Sub Rolls or Submarine rolls, also known as torpedo rolls. The are used to make submarine sandwiches or hoagies.
The are usually about 10 or more inches in length and are soft and springy and perfect for filling with whatever you wish. Often the fillings use ham, cheese, fish, eggs and lots of salad, vegetable and dressings.
So really the rolls are very versatile in their use. Sometimes they might have sesame or poppy seeds on the top as well. But however they are presented they should be light, soft and airy.
They are actually quite straightforward to make, even though they take quite some time. The time is mainly due to the dough having to proof twice before baking. But, if done correctly, the results are amazing.
As with most doughs these are made with flour and yeast, combined with liquids. In this case I used milk as the main liquid, along with a little honey and some oil.
My Recipe
As I mentioned I used milk as the main liquid along with those other ingredients. But I also used some sesame seeds to sprinkle over the top.
It is important that the dough rises well, during proofing and then again when it is baked. For that reason I also used some diastatic malt powder. The recipe can be made without diastatic malt powder but it is likely to increase the time required for proofing and the oven rise may not be so great. But the rolls will still be very good.
To quote from King Arthur Baking “Active enzymes in diastatic malt help yeast grow fully and efficiently throughout the fermentation period, yielding a good, strong rise and great oven-spring”
It is quite important, though, not to use too much diastatic malt powder as that can cause the bread to be gummy. Usually between 0.5% and 1% of the flour weight is enough.
Diastatic malt powder can be bought online and keeps well.
My Bake
I baked my rolls for 18 minutes and they rose well in the oven. The ones I baked for my video went to my niece and her husband, both of whom enjoyed them. But I had done a test run and was very please with the texture and flavour of those when I tasted them. The rolls well light, fluffy and quite airy. The were simply perfect when filled with ham and salad for my lunch.
Another great recipe for rolls is Soft Morning Rolls
Sub Rolls – Submarine Rolls
Course: BreadDifficulty: Medium4
servings2
hours30
minutes20
minutesIngredients
400g(2 2/3 cups, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) bread flour
255ml(1 cup + 1 tbsp) milk warmed to 41c/106F
6g(2 tsp) active dried yeast ( if using instant yeast you don’t need to activate in the milk)
4g(1 tsp) diastatic malt powder(optional)
10g(2 tsp) honey
20g(1 1/2 tbsp) olive oil, or veg oil
8g(1 1/3 tsp) salt
egg white , mixed with 1 tsp water, for brushing on top
sesame seed for sprinkling(optional)
Directions
- Place the diastatic malt powder(if using) into the warm milk and stir around.
- Add the active dried yeast and stir again, then leave it to activate until it becomes foamy on the top( about 10 minutes)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer(you can do everything by hand too but kneading takes longer) place the flour, salt, honey, oil and milk/yeast mixture.
- Mix with the dough hook, on a low speed, until everything comes together into a shaggy dough.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and leave it for 15 minutes for the flour to absorb some of the liquid.
- Knead on a medium speed for about 7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and stretchy. A windowpane test will allow the dough to stretch until almost translucent before tearing)
- Tip the dough onto the counter and form into a tight ball.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap then place it in a warm place until it has doubled in size. Mine took about an hour, but it depends on the temperature in the room.
- Tip the dough onto the counter and knock the air out of it, then divide it in 4 equal pieces.
- Form each piece into a rough ball and then flatten each into a rectangle about 8 inches by 5 inches(20cm x 12 cm).
- Roll the dough up from the long side, into a log, pinching the seam together.
- Use your hands to roll out each log to a length of 10 inches(25 cm) and place them on a parchment lined baking tray, leaving a good space between them.
- Cover with a towel and leave to proof again until they have doubled in size. A finger tip poked into the dough will leave an indent that will slowly spring back.
- Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/375F and place a pan(to hold some water later) onto the base of the oven to heat up too.
- Score the side of each roll with a very sharp knife in a single stroke(or you can score a few diagonal stripes on the tops).
- Brush over the surface of the rolls with egg white/water.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top.
- Place the rolls into the oven and pour about 350ml of cold water into the heated pan.
- Bake the rolls for 18 to 20 minutes, until they have risen well and coloured nicely on the top.
- Remove the rolls from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack.