Easy Sub Rolls. Our first batch had some extra creases but our taste buds didn’t complain.
We had been having good luck with our Fast Focaccia, so why not try the same technique for making sub rolls? We increased the flour while keeping all other ingredients the same and walla, easy sub rolls in under 2 hours. One issue, the high olive oil content makes it harder to shape the rolls because it keeps the edges of dough from making a seal. If this bothers you, consider reducing olive oil from 3 T to 2 T. Makes 4 10-12 inch sub rolls.
Ingredients
1 ½ c lukewarm water (355 g)
1 t sugar
2 t yeast
3 T good olive oil (or less; see above)
4 c all purpose flour (520 g)
2 t Kosher salt
Method: add sugar and yeast to lukewarm water in the bowl of a rotary mixer; stir to dissolve sugar. Rest for 5 minutes or so until yeast blooms; add olive oil then flour and 2 t Kosher salt in that order. Mix at first speed until ingredients are combined then second speed for 5 minutes, until the dough shows good strength from gluten development.
Remove dough hook and add a little olive oil to the mixing bowl; turn the dough so all sides are coated. Cover and rise in a warm place* for 1 hour, or until doubled. Remove the dough to a work surface and divide into 4 pieces of equal weight. Shape each into a ball with a smooth outer surface and edges tucked underneath. Rest 15 minutes then flip each dough ball over and flatten into a vertical rectangle.
Easy sub rolls with Chicago-tsyle beef and giardiniera.
Fold into thirds like a business letter and pinch the ends and edges to seal them. Roll out the dough into sub roll shapes: start with both palms down in the center of the dough, then roll back and forth so the dough extends to the sides. Move your palms outward as the dough extends, trying to maintain an even cylinder. (This takes practice.) When the sub roll is your desired width of 10-12 inches, transfer to a half sheet pan on top of a silicone pad or parchment paper. Repeat with other balls of dough.
When all four sub rolls are shaped, cover with a kitchen towel and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Allow to rise til the rolls have expanded somewhat and a depression made with your fingertip in the dough springs back slowly. Bake 25-35 minutes or until evenly browned. Cool easy sub rolls before using for submarines, hoagies, grinders or heroes.
*NYT offers a great trick for turning your microwave into a proofing box: put in a large cup of just-boiled water along with the bowl of dough.