hoagie rolls

Hoagie Rolls

Philadelphia-style hoagie rolls are made from a soft, moderately enriched yeast dough of flour, water, yeast, salt, and a small amount of oil or shortening. The dough is kneaded until smooth and elastic, allowed to rise until puffy, then divided and shaped into long, slender rolls with a slightly tapered profile. A final proof gives the rolls a light, tender structure while retaining enough strength for substantial fillings, from classic hoagie ingredients to hot cheesesteak fillings.

The rolls bake to a pale golden exterior with a thin, lightly crisp crust surrounding a soft, chewy crumb. Their texture is sturdy enough to contain sliced Italian meats, provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and dressing, while also providing the ideal foundation for a Philly cheesesteak piled with thinly sliced beef, melted cheese, and sautéed onions. The finished rolls balance tenderness and structure, soaking up savory juices and sauces without falling apart.

Print Recipe
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Resting Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 6 hours
Bread
Servings: 3

Equipment

  • stand mixer with dough hook
  • baking steel
  • pizza peel
  • parchment paper

Ingredients

Poolish

  • 78 g bread flour
  • 78 g bottled water
  • 1 g instant yeast

Dough

  • 313 g bread flour
  • 168 g bottled water
  • 3 g instant yeast
  • 8 g sugar
  • 6 g salt
  • 20 g olive oil
  • corn meal, for bottoms

Instructions 

Poolish

  • In a medium-sized bowl, add 20% of the total weight of flour with an equal amount of water, along with 20% of the total amount of instant yeast.
  • Mix thoroughly until a wet dough forms and the sides of the bowl are clean.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and let rest for 3 hours until the poolish expands and foams up.

Dough

  • In the stand mixer bowl, add the remaining flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Then, add the poolish, water, and olive oil.
  • Using the dough hook for the stand mixer, knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes until it's smooth and the temperature of the dough is 70 to 80°F.
  • Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Stretch and fold the dough, then form into a ball.
  • Cover the bowl and let stand for 60 minutes.
  • After 20 minutes, while the dough is fermenting, stretch and fold the dough in the bowl.
  • After another 20 minutes, stretch and fold the dough again.
  • After the last 20 minutes, lift the dough from the middle and gently stretch and form back into a ball.
  • Very lightly dust the work surface with flour and divide the dough into equal portions (225 g). Flatten each portion to remove any bubbles, tuck the edges in, and form into a ball.
  • Place the dough balls onto a lightly dusted baking sheet, cover, and let rise for an additional 30 minutes.

Form

  • On a very lightly dusted surface, press or roll out each individual dough ball, then roll up tightly. Pinch any seams, tuck in the ends, and roll into an approximately 10-inch roll shape.
  • Spray the bottom of each roll with water, lay in a tray of corn meal to coat the bottom, and place each roll on a piece of parchment lightly dusted with corn meal.
  • Cover rolls and let rest for an additional 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 450°F with a baking steel on the middle rack.

Bake

  • Stretch each roll to about 12 inches and slice the top of each roll lengthwise with a razor or lame.
  • Spray the top of each roll lightly with water.
  • Using a peel, lift the parchment with the rolls and slide onto the baking steel.
  • Add 1 ice cube per roll to the baking steel and cover with an aluminum baking pan. Weight the cover down with a skillet if needed to close any gaps at the bottom.
  • Bake, covered, for 10 minutes. Then, remove the cover and bake for an additional 9 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 205 to 210°F.
  • Remove rolls to a wire rack to cool.