Homemade Sub Rolls

125 Minutes

If you’ve ever wondered how to make homemade sub rolls that are soft, fluffy, and bakery-quality, you’re in the right place. These rolls are pillowy on the inside with just the right amount of chew on the crust perfect for sandwiches, hoagies, or even served warm with butter. Once you try this easy sub roll recipe, you’ll never want store-bought again.

Why These Sub Rolls Are the Best

The secret to the perfect soft sandwich roll is in the ingredients and technique:

• Warm water + milk → Using both gives softness (from the milk) and chew (from the water).
• Honey → A touch of natural sweetness balances the yeasty flavor.
• Bread flour → Bread flour builds strength for structure.
• Dry milk powder → This is the game-changer. Milk powder adds extra richness and helps the rolls stay soft and fresh longer. It tenderizes the dough, deepens the flavor, and makes your rolls taste like they came straight from a bakery.
• Egg wash → Brushing before baking gives that beautiful golden crust and allows toppings like sesame or poppy seeds to stick.

Pro Tip: If you don’t have dry milk powder, you can skip it, but your rolls won’t stay soft as long. It’s worth keeping a small bag in your pantry if you plan on baking bread at home.

Extra Tips for Success

• Knead until smooth → Dough will be sticky at first don’t add too much flour too soon. The dough should be tacky but manageable after kneading.
• Use a kitchen scale → Measuring flour by weight gives more consistent results than cups.
• Steam trick → Place a small pan of hot water in the oven while baking. This creates steam for an even softer crust.
• Make ahead → Rolls freeze beautifully. Just wrap cooled rolls in foil, then in a freezer bag. Reheat in the oven for that “fresh-baked” taste.
• Custom toppings → Go classic with sesame seeds or get creative with everything bagel seasoning, garlic powder, or even parmesan.

How to Use These Homemade Sub Rolls

These rolls are incredibly versatile! Try them with:

• Meatball subs with marinara and melted mozzarella
• Deli sandwiches stacked high with turkey, cheese, and fresh veggies
• Pulled pork or BBQ chicken sandwiches
• Or simply toasted with butter and jam

Homemade Sub Rolls

---

• Author: Sweta Patel
• Total Time: 1 hour and 25 mins
• Yield: 4 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Full Screen

Ingredients

Scale

1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x 11x 12x 13x 14x 15x 16x 17x 18x 19x 20x

1x2x3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x 11x 12x 13x 14x 15x 16x 17x 18x 19x 20x

• 1 cup warm water
• ½ cup warm milk
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 2 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp melted butter (not hot)
• 1 ½ tsp salt (or 2 tsp if using unsalted butter)
• 3–3 ½ cups bread flour
• 1 tbsp non-fat dry milk powder
• 1 egg (for egg wash)
• Optional toppings: sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, poppy seeds

---

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk warm water, warm milk, yeast, and honey. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy.

2. Mix in melted butter and salt. Add 3 cups bread flour, and dry milk powder.

3. Knead 5–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Use the 1/2 cup of flour to help knead the dough, you may not need all of it but use as much as needed. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise 30 min – 1 hrs (until doubled in size).

4. Punch down, then divide into 4 equal pieces. Flatten, roll, tuck in sides, and pinch the ends to seal.

5. Place on a parchment-lined tray, cover, and let rise another 20 minutes, until your oven is preheating.

6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Score the tops, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with toppings if desired.

7. Bake 22–25 minutes, until golden brown, cool slightly before slicing.

• Prep Time: 60
• Cook Time: 25
• Category: Sandwiches

Keywords: homemade, sub roll, bread, flour, yeast, sandwiches, hoagies