Recipe Details

• Author: deesviral
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Rise Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 18 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 43 minutes
• Yield: 8 sub rolls
• Category: Bread / Sandwich Rolls
• Cuisine: American
• Keywords: Subway bread copycat, Italian herb and cheese bread, homemade sub rolls, deesviral

Ingredients

Dough

• 3 cups warm water (about 110°F / 43°C)
• 4 tablespoons active dry yeast (or 2 packets)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup instant mashed potato flakes (optional but recommended)
• 7½ cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour for softer bread)

Topping Mixture

• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup Colby Jack cheese, finely shredded
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, finely shredded

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together warm water and yeast.
2. Add sugar, oil, salt, eggs, and mashed potato flakes if using. Whisk until combined.
3. Add flour gradually and knead on low speed for about 6 minutes until smooth.
4. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
5. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 equal pieces, then cut each piece in half to make 8 portions.
6. Gently shape each portion into a 12-inch log.
7. Lightly wet the tops with water.
8. Mix oregano, garlic powder, parsley, and Parmesan cheese together, then dredge the tops of the dough into the herb blend.
9. Score the tops with 3–4 shallow slashes.
10. Allow dough to rise in a warm place until tripled in size, about 1 hour.
11. Sprinkle the tops with Colby Jack and Monterey Jack cheese.
12. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15–18 minutes until golden brown.
13. Cool slightly before slicing and filling with your favorite sandwich ingredients.

Tips & Variations

• Use all-purpose flour for a softer sandwich roll texture.
• Add a little cornmeal to the baking tray for bakery-style bottoms.
• Brush lightly with melted butter after baking for extra softness.

Why This Recipe Works

The mashed potato flakes help create a soft, fluffy crumb while the herb and cheese topping delivers that classic Subway-style flavor. The rise gives the rolls their airy texture, and the cheese melts beautifully for the perfect golden finish.