Description
Homemade sub rolls bring Italian bakery magic straight to your kitchen with crusty exteriors and tender, airy centers. Professional bakers know these rolls elevate sandwiches from ordinary to extraordinary, guaranteeing restaurant-quality results you can create at home.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients:
- 3 Cups (450g) Bread Flour
- 1 Cup (245g) Whole Milk
- 2 Eggs, Beaten
- 3 Tablespoons (42g) Unsalted Butter
Leavening and Seasoning Ingredients:
- 2 ½ Tablespoons (30g) Granulated Sugar
- 2 Teaspoons (11g) Active Dry Yeast
- 2 Teaspoons (12g) Fine Sea Salt
Egg Wash Ingredients:
- 1 Egg White, Beaten
- 1 Tablespoon Water
Instructions
- Activate the yeast by whisking warm milk, sugar, and yeast together in a medium bowl, allowing the mixture to become frothy and bubbly for about 8 minutes.
- Sift bread flour into a stand mixer bowl and incorporate salt, creating a dry ingredient base.
- Pour the activated yeast mixture and beaten eggs into the flour, mixing on low speed to develop a shaggy, rough textured dough.
- Gradually introduce cold, cubed butter while kneading, continuing to work the dough until it transforms into a smooth, elastic consistency with no visible butter chunks.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a compact, round ball with a taut surface.
- Place the dough in a greased large bowl, rotating to ensure complete coverage, then drape with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm environment until volume doubles.
- Deflate the risen dough and segment into six uniform portions, rolling each into a precise rectangular shape.
- Tightly roll each rectangle from the long edge, creating a compact loaf and meticulously sealing the seams to prevent unraveling.
- Arrange the rolls seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet, maintaining adequate spacing between each.
- Let the shaped rolls proof for approximately 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 400°F.
- Whisk egg white with water to create a glossy wash, generously brushing over each roll’s surface.
- Make three shallow, precise scores across each roll’s top to facilitate even expansion.
- Bake until the rolls achieve a rich, golden-brown color and reach an internal temperature of 195-200°F, approximately 15-20 minutes.
Notes
- Activate yeast properly by using warm milk between 110-115°F to ensure perfect blooming and active fermentation.
- Kneading butter into the dough requires patience; cold cubed butter helps create a tender, flaky texture with rich flavor.
- Allow sufficient rising time for maximum volume and soft, airy sub roll structure, which develops complex bread characteristics.
- Scoring the dough before baking creates beautiful crust patterns and helps control bread expansion during the baking process.
- Precise internal temperature around 195-200°F guarantees fully cooked rolls with perfect moisture and doneness.
- Brush egg wash before baking to achieve a glossy, golden-brown exterior that looks professionally baked.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 37g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 50mg