Soft Italian Sub Rolls (Beginner-Friendly Recipe)

Don’t let bread baking scare you. If you’re a beginner, these rolls are a perfect place to start. You can do this, I promise! Just a few simple ingredients, and you can have homemade sub rolls ready in no time. Best of all, you can freeze them for a yummy homemade sandwich any time at all.

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need

A stand mixer is not strictly necessary, and you can knead by hand. I personally hate this, but it’s doable. It will take at least 15 minutes, and you’ll need to keep going until you see those “windows”. However, you do need metal baking sheets, not glass or ceramic.

Heart’s Content Farmhouse is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This means that when you click on certain links on this site and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I genuinely believe in and would use in my own kitchen. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Equipment

• Stand mixer or bread machine
• large bowl (for first rise)
• kitchen scale (optional)
• Plastic wrap or a damp cloth (to cover the dough while rising)
• 2 rimmed metal baking sheets (This is essential for creating steam, definitely no glass or ceramic pans, which can shatter when the water hits the hot pan.)
• Parchment paper
• Pastry brush
• cooling rack

Ingredients

• 3 ½ cups bread flour (This creates chewier rolls with better structure than all-purpose flour. In a pinch, all-purpose works, but the texture won’t be quite the same.)
• 1 ¼ cups water
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 ½ teaspoons instant yeast (Mixes right into your dough, rises without trouble, no proofing first.)
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ¼ cup vegetable oil

How to Make Italian Sub Rolls

If you live at a high altitude, everything’s a little different. The biggest change is that the dough rises fast! Watching your dough and maybe using less yeast or cutting down on rise time can help. Here’s a high-altitude baking guide from King Arthur Baking for more advice on adjusting recipes for altitude.

Step One: Knead The Dough

Add all ingredients to a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, a bread machine, or a large mixing bowl if kneading by hand. Then, knead until the dough is smooth and stretchy, about 8-10 minutes. To see if it’s kneaded enough, try the “windowpane test”: stretch a small piece of dough thin enough to let some light through without it breaking. The dough should be smooth and slightly sticky to the touch, but it should clear the sides and bottom of the bowl. If using a bread machine, allow the kneading cycle to finish.

Step Two: First Rise

Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover it with a damp cloth or plastic wrap.  Let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size and is very puffy.

Step Three: Rest

After the first rise, gently deflate the dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces. For best results, use a kitchen scale to make sure you get even portions. Loosely shape each piece into a log. Then, cover the logs with plastic wrap and let them rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes. This rest period will make the dough easier to shape.

Step Four: Shape

Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper and dusting it with cornmeal. To shape the rolls, gently stretch each log into an oval roll. Pull down the bottoms of the dough to smooth out the tops and pinch the ends underneath to create a smooth, seam-free surface. Place the shaped rolls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving enough space between them for the second rise.

Step Five: Second Rise

Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter using a pastry brush. Cover them with heavily greased plastic wrap to prevent sticking and allow them to rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes, or until very puffy. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 425°F. Place a rimmed metal baking sheet on a lower rack in the oven to preheat as well.

Step Six: Bake With Steam

When the oven is hot, pour 1 cup of water onto the preheated metal baking sheet to create steam. I know it seems scary to be pouring things into a hot oven, but don’t skip it. Immediately place the rolls on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 15-19 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Step Seven: Cool And Serve

Remove the rolls from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Let them cool completely before slicing for sandwiches. These rolls are best enjoyed within 2 days or can be frozen for later use.

Serving & Storing Italian Sub Rolls

Once your rolls have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container or a zip-top bag at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh for about 2 days.

To make ahead, you can cover the dough after the first rise and place it in the refrigerator overnight. Let it come to room temperature the next day, shape the rolls, and allow them to rise a second time before baking.

These rolls freeze very well. Once they’re completely cooled, put them in a freezer-safe bag or wrap them in plastic wrap. Then, put them in a freezer bag. They’ll stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When you’re ready to use the rolls, take them out of the freezer and just let them thaw at room temperature, which usually takes a couple of hours. You can rewarm them, but for a sandwich, room temperature is just fine.

Questions and Troubleshooting

Make It Your Own

This is a basic dough you can customize.

• Brush with olive oil instead of butter before baking
• Top with sesame or poppy seeds
• Add garlic and parmesan
• Add dried herbs to the dough – oregano or basil are both good!
• Shape into shorter rolls for slider buns or longer loaves for hoagies
• Try semolina instead of cornmeal on the bottom

Related Recipes

• Old fashioned soft and buttery yeast rolls are perfect for the holidays.
• These no-knead dinner rolls are super easy (but they do need a long time to rise).
• Bread machine sandwich rolls can be made on the weekend for fresh sandwiches throughout the week.
• I love making these brioche burger buns for burger night.
• A bread machine is an easy way to make dinner rolls.

Printable Recipe