Sourdough Hoagie Rolls
Easy sourdough hoagie rolls or sourdough sandwich rolls are perfect to create your favorite sandwiches and subs! You just need a few simple ingredients and some sourdough starter!
Why you will love our sourdough sub rolls recipe
- Sourdough hoagie rolls are perfect to take with you as a quick lunch or for a family picnic. It is also a great bun for a school or work lunch.
- You can make them as they are or add your favorite herbs for extra flavor! Be creative and find the perfect flavor to give extra flavor to your favorite sandwich.
- They are super easy to make, and sourdough hoagie rolls are suitable for freezing! This makes them the perfect bun for mealprep.
- These little sourdough sandwich rolls go perfectly with your favorite spreads and toppings. Check out our list of favorite toppings below.
- It is a great bun to create your favorite copycat sub! You don’t need any special ingredients to make the buns for your favorite sub at home.
- Kids love them! We know how hard it can be to find something your kids will actually eat, so we love to share recipes that worked for us.
Ingredients
Sourdough starter: As with all our bread recipes, you need an active sourdough starter. The wild yeasts in your starter will create the pillowy, soft texture. If you don’t already have one, you can create a sourdough starter from scratch in just 7 to 8 days!
Flour: To make the softest hoagie rolls, you want to use bread flour (we love this King Arthur bread flour). While you can use all-purpose flour, using bread flour will give you the best result.
Salt: You can’t bake good bread without adding salt. Salt enhances flavor and helps strengthen the dough. You can use any salt you like, but I always use sea salt for this recipe.
Variations
Herbs: Adding herbs to these sandwich rolls is a great option if you plan to take them with you to a picnic or gathering. I like to add 1 tablespoon of rosemary or parsley, but you can use any herb you like. Serve them with garlic butter or plain butter and cheese.
Cheese: Adding 1/2 cup of shredded cheese like Gouda, mozzarella, or cheddar adds a ton of flavor.
Whole wheat: To transform them into whole wheat sourdough dinner rolls, simply replace the bread flour with whole wheat flour. You can also make them 100% whole wheat if you use a whole wheat sourdough starter.
How to make sourdough hoagie rolls
Day one
We like to begin the night before by mixing all the ingredients except the salt. Let the dough rest for half an hour (autolyse) before adding the salt, and knead the dough for 10 minutes in our food processor.
After bulk fermenting the dough, it is time for the stretch and folds. Repeat them four times before dividing the dough into six pieces.
Now it is time to shape the sub rolls. Take one piece of dough and shape it into a rectangle. Roll it up and place it seam down on your lined baking tray. Cover them with a damp towel and let them rise for another 30 minutes until fluffy.
While you preheat your oven, you need to score the sub rolls. We like to score them once in the center to allow the buns to rise properly. When your oven is ready, bake them for about 30 minutes and brush them with a little bit of melted butter as soon as they come out for an extra soft and glossy top. This is optional, but it does make them extra delicious.
Our tips for this recipe
- Use bread flour. Using a flour with a high protein content gives the bread a better texture. The stronger gluten makes a light and airy texture, but you can use all-purpose flour if that’s all you have.
- Make sure your starter is active. I recommend feeding your starter a few hours before you begin, and start when it reaches peak rise for the best results.
- Double the recipe. In my house, these sourdough hoagie rolls never last long! Between our hungry teens, husbands, and ourselves, the buns are gone in no time, so I always make double or triple the amount listed below.
- Measure your ingredients in grams instead of using cups. I know many of you love using cups, but I can’t stress enough that learning to use grams will improve your baking. Once you know how, it's so much easier and requires fewer dishes to wash!
Storage
You can store these sandwich rolls at room temperature or freeze them for later use. On your counter, they will last for about two to three days. If you want to keep a few at hand, they will stay fresh for up to six months in the freezer. Keep in mind that, like any bread, the crust may become soft after freezing. However, you can restore their crispiness by placing the buns in the oven for a few minutes until they regain their crunch. They do take a while to thaw, so I like to take them out of the freezer the night before.
More sourdough bread recipes to try next
Sourdough Hoagie Rolls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter 100 grams
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup water luke warm
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon butter melted for brushing on top after baking *optional
- 4 cups bread flour 500 grams
Instructions
- Feed your starter about 4-8 hours before you begin.
- In a large bowl of your stand mixer, mix the flour, sugar, milk, sourdough starter, and oil. Mix with dough hooks for 10 minutes, cover your bowl, and let it rest for 30-60 minutes. This is called autolyse.
- After autolyse, it is time for the stretch and folds. Pull each corner into the center of the dough and repeat this step four times every 30 minutes.
- Let the dough ferment for 4-8 hours until doubled in size and easily pulls away from the sides. How long it takes depends on your room temperature.
- Divide the dough into six pieces.
- Pull each piece of dough into a rectangle and roll it up, starting on a long side.
- Place your sub rolls seam down on a lined baking tray and cover them with a damp towel to let them rise for another 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 425 °F (200 °C).
- Score each bun in the center and bake them for 25-30 minutes.
- Brush them with melted butter *optional and let them cool on a cooling rack.
