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Hoagie Roll Recipe (Video)
Prep Time
1 hr 45 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
2 hrs
 

Soft homemade hoagie rolls with a crust that crackles when you cut them. Six pantry ingredients, one dough for subs, burgers and hot dogs.

Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Keyword: hoagie roll, sandwich roll
Servings: 8 rolls
Calories: 273 kcal
Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin
Ingredients
Hoagie Roll Dough
  • 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast 1 packet
  • 3 1/2 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour Add up to 1/2 cup more only if the dough stays wet.
  • 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp kosher salt Morton
  • 1 1/3 cups warm water about 110F, divided
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
Hoagie Roll Egg Wash (Optional)
  • 1 egg white, lightly whisked for a firmer crust
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
How to Make the Hoagie Roll Dough
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Knead in 1/4 cup room-temperature butter for about 2 minutes, until it's fully worked in.
  4. 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
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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)
  4. Bake the hoagie rolls 15 to 20 minutes, until golden. The center of a roll reads 190F to 195F if you have a thermometer.
  5. 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
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Storage: keep the rolls uncut in a paper bag 2 to 3 days, or wrap them individually and freeze up to 1 month.
Nutrition Facts
Hoagie Roll Recipe (Video)
Amount Per Serving (1 roll)
Calories 273 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 15mg5%
Sodium 637mg28%
Potassium 91mg3%
Carbohydrates 46g15%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 177IU4%
Calcium 10mg1%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.