Sourdough Sandwich Rolls (AKA Hoagies)

A pile of homemade sourdough sandwich rolls on a round wooden board.

These Sourdough Sandwich Rolls (AKA Sourdough Hoagies) are the perfect way to make your favorite subs and sandwiches at home!

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Breads

Cuisine: American

Keyword: hoagies, how to make sourdough, Sourdough, Sourdough Bread, sourdough hoagies, Sourdough Recipes, sourdough rolls, sourdough sandwiches, Sourdough Starter, sourdough starter recipes

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 25

Rising Time: 10

Total Time: 10 45

Servings: sandwich rolls

Calories: 502kcal

Author: Dolly | Little Home in the Making

Ingredients

▢ 1 ½ cups warm water 90ºF/32.2ºC (360 g)
▢ 100 grams sourdough starter active and bubbly (about ½ cup)
▢ ¼ cup honey (85 g)
▢ 2 teaspoons salt (11 g)
▢ 5 cups bread flour (600 g)
▢ ¼ cup unsalted butter softened (58 g)

Instructions

Before you get started:

Feed your sourdough starter about 4-6 hours before you plan on making the dough. You will need 100 grams; you can either feed your main sourdough starter or prepare a levain. To make a levain, combine 20 grams of starter, 40 grams of flour, and 40 grams of water. Stir, cover, and rest until doubled.

Making the Dough:

Add 300 grams (1 ½ cups) of warm water to the bowl of your stand mixer, along with 100 grams of active sourdough starter. Using the whisk attachment, mix slowly to combine until the liquid appears milky.
Next, add the honey and salt, whisk to combine. Note: If your honey is stiff, try heating it first.
Add 2 cups of the bread flour and mix until incorporated. Then, add ¼ cup of softened butter and mix until fully combined.
Replace the whisk attachment with the dough hook attachment.
Slowly add the remaining flour by adding about ⅓ cup at a time, allowing the flour to become fully incorporated before adding more. *The dough will still stick to the sides of the bowl, but hold its shape.
Set your stand mixer to medium speed. Knead the dough using the dough hook for 3-5 minutes (6-8 minutes if doing it by hand), or until the dough begins to come away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be soft, but it may still stick to the bottom of the bowl. That’s okay! The dough should be slightly sticky/tacky – it’s a good sign that it will not be too dense once baked.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap (or a damp kitchen towel) and allow to ferment at room temperature until it roughly doubles in size, about 8-12 hours. Note: The time can vary depending on the temperature of the room and how active your starter is. The best indicators are a dough that nearly doubles in size, and springs back when gently pressed with a thumb.

Shaping the Rolls:

Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Set aside.
Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a clean, dry surface.
Cut the dough into 6 even pieces using a sharp knife or bench scraper.
Take one portion of the dough and gently form it into a log shape. I recommend that you gently flatten it out (try not to pop all of the bubbles), then roll it up, tucking in the edges as you go. Note: An unfloured surface helps to keep surface tension, making shaping a little easier, but if your dough is very sticky, you may like to dust the surface very lightly with some flour.
Place the shaped sandwich roll on the baking sheet, then repeat with the remaining dough until you have shaped all 6 rolls.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
Cover the rolls with a sheet of plastic wrap and allow to rise next to the warm oven for 30-45 minutes, or until puffy.

Baking the Rolls:

Using a bread lame, razor, or very sharp knife, score a line down the middle of each roll, the long way.
Optional egg wash: Whisk together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water and brush it over the surface of each of the rolls.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25-28 minutes, or until the outside is golden brown and the inside has reached a minimum internal temperature of 190-200ºF (88-94ºC).
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing into them, although 2-3 hours is best.
Serve and enjoy! Leftovers freeze very well, so feel free to make them in bulk and freeze for later.

Notes

Storing leftovers: Store your bread in a plastic bag (or linen bag) for 1-2 days at room temperature, or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Refrigerated bread does become a bit more dense. Freeze for longer storage (thaw before using).

Without a stand mixer: The dough can be mixed by hand and kneaded by hand too! It takes a little bit of elbow grease, but it easily can be done if you do not own a stand mixer. Knead the dough (by hand) for 6-8 minutes. The bulk fermentation will develop the gluten, so don't worry about having a perfect windowpane when you stretch the dough.

Overnight method: Either the shaped rolls or the bulk fermentation can be refrigerated. I prefer to do the bulk rise at room temperature, then shape the rolls and refrigerate them overnight. But if you prefer, you can ferment the dough for 4 hours at room temperature, then move to the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. Remove from the fridge, shape, and proof the rolls for 60-90 minutes before baking.

Sourdough discard version: This recipe can be made without sourdough discard if you do not want to wait. Add 2 ¼ teaspoons of instant yeast to the warm water along with the sourdough starter (use an equal measure of sourdough discard), honey, and salt. Prepare the dough as directed, then rise at room temperature for 1 hour, or until doubled. Divide and shape, then proof the shaped rolls for 15-30 minutes before baking.

Baker's schedule: (see the original post for 2 detailed baker's schedules, including a refrigerated option).

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