Sandwich Rolls Recipe

These artisan sandwich rolls are homemade sub sandwich bread with a crispy crust and chewy interior! Using just 5 ingredients…

Jun 13, 2025 - 20:08

These artisan sandwich rolls are homemade sub sandwich bread with a crispy crust and chewy interior! Using just 5 ingredients and an overnight rest, this easy sub rolls recipe makes mini baguettes that taste like they’re from a French bakery.

You’ve absolutely got to try this delicious recipe inspired by my son’s love of great bread! We recently traveled to France as a family and my son fell in love with those ham and butter sandwiches sold at every corner café. Back home, I tried recreating it with grocery store sub rolls, but the bread was all wrong—too soft and sweet, with a slightly artificial aftertaste.

So Alex spent weeks recipe testing to recreate the magic of that French bread! The final sandwich rolls recipe came out perfect—crisp on the outside, soft inside, with just enough chew to hold up to any filling. The rolls are a great no knead bread for sub sandwiches or French or Italian-inspired sandwiches (like this Italian eggplant sandwich). They’re also so easy to make, with only a few ingredients and no special equipment required!

Sandwich rolls recipe overview

Here’s the basic outline of the tasks for this sandwich rolls recipe. The process requires an overnight rest of the bread and about 2 hours day of, so keep that in mind when planning. It’s a no knead bread recipe—which makes it so easy! Here’s an outline of what you’ll have to do:

Mix the dough	10 minutes active
Proof overnight	12 to 18 hours, hands off
Form boules	10 minutes active
Rest boules	45 minutes, hands off
Form the baguettes	5 minutes active
Rest baguettes	30 minutes, hands off
Bake	19 minutes

Tools and ingredient notes

This sandwich rolls recipe is easy to whip up: no kneading required! This means you don’t need a stand mixer or any fancy equipment. Here are the ingredients and tools you need:

Bread flour: Bread flour is required for the best soft, supple texture. Don’t substitute all-purpose flour here: it won’t be nearly as good.
Whole wheat flour: Adding a bit of whole wheat flour makes for a robust, nutty flavor essence.
Active dry yeast and salt: Yeast acts as the leavener to make the bread fluffy.
Apple cider vinegar: Vinegar adds a nice subtle tang to the flavor.
Pizza stone: A pizza stone is required for a crispy exterior (here’s the pizza stone we use)
Parchment paper
Sharp knife

How to make sandwich rolls—step by step

The only part of this sub rolls recipe that involves some technique is shaping the rolls. The best way to learn is to watch the video tutorial below! Or, here are the basic steps with photos:

Mix the dough and allow it to rest overnight (see the recipe below).

2. Form the dough into boules: Gently stretch the edges of the dough and fold them toward the center, rotating the piece as you work around it. Flip the dough seam-side down and cup your hands around it. Using gentle circular motions, roll the dough to create surface tension and form a smooth, tight ball. Allow to rest 45 minutes.

3. Form the rolls: Flour a countertop. Take each ball and gently roll it back and forth on the counter with your palms to form a 6-inch oval. Then using the sides of your hands, lightly press and taper the ends to create a baguette shape. Place on parchment and allow to rest 30 minutes.

3. Bake: Preheat the oven to 450°F with a pizza oven in the center rack. Brush the top of each roll with water. Add water to the blade of a sharp knife, then cut four diagonal slits into each roll. Use a cookie sheet to slide onto the preheated pizza stone and bake for 19 minutes.

Make ahead and storage instructions

Storage is important when it comes to homemade bread! These sandwich rolls are best immediately, but you can store the bread at room temperature for 2 days wrapped in a clean towel.

For a softer bread, 3 to 5 days wrapped in plastic (we use an old store bought bread bag). The bread can also be frozen, sliced into pieces and wrapped in plastic, for 3 months.

Ways to serve it

These sandwich rolls are next level in flavor! You can serve them in so many ways: they work both for sandwiches and as a bread for serving with appetizers! Here are some ideas:

Use them as a sub sandwich bread for your favorite meats and cheeses
Make fancy sandwiches like an Italian eggplant sandwich or burrata sandwich
Spread it with compound butter or garlic butter
Use it to make crostini or for bruschetta

Dietary notes

This sandwich rolls recipe is vegetarian, plant-based, and vegan.

Sandwich Rolls Recipe

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

These artisan sandwich rolls are homemade sub sandwich bread with a crispy crust and chewy interior! Using just 5 ingredients and an overnight rest, this easy sub rolls recipe makes mini baguettes that taste like they’re from a French bakery.

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Rest time: ~14 hours
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 0 hours
Yield: 4 rolls
Category: Bread
Method: Baked
Cuisine: French
Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

350 grams (2 ½ cups) bread flour
70 grams (½ cup) whole wheat flour
3 grams (1 teaspoon) active dry yeast
9 grams (2 teaspoons) kosher salt
295 grams (1 ¼ cups) warm water
15 grams (1 tablespoon) apple cider vinegar

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Mix the dough: Combine the bread flour, whole wheat flour, yeast, and kosher salt in a bowl. Stir to combine. Add the water and vinegar and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Using wet hands, turn the dough onto a lightly floured countertop. Gently knead to form the dough into a ball, about 30 seconds. Return the dough to the bowl and cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap.
Rest overnight (12 to 18 hours): Allow the dough to rest overnight at room temperature, 12 to 18 hours.
Form the dough into balls (boules): The next day, the dough should be very bubbly. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and use a bench scraper to form into 4 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, gently stretch the edges of the dough and fold them toward the center, rotating the piece as you work around it. Flip the dough seam-side down and cup your hands around it. Using gentle circular motions, roll the dough to create surface tension and form a smooth, tight ball.
Rest the boules (45 minutes): Place the balls back on the counter and cover with the inverted bowl. Rest for 45 minutes.
Preheat: Preheat the oven to 450°F, with a pizza stone on the center rack and a rimmed sheet pan on the rack below.
Form the rolls into a baguette shape: After the 45 minute rest, prepare a piece of parchment paper the size of your pizza stone. Spread a thin layer of flour on a clean countertop. Take each ball and gently roll it back and forth on the counter with your palms to form a 6-inch oval. Then using the sides of your hands, lightly press and taper the ends to create a baguette shape, then place it on the parchment paper. Repeat with all four rolls — it’s ok if they are touching slightly on the parchment.
Rest the rolls (30 minutes): Cover with a clean tea towel and rest for 30 minutes.
Create slits: After the 30 minute rest, brush the top of each roll with water. Add water to the blade of a sharp knife, then cut four diagonal slits into each roll.
Bake: Slide a cookie sheet or pizza peel under the parchment and transfer the rolls to the hot pizza stone. Very carefully, pour 1 cup of water onto the hot baking sheet to create steam (stand back to avoid any steam). Bake for 19 minutes, until browned and hollow when tapped. Cool fully on a rack, then use a serrated knife to cut apart the 4 rolls into individual rolls.
Enjoy immediately or store the bread at room temperature for 2 days wrapped in a clean towel, or for a softer bread, 3 to 5 days wrapped in plastic (we use an old store bought bread bag). The bread can also be frozen, sliced into pieces and wrapped in plastic, for 3 months.

Notes

Serving ideas:

Use them as a sub sandwich bread for your favorite meats and cheeses

Make fancy sandwiches like an Italian eggplant sandwich or burrata sandwich

Spread it with compound butter or garlic butter

Use it to make crostini or for bruschetta