Chewy Italian Sesame Rolls
Old-school Italian bakeries always have the best bread. But I can’t always get to one, and the grocery store rolls don’t hold up (you know, the ones that are too soft and get squished down to nothing?). So, I make my own chewy Italian sesame rolls that are chewy, dense, and have a nice sesame seed crust. They can handle any hoagie filling without getting soggy and are great for dunking in sauce. They’re also easy to make and don’t take all day.

Chewy Italian Sesame Rolls
Ingredients
- 4 cups bread flour
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 egg white mixed with 1 tablespoon water for topping
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
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Instructions
- Mix. Combine flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or bread machine on the DOUGH cycle. Add water. Mix with a dough hook on low speed until ingredients come together, about 2 minutes.
- Knead. Increase speed to medium and knead for 10-12 minutes until the dough is very smooth and elastic. The dough should be fairly stiff. You can also knead by hand, but it will take about 15 minutes at least.
- Rise. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Divide. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 8 equal pieces. (This makes a good sandwich size, but 12 or 16 pieces is better for dinner rolls)
- Shape. Form each piece into a tight ball by pulling edges under and pinching to seal. Place on two parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Proof. Cover shaped rolls with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until puffy but not double – about 45 minutes.
- Prepare. Brush rolls gently with egg white mixture and sprinkle generously with sesame seeds.
- Bake. Bake rolls at 375 ℉ for 25 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until deep golden brown and crusty. Cool on wire racks.
Notes
What makes these great is what’s NOT in them. No eggs, milk, or butter. Just a simple lean dough of flour, water, yeast, and salt. Keeping it simple will create that dense, chewy texture we want for meatball subs or dipping in pasta sauce.

Don’t rush the kneading or rising. Even though in the bread world, a 2-hour rise is pretty short. But still, let it have the time it needs.
Tips for Success
Watch the first rise carefully – letting it go too long will result in a lighter, airier roll (which isn’t what we want here).
When shaping, make sure to pinch the seams tightly closed, or your rolls will split while baking.
The egg white wash needs to be thorough but gentle – too rough, and you’ll deflate the rolls.
They’re done when they’re DEEP golden brown – pale rolls won’t have that crusty exterior.
Ingredients and Equipment
Bread Flour: Essential for developing that chewy texture – all-purposewon’tt give you the same results.
Instant Yeast: This makes the process foolproof since it can be mixed right with flour.
Stand Mixer: While you can knead by hand, a stand mixer with a dough hook makes this SO much easier.
Parchment Paper: Prevents sticking without adding extra flour that could make the bottom too tough.
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Make It Your Own
Shape them differently or add different toppings.
- Shape into longer rolls for hoagies or smaller ones for dinner rolls
- Try poppy seeds or a mix of sesame and poppy for topping
- Add 1 tablespoon of dried Italian herbs to the dough for herb rolls
- Leftover rolls make amazing homemade croutons or breadcrumbs
The next time you’re craving a really good Italian sandwich, skip the grocery store and pull these rolls out of your oven instead. Once you’ve made them yourself, there’s no going back.


By Katie Shaw
Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.