Italian Sandwich Rolls

Ingredients Equipment Timing

Digital scale  3 hrs total; 30 min active
300 g Water, 110 °F / 43 °C Breville Bakery Chef™
20 g Sugar  Stand Mixer  Yield
6g Instant dry yeast  Bench scraper 
1/2 Sheet pan(s)  Two 16-inch rolls
3g Diastatic malt powder, (1
teaspoon), optional  Parchment paper 
500 g Bread flour, unbleached, plus Bread lame 
extra for dusting  Spray bottle 
6g Kosher salt  Digital instant-read
45 g Extra-virgin olive oil  thermometer 
- Fine cornmeal, as needed Baking/Cooling rack(s) 

1 Dissolve yeast
300 g Water, 110 °F / 43 °C
20 g Sugar  Combine water, sugar, yeast, and malt powder (if using)
6g Instant dry yeast 
in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk by hand until
3g Diastatic malt powder, (1
teaspoon), optional  sugar is dissolved. Set aside for 5 minutes.

2 Mix dry ingredients

500 g Bread flour, unbleached
 In a separate large bowl, whisk together flour and salt
6 g Kosher salt 
until well combined.

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 3 Knead dough
45 g Extra-virgin olive oil 
Transfer flour mixture to the stand mixer bowl. Add
olive oil, set bowl onto stand mixer, and fit with dough
hook attachment. Mix on low speed, stopping mixer
occasionally to scrape down bowl and dough hook,
until a smooth and elastic dough forms and pulls away
from the sides of the bowl, about 10 minutes.
Stop mixer and detach bowl. Working with dough in
stand mixer bowl, round dough into a smooth ball.
Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap.

4 Bulk proof

Proof dough at warm room temperature, (75 °F / 24 °C to

95 °F / 35 °C), until roughly doubled in volume, about 40

minutes.

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 5 Portion dough
- Bread flour, for dusting,
as needed  Dust clean work surface with flour.
Using a bench scraper, portion dough into 2 equal
pieces that weigh about 420 to 440 g each. If you need
to cut and add small pieces of dough to a portion to
reach the target weight, add those bits to the center of
the portion, then flip the portion over and transfer it
back to the work surface. This will leave you with a
smooth top side that will be the presentation side of
the roll after baking.

Working with one portion of dough at a time, cup

dough beneath your palm and roll in a circular motion
to form a smooth ball. Repeat with remaining dough
portion. Place rounded dough balls onto lightly floured
surface and cover with a clean kitchen towel, followed
by a slightly damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and
allow to rest for 30 minutes.

6 Shape dough into logs

- Bread flour, for dusting,
as needed  Working with one dough ball at a time (keep the other
covered), place ball on a lightly floured work surface
and flatten it into a 1-inch-thick disk. Using a rolling pin,
roll disk into a 16-inch-long oval.
Use as little flour as possible to prevent sticking. Using
cupped fingers and the friction from the work surface
to create dough tension, roll disk up to form a log with
a seam on the bottom side. Pinch seam to seal. Place
log under kitchen towel or plastic wrap and repeat with
the remaining dough ball. Cover and let rest for 10
minutes.

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 7 Shape rolls and final proof
- Fine cornmeal, as
needed Line a 1/2 sheet pan with parchment paper and dust
- Bread flour, dusting, as parchment with an even layer of cornmeal.
needed 
Working with one log at a time, starting with the first
log formed, roll gently outwards from the center to
form an even 16-inch-long cylinder, much as you would
form a “snake” with Play-Doh. Transfer to prepared
sheet pan, seam-side down.

Repeat with remaining portion, arranging rolls so that

there’s ample space between them.

Lightly dust tops of rolls with flour and gently press

down on each cylinder to flatten so that they each
measure 1 3/4 inches wide by 16 inches long. Cover
with a clean kitchen towel, followed by a slightly damp
kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let proof at warm
room temperature (about 75 °F / 24 °C), until roughly
doubled in volume, 60 to 90 minutes.

8 Score rolls

While rolls proof, adjust oven racks to middle and lower

positions and preheat oven to 425 °F / 218 °C. Place 1/2
sheet pan on the bottom rack and carefully pour 1/4
inch of water into the sheet pan.
Uncover once rolls have finished final proof. Using a
very sharp knife, bread lame, or a razor blade, score
each roll lengthwise with a 1/4- to 1/2-inch-deep
incision.

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 9 Bake and cool rolls

Using a spray bottle filled with water, mist surface of

rolls until they are visibly damp.
Place sheet pan on middle rack and bake rolls until
golden brown and interior registers 190 °F / 88 °C on an
instant-read thermometer, rotating sheet pan 180
degrees halfway through baking, 15 to 20 minutes total.

Transfer rolls to a wire cooling rack and let cool

completely, about 2 hours.

Once cooled, rolls can be used right away or

transferred to an airtight container, a paper bag, or a
plastic bag and stored at room temperature for up to 1
week.

Make-ahead and storage

Baked rolls can be stored in an airtight container, a

paper bag, or a plastic bag at room temperature for up
to 1 week.
For longer term storage, rolls can be frozen as well.
Freeze baked rolls in a single layer on a 1/2 sheet pan.
Once frozen, transfer rolls to a ziplock-style freezer bag
and press out as much air as possible before sealing
bag. Rolls can be frozen for up to 2 months. Remove
from freezer bag to thaw completely, then place in a
preheated 350 °F / 177 °C oven for 5 to 10 minutes to
refresh.

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 More sandwich amore!

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