An easy, homemade sub roll recipe, which produces soft and light buns that are also sturdy enough to hold any fillings. Quick and easy and freeze well, too!
Why you’ll love this sub rolls recipe!
- These sub rolls are soft and light, but also sturdy enough to hold anything you’d like to put in them!
- These rolls are quick and easy to make! Using extra yeast means these rise quickly and are ready in less than 2 hours.
- These buns freeze beautifully, so stock up the freezer and you’ll have sub rolls at the ready any time.
Step-by-Step Photos
- Mix together the dough ingredients. The dough will be very moist at this point.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest 15 minutes.
- Remove to a floured work surface.
- Knead briefly, adding a bit more flour only if it is sticking to your hands or the work surface.
- Weight the dough ball and divide by 4 (for 4 buns).
- Weigh out 4 pieces of dough.
- Form each piece into a ball by pinching together underneath.
- Flip over with the smooth side up.
- Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
- Roll a dough ball into an 8×8-inch square.
- Roll up jelly-roll style.
- Pinch the seam together.
- Using the palm of your hand, roll and gently stretch the dough.
- Roll until the dough is even and is 11-12 inches long.
- Place on a baking sheet and brush lightly with water.
- Repeat with remaining dough pieces.
- Cover the rolls and allow to rise 20-30 minutes.
- Brush rolls with water again.
- Close up of risen rolls.
- Sprinkle with seeds, herbs and/or cheese, if using. Bake.
Baking Tips
- If you have a kitchen scale (and you should!), be sure to weigh the flour amount, for best accuracy. If you don’t, be sure to measure the flour using the stir, spoon and level method.
- The mixed dough is very wet. It will absorb some of the liquid as it rests for the 15 minutes at the start, so resist the urge to add anymore flour at the start. If necessary, add a bit more flour on the work surface if the dough is sticking.
Making ahead, storing and Freezing
These are best enjoyed within 24 hours of baking. Freeze for longer storage.
These buns freeze beautifully! I like to wrap individually, first in plastic wrap and then tightly in foil. The will keep well in the freezer up to 3 months.
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Get the Recipe: Easy Homemade Sub Rolls
An easy, homemade sub roll recipe, which produces soft and light buns that are also sturdy enough to hold any fillings. Quick and easy and freeze well, too! Makes four 12-inch long sub rolls.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) water, lukewarm about 105F
- 2 Tablespoons active dry or Instant yeast
- 3 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
- 3 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
Instructions
- Add lukewarm water to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the kneading hook. Add the yeast and 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar. Let stand 5 minutes, then add the remaining sugar, salt and vegetable oil. Mix briefly to combine.
- Add the flour, one cup at a time, mixing between additions. When all the flour has been added, continue mixing for a 3-4 minutes, to develop the dough. The dough may be quite wet and sticky. That's fine. It will tighten up as it rests and you can add additional flour later, if needed. If using a mixer, remove the kneading hook and cover the top of the bowl with a clean tea towel. Let stand 15 minutes.
- Remove dough to a floured work surface. Knead dough a couple of minutes, adding additional flour as needed, only if the dough is sticking to your hands or the work surface. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. *I like to weigh the entire piece of dough, then divide that amount by 4, to weigh out identically sized pieces.
- Form each piece of dough into a ball, cover with a clean tea towel and let rest 15 minutes.
- Roll each piece of dough into an 8x8-inch square. Starting with the edge closest to you, tightly roll the dough up, jelly-roll style and pinch the seam together. Using your palms, roll the dough log on a work surface, gently and evenly stretching it out longer, until it is 11 to 12-inch long. Be sure that the dough is even thickness along the length of the dough. Remove the dough to a large, un-greased baking sheet. *You can lightly dust the baking sheet with a bit of flour or line the baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper, if your baking sheet is prone to sticking.
- Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
- Brush the top of the rolls with water, cover and let rise 20-30 minutes, until puffy.
- As the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 375F (regular bake/not fan-assisted), so the oven will be hot and ready when your rolls are ready.
- Brush the dough with water again and sprinkle with any toppings at this point (seeds, cheese, dried herbs etc.)
- Bake 18-22 minutes, or until deep golden. Remove from the oven and immediately transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Wrap and store at room temperature or in the fridge, to extend the freshness time. For longer storage, wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Recipe can be doubled to make more, but do note that it makes a large amount of dough, so be sure your mixer can handle that much dough at one time!
Serving: 1bun, Calories: 475kcal, Carbohydrates: 100g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Sodium: 880mg, Potassium: 153mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin C: 0.01mg, Calcium: 23mg, Iron: 6mg
Tried this recipe?Leaving a review! is always helpful and appreciated by fellow cooks!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Love, love this recipe. Thank you!
So glad you’re enjoying the, Amanda :) Thanks so much!
These were really easy to make and taste absolutely fantastic. Would recommend. 10/10
So glad to hear, Greg :) Thanks so much!
I too LOVED this recipe. It was easy and quick compared to other rolls/bread recipes. The technique of rolling it out into a square and then rolling it up made a more consistent bun vs. the roll it into a rope. I’m going to roll it up with garlic and cheese and maybe basil. i think that could really be fun. Thank you for sharing.
So glad to hear, Janine and yes, I think these are endlessly customizable, too :) Thanks!
I have been looking for a roll just like this to support my seafood salad. I am making these for dinner……stay tunes for a follow-up on the outcome. Thanks so much for sharing!
Enjoy Kristin!
These are so perfect. Soft, puffy, tender and delicious. I’m going to make garlic bread out of one of the buns. So good and easy.
So glad you enjoyed them, Kim and yes, I like to keep some in the freezer. So great for so many uses. Thanks :)
This recipe sounds delicious and I’m so looking forward to making these rolls for Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches. Can I ask what type of pan you bake them in? Would a baguette pan make them too hard?
Hi Sherry, I just bake them on a baking sheet myself. I haven’t tried them in a baguette pan, but I’m thinking it might make them a bit crustier, as there is more of the bun in contact with the pan. Not necessarily a bad thing, but depends what you’re wanting.
I have tried MANY different roll recipes to use with my homemade meatballs and marinara. THANK YOU for this, the rolls are super soft but dense enough to hold extra marinara and I am in love with this recipe. Tonight Iam experimenting with the addition of sour dough starter. My Family thanks you!!!
So glad you enjoyed them, Audra! Thanks so much :)
I rarely comment on any pins but felt the need to shout this recipe from the roof tops! Simple, quick and absolutely phenomenal! I made 1.5 of the recipe to make 6 large sub buns for philly steak and pepperoni subs! A sprinkle of everything bagel spice was a game changer! Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m so glad to hear, Vikki! Thanks so much :)
Made these this afternoon and just finished eating a ham and cheese sub. Used all dressed bagel sprinkle on the tops, oh yum. Will definitely make these again. Great buns!
So glad you enjoyed them, Teresa! Thanks so much :)
If I do not have a mixer do I just mix by hand? Or do I use a hand mixer?
Hi Pam, you would just mix by hand. Simply stir together in a bowl to start. As you add more flour and can’t efficiently stir anymore, remove it to a floured work surface and knead in the remaining dough until you have a moist (but not sticky) dough. Then just rise etc. as directed.
I just pulled a batch of these from the Oven. Quite Nice! Topped with Dried Minced Onion, and Dried Garden Herbs. They look straight out of a Bakery!
The Brushed on Water Wash was nice trick.
This is a fairly high-hydration Dough (67%) so others should know this can be challenging to work with, but your patience will be rewarded.
Very Pleased!
So happy to hear, Curt :) Thanks so much!
Hi, I want to try your recipe but before I do, it seems that you are using a high yeast to flour ratio. Is this to cut down on the rise time? If I use half the amount of yeast and increase the rise time, will the sub rolls still come out okay? Thanks
Hi Joe, as these are “easy” sub rolls (vs. artisan bread), using a high yeast to flour ratio makes for a quicker bake. Certainly quicker rising yeasted breads sacrifice a bit of flavour for the saving in time. I’ve never found it a deal breaker, as sub rolls are generally used together with high flavour fillings :)
❤️Amazing recipe❤️
So glad you enjoyed it :) Thanks!
I usually find these rolls a little too large with 4 cups of flour, and have been using 3 cups of flour instead.
Glad you are enjoying them! Thanks :)
Hello Jennifer, I suppose this is a silly question but in your view is there any reason why these won’t work as hamburger buns? I’m making pulled pork and have no rolls, can’t get to stores. Dealing with Florida hurricane flooding and destruction but have electric. I’d rather do your potato buns but don’t have ingredients and these subs are quicker. Thank you for your input.
Hi there, what kind of dried herbs do you suggest for topping the sub buns with and how much? These look so delicious! Will be trying them this fall sometime!!