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Best Super Soft and Chewy Hoagie Roll Recipe

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5 from 483 reviews

The BEST soft and chewy bread roll for hoagies/submarine/grinders. Pillowy soft rolls that are begging to be filled with deliciousness!

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 – 4 cups bread flour (448-512 grams) *see note
  • 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoon – 1 1/2 cups warm water (110-115F degrees) / 325-355 grams  *see note
  • 2 Tablespoons / 25 grams of sugar
  • 1 packet instant yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons of RedStar Platinum Yeast) / 7 grams
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt / 6 grams
  • 4 Tablespoons / 56 grams cold unsalted butter, cubed *see note

Instructions

Using Active Dry Yeast? Start here

  1. Proof the Yeast: In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together the active dry yeast, sugar, and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of warm water. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture is foamy and bubbly.
  2. Initial Mix: To the same bowl, add 2 cups of flour and the remaining 1 cup of warm water. Attach the dough hook, set the mixer to low speed, and mix for 4 minutes.
  3. Continue Recipe: Skip to Step 1 of Recipe Continuation below to finish the dough!

Using Instant Yeast? Start here

  1. Initial Mix: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add 2 cups of flour, the water, sugar, and instant yeast. Set the mixer to low speed and mix for 4 minutes.
  2. Continue Recipe: Skip to Step 1 of Recipe Continuation below to finish the dough!

Recipe Continuation

  1. Knead & Adjust Hydration: Increase mixer speed to medium. Add the salt and the remaining flour (1 cup at a time), mixing for 5 to 6 minutes, until the dough becomes slack (see note). If the dough is not slack after 5 to 6 minutes, add additional warm water 1 tablespoon at a time (up to 1/4 cup extra, for a total of 1 1/2 cups water). Note: The exact amount of extra water needed depends on your room’s humidity.
  2. Work in the Butter: Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until each tablespoon is almost fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix for 1 to 3 minutes total, until the dough comes back together and pulls completely away from the sides of the bowl, leaving a smooth, shiny surface.
  3. First Rise: Transfer the dough to a greased, covered bowl. Allow it to rise at room temperature for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
  4. Divide & Shape: Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a very lightly floured board. Divide into 4 to 8 equal pieces and shape as desired. Tip: Use as little flour as possible during shaping—too much flour will result in tough rolls.
  5. Second Rise: Place the shaped rolls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let rise for 30 to 45 minutes, until almost doubled. Do not overproof, or the rolls will deflate in the oven.
  6. Bake: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Slash the tops of the rolls with a bread lame if desired, and apply an optional wash/brush coating. Bake for 16 to 23 minutes, until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 200°F (93°C).
  7. Cool & Slice: Transfer to a wire rack and allow the rolls to cool completely before slicing with a sharp serrated bread knife.

Notes

Flour & Water

Depending on the type of bread flour as well as how humid your kitchen is you may need to increase the water to 1 1/2 cups (which is only another 2 tablespoons more than the original). At times I’ve had to actually go up to 1 3/4 cups total but that was due to how humid my house was at the time.

Cold Butter

I was raised using cold butter in this recipe though you may use softened or equal amounts of olive oil. When using cold butter, even though you ‘meld it into the flour’, you’re helping with gluten formation and the development of dough structure.

Slack Dough

Slack dough means when the dough cannot hold a shape; it has no elasticity or spring back at all. It’s a wet dough but not too wet. It’s “billowy”. The dough is super, super soft, and smooth.

Equipment

I would HIGHLY recommend using a quality bread knife to slice these as the rolls are soft and chewy and nothing is worse when cutting into them with a crappy knife! You’ll love this knife! Sani-Safe S162-8SC-PCP 8″ Scalloped Bread Knife with Polypropylene Handle Pan

Coating your bread

  • Whole egg: this will give your bread a sheen and color
  • Egg Yolk: this will give your bread color and will help brown it
  • Egg White: Will give you a firmer crust
  • Milk: will give your crust color
  • Butter: will make your crust softer and richer

Find it online: https://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/2012/07/02/super-soft-n-chewy-hoagie-rolls/