Honey Whole Wheat Hoagie Rolls

Soft, fluffy and sturdy half whole wheat rolls with a slight sweetness perfect for any submarine sandwich.

As I'm sure you've noticed, I prefer to make my own bread. There is nothing that upsets me more than when I look at the ingredients on store bought bread and see strange things I can't pronounce or something like high fructose corn syrup. Yes, store bought bread is easy and you can find some good looking options for whole wheat and whole grain bread, but often they contain lots of preservatives and sugar (always check the ingredients list). Bread should be, and is simple, so why all the junk in store bought? Homemade bread will grow mold and/or spoil quickly (in about a week) compared to store bought but at least you know it's real and exactly what's in it. If you have the time I highly recommend making your own bread. It's not as difficult as you might think and it tastes and smells fantastic.

Bread should be simple so why all the junk in store bought? [Tweet this]

Even though it's store bought and I'm not sure what all the ingredients are I enjoy Subway sandwiches. I like the bread because it's soft and chewy with good flavor and it's nice to have all the topping options to pack on your sandwich too. I don't usually keep lots of cut vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, peppers, onions, etc to add to my homemade sandwiches. But the more I look into these kinds of fast food sandwiches the less happy I am with them. In my favorite Subway bread, there are at least 15 different ingredients some of which I'm not exactly sure what they are and I haven't even looked into the other ingredients like meats and toppings. So why not try to make something comparable at home. Then, I know exactly what the ingredients are.

Make it homemade to know the exact ingredients. [Tweet this]

Good hoagie rolls are the first step to a great sub sandwich. These rolls turned out perfect. They are soft, fluffy and chewy, but also strong. They can be squished down so you can fit a good bite in your mouth, but they don't fall apart. The honey adds a subtle sweetness and the whole wheat flour adds more nutritional benefits than white flour alone (as well as making the bread more hardy and substantial). You gotta try these.

Good #hoagierolls are the first step to great #subsandwiches. [Tweet this]

Honey Whole Wheat Hoagie Rolls

Active time: 20 minutes
Rise time: 1 1/2 - 2 hours
Bake time 20 minutes
Servings: 4-8 (650 grams)

Ingredients:

7 grams active dry yeast, or one package
213 grams warm water
32 grams honey (substitute with any vegan sweetener to make vegan)
178 grams bread flour
178 grams whole wheat flour
36 grams butter, at room temperature (try coconut oil or shortening to make vegan)
7 grams salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl), stir together the warm water (just slightly warm to the touch about 100-110 F) and honey. Then sprinkle on the yeast, swirl or stir to moisten it, and cover with a towel. Let sit for about 15 minutes until yeast becomes foamy and active.

Add the remaining ingredients (in the order listed) and stir with the paddle attachment (or by hand) until ingredients come together and form a ball.

Switch to the dough hook (or by hand) and knead for about 6 minutes until dough is soft and smooth, tacky but not sticky, and stretches without breaking when pulled gently (add more flour, a little at a time as needed).

Roll dough in a lightly oiled, large, bowl (I usually just use the mixing bowl) until coated all over, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for 1 hour.

Turn out the dough (lightly oil your surface and hands if needed to prevent sticking) and divide into 4-8 pieces. Shape each piece into a torpedo roll (foot long or 6-inch respectively) and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30 minutes - 1 hour until almost doubled in size.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Score rolls if you like and you can brush the tops with egg wash for a glossier finish (I did neither). Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Immediately remove the rolls to a cooling rack and cool for about 15 minutes before cutting or eating.

Rolls taste best right away but are still good a couple days later. If I'm keeping them longer than that I wrap each roll in aluminum foil, place in a zipper bag and freeze them.

Enjoy.