Munchie Monday: Homemade Hoagie Rolls

After we invited the senior missionaries to have lunch with us, I asked Dear One what he thought we should have to eat.  He was thoughtful for a bit then said, "Hoagies."  He really does enjoy them.  We have not been to Subway in ages so I can understand why that would come to his mind!  So...immediately I began looking for recipes for hoagie buns.

This is the recipe that I used.

Homemade Hoagie Buns

1 cup warm water
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 Tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup warm milk
1 large egg, room temperature
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup Vital Wheat gluten
4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt

Place a mixing bowl on a kitchen scale and set to zero. Add 1/2 cup vital wheat to this mixing bowl then add flour until you get to 23 ounces on the scale.  Remove bowl from scale and add sugar, salt and yeast to the flour and vital wheat gluten.  Whisk well until completely mixed together.

In a large measuring cup add the milk, water, olive oil, and egg and gently whisk to combine.

Put the wet mixture in your Bosch or other stand mixer if you are that fortunate, then start the mixer and add the flour mixture.  Mix, using the dough hook, until the dough comes together in a "ball" and cleans the sides of the bowl.  At this point let knead for 8 minutes or so.

If you do not have a stand mixer, place the flour mixture in the bottom of a large bowl then pour in the wet ingredients and stir until all the ingredients and completely combined using a long-handled wooden spoon.  When combined, put onto an oiled counter and knead for 10 minutes, until smooth and very elastic.

In both cases, once kneading is completed, cover bowl and set aside at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk.  Remove from bowl and divide into 10 rolls of about 4 ounces each.  Roll up tightly into 6" long rolls and place on a Silpat or parchment lined pan and let rise for an hour or until doubled again.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Just before  placing pan or pans in oven, beat one egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush on tops of buns.  Finally, with a very sharp knife, make a 1/4 inch slash in each roll.

Place prepared rolls in oven.  Turn heat down to 375 degrees F.  Bake at 15-18 minutes .  The interior heat should be 195 degrees F. This is a great time to use that instant-read thermometer you have hanging out in the back of your kitchen tools drawer and which causes guilt for the money you spent on it.  Actually, taking the temperature of the rolls is a very good idea because if they are not quite cooked, they sort of glob together when you break them open with your fingers to eat one of them right out of the oven.

Let cool completely then slice before adding your favorite vegetables and condiment and meat/cheese if you must...!