Sourdough Sandwich Rolls [Sourdough Hoagie Rolls]
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These sourdough sandwich rolls are deliciously soft and chewy. Robust enough to hold all your favorite fillings, but still soft enough to bite into without any trouble. Whether you call it a sourdough sandwich roll, sourdough Italian sub roll or sourdough hoagie rolls - there's no doubt you'll want to make these over and over again.
Use your active sourdough starter to make these sourdough sandwich rolls with the easy baker's timeline provided, or change it to suit your own schedule. If you don't have a sourdough starter yet, use these easy sourdough starter instructions to get started today!
And if you love making sourdough rolls with your sourdough starter, why not try these soft sourdough dinner rolls, sourdough cibatta rolls, sourdough hotdog rolls, sourdough tiger rolls or these sweet sourdough Hawaiian rolls.
What Do You Call Sourdough Sandwich Rolls?
Depending on where in the world you live, you may know a sandwich roll as something different. Some of the more common names for a sandwich roll or bun are hoagies, subs and grinders.
While they are all basically a soft, chewy sandwich roll, they each have their own story and slight variations. If you want the lowdown on the differences between all of these sandwich rolls, you can check out this article.
In my part of the world, we generally refer to these types of rolls as a sandwich roll or a sub.
What You'll Love About This Recipe
Here's why you'll love this sourdough sandwich roll recipe:
- Fantastic Texture: These sourdough sandwich rolls are soft and chewy, yet will robust enough to hold your favorite sandwich fillings, whether they're hot or cold.
- They're SO EASY! This recipe is perfect for beginners who want easy to knead and shape recipes to start their sourdough journey.
- Easy To Freeze: These rolls are delicious fresh, but also freeze and defrost really well. I love to make a double batch and put half in the freezer for another day.
How To Make Sourdough Sandwich Rolls [step-by-step instructions]
These sandwich rolls are super easy to make, even the shaping is really easy - they are perfect for beginners. All you need to do is roll them up like a log. Seriously, you'd be crazy not to give these a go!
You can easily knead these by hand, but they are also suitable to be kneaded in a Thermomix or Stand Mixer - the choice is completely yours. The dough is stretchy and elastic, not sticky.
- Add the sourdough starter, sugar and water to a mixing bowl and stir until dissolved. It's ok if some of the starter still floats on top of the water.
- Now pour the oil in, then add the flour and salt on top of that.
- Bring the ingredients together into a dry, shaggy dough. Cover the bowl and allow to sit for around an hour. It will be super dry dough (see the pics below) - don't stress!
- Now, tip the dough out onto a clean surface and knead it until the dough is soft and elastic. You can easily knead this dough by hand, but if you prefer, you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook on low speed or a Thermomix on the dough knead setting. I find it takes around 10 minutes to knead the dough sufficiently by hand.
- Once the dough is smooth and supple, place it back into a covered bowl and place it somewhere warm to bulk ferment. For these rolls, you don't want the dough to double, you want it to rise around 50%. Remember, bulk fermentation time will depend on the strength of your starter, the temp of your dough and your kitchen.
- When the dough is ready, tip it out onto a clean surface and divide the dough into four equal pieces. I weigh my dough and usually make them around 200 to 225g each (depending on my final dough weight).
- Pull each piece of dough into a rough rectangle, with the long edge in front of you. Then roll the dough up into a log and gently pinch the ends to seal them off. Repeat this for each piece of dough.
- Use a dough scraper to transfer the sourdough sandwich rolls to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Use your finger tips to gently squash the dough down so that it's fairly flat. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow them to proof. They need to get really soft and puffy before you bake them.
- When you're ready to bake the sandwich rolls, preheat your oven to 200C. Lightly egg wash the rolls and then slash them with a lame or sharp knife.
- Bake them in the oven until just golden. This will take around 25 to 30 minutes depending on your oven. You don't want to over bake them or they will be too crispy on the outside.
- To keep the outside soft, brush the sourdough sandwich rolls with butter as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Allow baked sourdough sandwich rolls to cool on a wire rack.
Step-by-Step Photos Guide for Sourdough Sandwich Rolls
Baker's Timeline for Sourdough Sandwich Rolls
This is the rough timeline I use when making sourdough hoagies. You could adapt this timeline to suit your own situation. You might also find this article on creating a sourdough baking timeline helpful in adapting it.
Remember, you need to read your dough, not the clock when it comes to sourdough, so my timeline may be too short or too long for your bread.
The Night Before
10pm - Feed sourdough starter so it's bubbly and ready for work tomorrow morning.
The Next Morning
7am - Mix the dough, knead and allow to rise a little in the bowl (remember you don't want it to double).
12pm - Shape the sandwich rolls, squish them down on a tray and cover and leave to proof in a warm place - we want them nice and puffy!!
6pm - Bake the bread!
Flavor Variations for Sourdough Subs
While these sourdough sandwich rolls are perfect made plain, there are also lots of fun ways to create different flavors. The great thing is that you could even make each individual roll with its own topping! Choice is good, right?
- Italian Herb and Cheese - sprinkle Italian Seasoning and Parmesan Cheese onto the rolls once you've egg washed them. Slash them after the topping has been added.
- Honey Wheat - use 20g of honey in the dough instead of sugar and add 100g of whole wheat flour in place of 100g of bread flour. When the sandwich rolls are cooked, brush them with honey butter.
- Jalapeno Cheddar - add shredded cheddar cheese and jalapeno slices to the top of the rolls after the egg wash.
- Honey Oat - add around 50 to 100g of oats to the dough and then top with oats before baking. Then brush with generous amounts of honey butter when you remove them from the oven. Heaven!
Filling Ideas for Sourdough Sandwich Rolls
We all have our favorite sandwich fillings and these sourdough sandwich rolls are perfect for filling with whatever you love to eat. Here are some of my faves:
- Classic Italian Cold Cuts: Thinly sliced salami, ham, pepperoni, and provolone cheese, topped with crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and tangy Italian dressing. Sooo good! You can really use any cold cuts you have in the fridge.
- Pork and Gravy: Tender roasted pork drizzled in warm gravy and sweet apple sauce.
- Turkey and Avocado: Roasted turkey slices with creamy avocado, crisp bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a drizzle of ranch dressing.
- Chicken Caesar: Grilled chicken breast, romaine lettuce, Parmesan cheese, and Caesar dressing. Add some croutons for an extra crunch!
- Veggie Sub: Packed with colorful veggies like cucumber, bell peppers, red onions, lettuce, tomatoes, and your choice of cheese. Add a spread like hummus or a tangy vinaigrette for extra flavor.
- Tuna Salad: A classic favorite made with flaky tuna, mixed with mayo, diced celery, and a touch of lemon juice. Top it with lettuce, tomato, and pickles for a delightful crunch.
- Meatball Sub: Juicy meatballs smothered in marinara sauce and topped with melted cheese. It's a hearty and comforting choice that's hard to resist!
- Roast Beef and Swiss: Thinly sliced roast beef layered with Swiss cheese, caramelized onions, and a creamy horseradish sauce for a flavorful and savory bite.
Sourdough Sandwich Rolls [Sourdough Hoagie Rolls]
Ingredients
- 100 g Sourdough Starter (fed and bubbly)
- 20 g Sugar
- 250 g Water
- 30 g Olive Oil
- 500 g Bread Flour
- 10 g Salt
Instructions
- Add the sourdough starter, sugar and water to a mixing bowl and stir until dissolved.
- Now pour the oil in, then add the flour and salt on top of that.
- Bring the ingredients together into a dry, shaggy dough. Cover the bowl and allow to sit for around an hour.
- Now, tip the dough out onto a clean surface and knead it until the dough is soft and elastic. You can easily knead this dough by hand, but if you prefer, you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook on low speed or a Thermomix on the dough knead setting.I find it takes around 10 minutes to knead the dough sufficiently by hand.
- Once the dough is smooth and supple, place it back into a covered bowl and place it somewhere warm to bulk ferment. For these rolls, you don't want the dough to double, you want it to rise around 50%.
- When the dough is ready, tip it out onto a clean surface and divide the dough into four equal pieces. I weigh my dough and usually make them around 200 to 225g each (depending on my final dough weight).
- Pull each piece of dough into a rough rectangle, with the long edge in front of you. Then roll the dough up into a log and gently pinch the ends to seal them off. Repeat this for each piece of dough.
- Use a dough scraper to transfer the sourdough sandwich rolls to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Use your finger tips to flatten the dough out a little so that there is more surface area. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow them to proof. They need to get really soft and puffy before you bake them.
- When you're ready to bake the sandwich rolls, preheat your oven to 200C. Lightly egg wash the rolls and then slash them with a lame or sharp knife.
- Bake them in the oven until just golden. This will take around 25 to 30 minutes depending on your oven. You don't want to over bake them or they will be too crispy on the outside.
- To keep the outside soft, brush the sourdough sandwich rolls with butter as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Allow baked sourdough sandwich rolls to cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- Italian Herb and Cheese - sprinkle Italian Seasoning and Parmesan Cheese onto the rolls once you've egg washed them. Slash them after the topping has been added.
- Honey Wheat - use 20g of honey in the dough instead of sugar and add 100g of whole wheat flour in place of 100g of bread flour. When the sandwich rolls are cooked, brush them with honey butter.
- Jalapeno Cheddar - add shredded cheddar cheese and jalapeno slices to the rolls after the egg wash.
- Honey Oat - add around 50 to 100g of oats to the dough and then top with oats before baking. Then brush with generous amounts of honey butter when you remove them from the oven. Heaven!
Nutrition
if using a stand mixer, how long do you let it knead the bread?
I would allow around 5 minutes in one minute increments (allowing the dough and machine to rest in between each knead). It's really a case of watching your dough - when it's smooth and elastic and not sticking to the sides of the bowl, it's sufficiently kneaded 🙂
How long do you let them proof once shaped?
I made these today and mine did not rise nearly as well as yours and are on the edge of being overproofed. I used APS rather than bread flour so maybe that is why? I otherwise followed directions to a T. I cannot comment on taste yet as they're still cooling but will do so after!
Is it possible to omit the sugar or use lesser sugar?
My dough gets extremely sticky. I am unable to score it...it falls back in on itself...or shape it. I live in humid NC. Is there something else I could do? It tastes great though!
If I need a longer fermentation to reduce gluten, when would be the best time to refrigerate for that? After shaping and prior to scoring? Thanks so much!
Yes after shaping is best - let them sit in the fridge and then when you take them out allow them to get puffy at room temp, score and bake 🙂
Hi! Thank you for this easy to follow recipe, they came out beautiful! Do you think I can wrap them and put them in a freezer ziploc to save two for next week? I realize with how well these are sized I'll get two sandwiches out of each one so I only need two at a time 🙂
Okay, these were AMAZING!!! Thanks for the great recipe!!! We are going to be making these weekly or more now. Soo good.
About how long does it take to.rise in bowl and again when formed?
I'm hoping these turn out well! I accidentally got the dough ready at bedtime as I typically do when baking bread, but they will be doubled by morning and I'm not getting up at 3am lol. I'm going to throw the kneeded dough in the fridge overnight and get them out in the morning, then proceed with directions.
This recipe is amazing!!! I did everything exactly as written, except I didn't have time to do it all in one day. I did everything up to shaping, flattened them out on a cookie sheet, covered with a wet towel and stuck them in the fridge until morning. Let proof on counter for 6 hours until puffy and then baked as directed. Perfect hoagie for shredded beef sandwiches! Thanks!
Would it also be okay to use all purpose flour?
Would it just change texture?
You can use AP flour for sure, just watch the hydration, you might need to lower it a little.
Love this recipe. I’ve made it a few times now. I divide dough into fourths for large hoagie buns or sixths for smaller hoagies. Even divided it into eighths to do brat buns. I like to make up a double batch and then freeze.
Hi Cathy, do you freeze after baking?
I am loving all your recipes. I know I'll love this one too. I'm wondering if anyone can give me some guidance. I may have let the dough rose to much, I've shaped them and had them on the pan for maybe 1.5 hrs, they still aren't getting big and puffy. Should I wait longer? Will they keep rising over time? I don't want to jump the gun and bake them if you think they'll rise more! Thank you for all you amazing recipes!
I followed the recipe but by rolls turns out very dense. Any ideas of where I could make improvements for next time?
How many inches should each one be rolled out to? I did 9 inches and they were too skinny
Can I bulk ferment in the fridge? As per typical my adhd brain didn’t thoroughly read directions & didn’t realize I didn’t want it to double. I have to go to work, these will for sure dounle 😂
These are delicious and beautiful, but mine aren’t rising well. Any tips for this?
Amazing! One question, do we need to keep the leftover rolls refrigerated? Since we used the egg wash?
If you are to freeze this recipe. Would you freeze it after baking them or before baking them? I love this recipe and would love to double batches to freeze for later but am not sure what what point I would freeze them and how I would go about heating/cooking them once I want to use them. Thank you!
I freeze after baking - then you can just allow them to thaw at room temp or zap them in the microwave to make the process faster 🙂
Is it possible to use maple syrup in place of the sugar?
Do you know the F temp & bake time?
Thanks!
How do I know if it is proofed? I had to put in fridge overnight and I pulled it out it’s been on my counter for more than 6 hrs and I can’t tell any difference and when I touch it it’s sticky. Thanks
Great recipe!!! Don't be silly like me, 200C is 392F. I was wondering why it was taking over 40 mins and still looked raw!!!
I finally found an easy sourdough sandwich roll recipe! In a sd group, I posted every hoagie/hamburger bun has been too stiff for my liking. Someone suggested stretching and folds. So I made this recipe performing the shaggy dough then 3 stretch & folds, only kneading about 1-2 minutes right before shaping. I shaped hoagie and hamburger buns and they were soft and pretty perfect. So rewarding to finally find the right recipe and process. Thanks!
Absolutely love this recipe!Easy peasy, delicious Philly sandwich rolls😊
Loved this recipe!! Turned out great. I
Did it overnight like a comment above. So easy and delicious.
I need to share this. I made this recipe a few months ago came out wonderful with the addition of a pan with boiling water in oven. Yesterday I made them again but forgot to add the pan with boiling water in oven and they did not come out as nice as the first time. They were not as fluffy as my first time. I will always add the pan with boiling water in oven for the baking time. Thank you Pantry Mama.
This was a great recipe! I made two separate batches and one came out perfect but the other one I made the mistake of putting the rolls in the oven with just the light on to proof the second time. Unfortunately they over proofed but the ones I let proof on the counter were amazing! I will definitely make these again! Thank you.
Very lovely.
I didn't realize they would puff up some more in the oven, so I had the perfectly wide and delicious rolls perfect for a sub. I also did the herb & cheese option and my house smelled like Subway. I will never purchase hoagies ever again.
I really like the recipe and the way the rolls tasted. For me the dough is pretty sticky. I am pretty new to baking, so it is possible that I am not doing enough kneading, but the dough is pretty sticky while kneading too. I would like to get the nice shapes shown in the recipe images. I was wondering about mini sandwich loaf pans. I use your other sourdough loaf pan recipe and I get reliable shapes using that method.
Love this recipe!
How do you store before eating. I mean for a few days? On counter or in refrigerator?
How long do you usually let the dough bulk ferment to get to the 50% rise?
I’m curious if you have any tips for storing fresh rolls/bread. I plan on freezing half but would like to keep the others out for sandwiches!
Would the cold fermentation be too long if I put it in the fridge at about 4 pm and pulled it out again at 7:30 am?
Made these yesterday and they were amazing! How do you store them?
I find freezing them best. They really are best eaten the day you bake them, so if you want to store them, the freezer is best. We've got loads of tips for freezing sourdough bread here.
This recipe is absolutely amazing. The dough is beautiful and taste so good! For me the dough takes a while for the second proof so I like to either shape them and put them in the fridge until the next day or bake them that night and keep them covered on the baking tray with plastic wrap until the next day when we're ready to eat them. My whole family loves this recipe!
Thanks for the tips and kind words, Molly!
Baked these this morning. I briefly hand knead the dough + 2 stretch and folds 30 minutes apart and the bread came out amazing. Cold proofed the bread for 18 hours. This recipe is very versatile and very similar to my regular sourdough loaf recipe. I bet this would be incredible without dividing.
So excited to try these! Do you think they would bake ok if they were proofed and baked in a baguette pan with a steam tray underneath?
They will bake fine like this, just watch that they don't go too crispy, as you want more of a soft, sandwich loaf crust 🙂
This might be a dumb question but how to you make the dough not stick to the damp towel when you cover the rolls to proof ?
Emily, to prevent the dough from sticking to the towel while proofing, you can lightly mist them with olive oil.
I made these amazing rolls for a sausage sandwich. I topped them with “everything but the bagel seasoning” and some Italian seasoning with Parmesan cheese. They were beautiful and I was very impressed with how easy it really was. Make these!
Didn’t work for me. I’m not sure what I did wrong. I followed the recipe. Wayyy too much flour and wouldn’t knead. Almost broke my stand mixer
I notice that the calorie count is 560 calories. Is that for all four, that would be an awful lot for one roll. I can't wait to try them!
Nancy
That's for all four rolls 🙂
This was easy to put together. My dough rose to about 50% percent in couple hours. Rolled and shaped. Let rise first 6 hours. They looked good into the oven. Absolutely no oven spring came out about 1.5 inches thick. Is this a starter problem. My starter is almost 2 years old. I had been feeding Ruth for week before this bake. Frustrated.
These are the absolute BEST sourdough rolls (bread) that I've ever tasted and we're sourdough junkies! This was only my 2nd try at baking sourdough myself and they came out perfect and oh so delicious! I followed your recipe as written (thanks for the metric measurements BTW) but honestly the rise time really depends on the kitchen temperature, right? To take some of the guess work out of it I used the "Bread Proofing" setting on my oven for not only the rolls but also for the sourdough starter and that made it so much easier and to save more time I used my stand mixer w/dough hook for everything but the final shaping. I was able to do the entire recipe in one day which fit our schedule best this weekend. I have to say so many recipes make the whole process unduly complex and time consuming and I just don't have time for all that. So the only other tweaks I made was use my stand mixer for everything except the final shaping into rolls and I made 8 smaller rolls. I also used 400 g all-purpose flour with 100 g of white whole wheat flour. I baked it on our rectangular pizza stone and it came out light and soft and will make the best sandwiches for my two kids this week (I know because my kids and I could't help but slather one with butter while hot from the oven and gobble it down). I loved your sourdough add-in ideas and we put freshly chopped rosemary from our garden. Absolutely superb - Thank you for a great, great recipe!
These turned out wonderful! I did let it bulk ferment a bit longer than the recipe suggested (about doubled in size) and they still turned out great.
This is absolutely the yummiest, fluffiest, softest sourdough sandwich bun!!!!
I’ve already made it twice in 1 week!
Thank you!
Yikes. I put the timer on for 25 minutes and they weren’t golden at all, in fact they looked not even cooked but the bottoms were completely charred. I bake sourdough everything all the time so I know my oven isnt faulty. What do you recommend?
These some of the best rolls I've made. They're soft, moist and a bit chewy. Instead of an egg wash I dusted the proofed rolls with flour for a more rustic and crispier crust. I used discard and added a bit of instant yeast. I didn't need all the flour. The dough was soft, smooth and tacky. The oven spring was incredible. The tip of not letting the dough double in the bulk fermentation is a good one. Thank you for the detailed and easy to follow instructions.
I made this recipe because it said 1.5 hours. You might want to change that because it clearly wasn't. I am scrambling. I hope it turns out good eventhough I'm rushing it.
How to do you keep the bottom of the rolls from burning? I used to not have a problem and now each time I bake them, they burn on the bottom.
Thanks.
Hi Brooke, With a good quality parchment paper, we haven't had this issue. Did you change the pan you're using to bake with or get a new oven? Sometimes those can make a difference if this is a new issue.