk? Are they simply replacing the warm water with milk? I don’t see any mention of milk in the ingredients list
Hi Chris,
Not sure. The recipe only includes water, though.
Your recipe is great that I want to do it. But I wonder that what thing can I eat with Hoagie Roll?
You can use it as bread to eat with a meal, or use it as part of a sandwich.
Patience, thy name is Marina
There seemed to be a few fundamental problems with this recipe. I encourage the chef (Marina) to consider these improvements:
1. Be sure that people can’t cut the recipe in half. It simply doesn’t work well, especially if kneading with a standard mixer and dough hook.
2. Kneading for 20 minutes seems to overwork the gluten. So, once the dough goes into the oven, the rolls don’t rise as well as they should. They are denser with a harder surface (which is what happens when bread dough is over-kneaded).
3. Rolling out dough balls to a rectangular pancake shape after going to the trouble of having the dough rise for an hour seems to undo the work of letting the dough rise. This contributes further to a hoagie roll that doesn’t rise as well. Maybe this was my error, but I bake bread every single week.
4. It seems to make sense that the dimensions of the rolled out “pancakes” would depend on whether you were making 4, 6, or 8 rolls. Or am I missing something?
Thanks for the recipe, nevertheless! Having grown up in Philly and now living on the West Coast where there are no hoagie rolls that are worth purchasing, I’ll keep going with this recipe until it works well for me. Cheers, Marina!
Hi Patricia!
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback and your suggestions, here’s what I did to help make it a more user friendly recipe.
1 & 2 – I have added clarification as to what the dough is supposed to look like once the gluten is developed, to help with knowing when to stop kneading instead of just relying on the time suggestion.
3. Typically after the dough goes through the first rise, we punch down the dough so that it does not continue rising and thus overproofs. Putting the dough through several cycles of proofing improves texture and gives it a better complexity of flavor.
So, rolling it out flat after the first proofing is totally ok, in my experience. The second time around though, the dough takes only half the time to proof to the same volume it did the first time, since the yeast had the time to multiply (during the first rise). If the bread didn’t rise as well the second time around (after shaping) as it did the first time, there’s probably an issue somewhere else along the process. If all else fails though, just giving it more time to proof and not rushing the process should still allow it to double in size.
4. Per your suggestion, I added clarification that rolling to that size will work when you make 6 or 8 hoagies.
I hope this makes your and other people’s experience with this recipe goes smoother!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your suggestions!
God, what a drama queen. The recipe is great and technically correct. Thank you for posting it……..
I was amazed as to how these bread came out. I tweaked the original recipe by adding powder milk and it turned out really great. I will be keeping this recipe
That’s great, Debbie! Thank you for sharing your experience!
These were wonderful. My husband was raving about them. So soft on the inside, even after broiling the sabdwiches to toast them.
I believe the recipe does not mention to punch fien the dough after the first rising. Shouldn’t I do so?
Thank you so much for your review, Barbara!
When you invert the dough and divide it, you’re basically deflating the dough after proofing, which makes it unnecessary to punch it down. But if you’d rAther punch it down, that would be fine too.
I was really excited to make these and I followed it very closely watching and reading directions. My bread came out way too skinny. My only thoughts are I used almond milk and not regular milk. Could that be my problem?
This recipe is a keeper! We used it yesterday for beef tenderloin sandwiches and the flavor and texture were outstanding. So much better than other recipes we have tried.
Wow… It looks hard to do well but I did, thanks your detail sharing!
You should be proud of yourself! Breads can be intimidating, but as you said – once you do it, it’s not that big of a deal. Thanks for your feedback!
Do you add the butter in the mixture if doing with mixture?