Homemade Hoagie Rolls
January 17th, 2026
This Recipe creates 12 servings
Prep Time: 02 hours
Cook Time: 20 minutes
A single serving contains about 280 calories
Whether you call them Hoagies, Grinders, Po Boys, Torpedos, or Submarine Sandwiches, a good sandwich starts with the bread. And, as anyone who has ever lived in Philadelphia knows, the quintessential hoagie roll comes from Amoroso bakeries. This from-scratch Amoroso-inspired Hoagie Roll is easy to make, and provides a flavorful freshness that will vastly improve your Hoagie or Cheese Steak. This recipe benefits from a Chinese process called 湯種 (pronounced /tāng·zhǒng/) - meaning "hot water seed", where about 5% to 10% of the flour is mixed with water and then heated together to make a thick roux. This results in a better rise, a softer crumb, and an increased shelf life. The bulk of the "Prep" time is spent waiting for the bread to rise.
Ingredients:
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Hydration 74%; Instant Yeast 1.9%; Sugar 2.5%; Salt 1.5%; Butter 7.9%;
Tangzhong
1/4 Cup (30 Grams) Bread Flour
1/2 Cup (4 Ounces or 118 Milliliters) Water
Dry Ingredients
5.75 Cups (690 Grams) Bread Flour
1.5 Tablespoons (14 Grams) Instant Yeast
1.5 Tablespoons (18 Grams) Sugar
2 Teaspoons (11 Grams) Table Salt
Wet Ingredients
14 Ounces (414 Milliliters) Warm Water (110° F.)
(Optional) 1/2 Tablespoon (10 Grams) Honey
4 Tablespoons (57 Grams) Unsalted Butter or 3 Tablespoons (41 Grams) Olive Oil
Additional Ingredients
Olive Oil, as needed
Egg Wash
1 Tablespoon Water
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds or Poppy Seeds
Directions:
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Make the Tangzhong
In a small saucepan, make a Slurry by whisking 1/4 Cup (30 Grams) Flour into 1/2 Cup Water. Continue to whisk together until the Slurry is fully integrated and there are no lumps.
Heat over high heat. Whisk constantly and do not step away, as the transition happens quickly.
Around 149° F, the Slurry will suddenly thicken into a stiff Roux, about the consistency of paste or creamy peanut butter.
Immediately remove the Tangzhong from the heat, continuing to mix/whisk until the Roux has a consistent thickness throughout.
Allow the Roux to cool until it is less than 100° F.
Soften or melt the Butter.
Mix the Dry Ingredients
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the Flour, Sugar, Salt, and Instant Yeast.
Whisk until fully integrated.
Mix the Wet Ingredients
Add the Tangzhong (Roux) and the (optional) Honey into the Water and whisk until integrated.
Microwave the Wet Ingredients mixture to between 110° to 115° F.
Mix the Dough Together
Add the Wet Ingredients into the Dry Ingredients in the mixer bowl.
Mix by hand until the ingredients are fully integrated.
Fit the mixer with the dough hook.
Stir the ingredients together, then run the mixer on low for about 4 minutes, until the Dough comes together.
Add the Butter and continue to mix.
Increase the mixer to medium speed and mix for another 8 to 10 minutes.
First Rise (Bulk Rise)
Turn out the Dough into a well-oiled (Olive Oil) bowl, coating the Dough Ball on all sides with Oil by rolling it around the bowl.
Cover the bowl with a lid or a clean tea towel.
Let the Dough rise in a warm place until the Dough doubles in size (typically about 45 minutes to 1 hour).
Meanwhile, line a large baking sheetpan with parchment paper, or line 12 mini-bread pans with parchment paper (unless the pans have a non-stick surface).
Form the Loaves
Add a few drops of Olive Oil to your fingers so that the Dough doesn't stick, while working with the Dough.
Or, if you prefer you can lightly Flour each Loaf to reduce stickiness, but do not knead any additional Flour into the Dough.
Separate the Dough into 12 equal Dough Balls.
NOTE: Each Dough Ball should weigh about 104 grams.
Shape and roll the Dough into a small Loaf, about 5" or 6" long and about 2" wide.
Repeat with the remaining Dough, until you have a total of 12 small loaves.
Add a few more drops of Olive Oil to your fingers, as needed, before you handle each roll.
Second Rise (Final Rise)
Place each Loaf into the mini-bread pans.
Ensure that the Loaves are placed seam-side down.
Use a bread lame or a sharp knife to slash each Loaf diagionally and cross-wise 3 or 4 times. Each cut should be about 1/4" deep.
In a small bowl, whisk together the Egg with 1 Tablespoon Water, until fully integrated.
Brush the tops of each Loaf with Egg Wash.
Sprinkle with Sesame Seeds or Poppy Seeds.
Cover the Rolls with the tea towel and rest for another 30 to 45 minutes. Each Loaf should almost double in size.
Bake the Bread
Preheat the oven to 425° F.
Use a spray bottle to mist the top of each Roll with clean drinking water.
Cover the Rolls with a large inverted aluminum pan.
Place the Rolls in the oven, covered with the aluminum pan to trap steam generated by the mist.
Bake at 425° F. for 10 minutes.
Carefully remove the aluminum pan covers without damaging the tops of the Rolls.
Reset the oven temperature to 400° F.
Bake the Rolls, uncovered, at 400° F. for another 12 minutes.
Ensure that the internal temperature in the center of each Loaf reaches 190° to 200° F.
The Crust should be a nice golden color.
Remove the Loaves from the oven.
Cool the Loaves for at least 15 minutes before cutting them open.
Store the Hoagies in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 5 days.
To freeze, Cool the uncut Loaves completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and seal in an airtight container. Freeze up to 3 months.
