How to make Soft Sourdough Hoagie Rolls

BySylvia Hofer
7 Comments
Updated: April 7, 2026

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Learn how make delicious sub sandwiches with this soft sourdough hoagie roll recipe: they have a tender crumb, slightly tangy taste and a golden crust exterior. 

Soft golden hoagie rolls with one cut open to see the crumb.

Recipe Overview: Soft Sourdough Hoagies (sub sandwich)

  • ⏱ Prep Time: 8 minutes
  • 👩🏻‍🍳 Baking Time: 20 minutes
  • ⏱ Resting time: 10 hours
  • ⏳ Total Time: 12 hours
  • 🍞 Serving: 8 hoagies
  • ⚡ Calories: 407 calories per hoagie
  • 🍂 Flavor Profile: Tender, slightly tangy sourdough hoagie rolls with a soft crumb and light crust, perfect for hearty sandwiches.
  • 👌 Difficulty: Medium — requires sourdough fermentation and shaping for uniform rolls.

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I could have jumped up and down with joy the first time I made these soft sourdough hoagie rolls and they turned out just the way I wanted them to. I had been experimenting with my sourdough buns recipe, but the texture was never quite right. After more testing, I combined parts of that recipe with the richness of an enriched brioche style dough and ended up with these soft, fluffy homemade rolls.

Since then, I have been making these sourdough sandwich rolls for sub sandwiches, hot dog buns, and easy family lunches. They are perfect for all kinds of sandwiches, but we especially love them with my chicken cheesesteak recipe.

If you love making homemade breads instead of buying buns and rolls from the store, be sure to try my easy same day sourdough sandwich bread, or sourdough dinner rolls too.

Why you will love this recipe:

  • Soft and fluffy texture: These sourdough hoagie rolls have a soft, fluffy interior with just enough structure for hearty sandwiches.
  • Better than store bought: The flavor and texture of homemade sourdough sandwich rolls are hard to beat, especially for sub sandwiches and hot dog buns.
  • Perfect for so many meals: Use these rolls for deli subs, meatball sandwiches, barbecue sandwiches, or simple lunch sandwiches.
  • Made with simple ingredients: This recipe uses basic ingredients you may already have in your kitchen.
  • Freezer friendly: Make a batch ahead and freeze the rolls for quick meals later on.

Ingredient Notes:

Ingredients for sourdough hoagie rolls.

Active sourdough starter: Gives these rolls their rise and signature sourdough flavor.
Milk: Adds richness and keeps the crumb soft and tender.
Butter: Makes the dough rich, flavorful, and extra soft.
Eggs: Help create a fluffy texture and beautiful color.
All purpose flour: Creates a dough that is easy to work with and bakes into soft, fluffy rolls.
Egg wash: Gives the baked rolls a glossy, golden top

Stacked sourdough hoagie rolls on parchment paper and a striped towel.

How to make sourdough hoagie rolls:

  1. Step 1:  In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sourdough starter, warm milk, sugar, butter and eggs. Stir until well combined. Add the salt and flour and mix for about 4 minutes until smooth and elastic.
  1. Step 2: Place the dough into a greased bowl and let it ferment at room temperature for about 6-10 hours, or until doubled in size.
  1. Step 3: Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Shape into balls and let them rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten.
  1. Step 4: Shape each piece into a hoagie roll by rolling it into a log shape, about 6-8 inches long. It helps to first roll them out as much as you can, let them rest for a few minutes to relax the gluten and then roll them again. Otherwise the roll shapes tend to spring together.
unbaked hoagie doughs
  1. Step 5: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the rolls on it, with room to expand. Cover the shaped rolls with plastic wrap and let them rise at room temperature for about 4-6 hours, or until they are light and puffy.
baked sourdough hoagie rolls
  1. Step 6: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Brush the rolls with egg wash. Bake the hoagie rolls in the preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Rotate them halfway.

Optional Toppings and Additions

These sourdough hoagie rolls are delicious plain, but you can add more flavor to them before baking. Here are some ideas:

Sesame seeds add a classic nutty flavor and a little crunch.

Poppy seeds give the rolls a subtle crunch and a more bakery style finish.

Everything bagel seasoning adds lots of savory flavor with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic, and dried onion.

Shredded or grated cheese like cheddar, mozzarella, or Parmesan can be sprinkled on top for a cheesy finish.

Fresh or dried herbs such as rosemary, thyme, or oregano add extra flavor and make the rolls feel a little more special.

Rosemary garlic: For a savory twist, top the rolls with chopped rosemary and a little garlic butter before baking. If you love this flavor combination, you may also enjoy my rosemary garlic sourdough artisan loaf.

Baker’s Schedule to Have These Ready for Dinner

If you want these sourdough hoagie rolls ready for dinner, here is a sample baking timeline to follow:

6:30 AM:

Mix the dough.

6:45 AM to 1:45 PM

Let the dough bulk ferment at room temperature until doubled in size.

1:45 PM:

Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and shape into balls. Let rest for 10 minutes.

1:55 PM:

Shape the rolls and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

2:00 PM to 6:00 PM:

Cover and let the shaped rolls rise until light and puffy.

6:00 PM:

Brush with egg wash and bake.

Sourdough Hoagie Roll FAQs:

A sourdough starter is a mixture of flour and water that captures wild yeast and beneficial bacteria, which naturally leaven bread. If you do not already have one, you can learn how to make your own sourdough starter for bread-making here.

This recipe is written for an active sourdough starter, so I recommend making it as written for the best flavor and texture. If you are comfortable working with yeast dough, you could experiment with instant yeast, but the rise time and flavor will be different.

The dough should look smooth and feel elastic and slightly tacky. You can also try the windowpane test by stretching a small piece of dough until it becomes thin without tearing right away.

Yes. You can prepare the dough ahead of time and let it rise in the refrigerator overnight if that works better for your schedule. A cold rise can also help develop more flavor.

Store leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze them for longer storage. To freshen them up, warm them slightly before serving.

Sourdough hoagie rolls arranged neatly on a parchment paper.

More sourdough bakes:

Looking for other yummy sourdough recipes? Try these:

If you tried this Sourdough Hoagie Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!

How to make Soft Sourdough Hoagies (sub sandwich)

How to make Soft Sourdough Hoagie Rolls

by Sylvia Hofer
This sourdough hoagie roll recipe makes soft, fluffy rolls perfect for sub sandwiches, hot dogs, and family-approved meals!
4.50 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 407 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Stand mixer
  • 1 Dough hook attachment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoon sugar 25 grams
  • ½ tablespoon salt 9 grams
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup active sourdough starter 227 grams
  • ¾ cup milk 180 grams
  • ½ cup butter 113 grams
  • 4 ½ cup all purpose flour 540 grams
  • Egg for egg wash

Instructions
 

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sourdough starter, warm milk, sugar, butter and eggs. Stir until well combined.
  • Add the salt and flour. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium speed for about 4 minutes.
  • Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it and let the dough ferment in a warm place for about 6-10 hours, or until it has doubled in size. This can vary greatly depending on the strength of your starter and the temperature of your house.
  • Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 8 equal pieces.
  • Shape each piece into a hoagie roll by rolling it into a log shape, about 6-8 inches long. It helps to first roll them out as much as you can, let them rest for a few minutes to relax the gluten and then roll them again. Otherwise the roll shapes tend to spring together.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the rolls on it.
  • Cover the shaped rolls with plastic wrap and let them rise at room temperature for about 4-6 hours, or until they have puffed up.
  • Preheat your oven to 400°F while the rolls are finishing their second rise.
  • Brush with egg wash.
  • Bake the hoagie rolls in the preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Rotate them halfway.
  • Remove the rolls from the oven and let them cool on a cooling rack before adding your favorite sandwich fillings.

Notes

  • Don’t fight the dough while shaping. If it keeps shrinking back, let it rest 5–10 minutes, then try again. It makes a big difference.
  • If you want these for hot dog buns, divide into 12 pieces instead of 8, and roll thinner. 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1hoagieCalories: 407kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 10gFat: 15gSodium: 561mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4g
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4.50 from 4 votes

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Recipe Rating




7 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Such soft and fluffy rolls, perfect for hot dogs too but I divided into smaller pieces and rolled the logs thinner!

    Reply

    1. if you mix the dough around 7 am, it should be ready to shape between noon-2. and then it only takes a few hours for the shaped rolls to double in size and then bake. But you can mix in the evening and let it bulk ferment overnight.

      Reply

    2. Yes, you can refrigerate the dough at any point in during the rising stage. Cold fermenting actually elevates the taste, in my opinion. I've done it many times with many different fermented breads. This is why I love sourdough - it's so flexible! You can leave it overnight in the fridge and pull it out the next day. Let it come back up to room temp and finish rising before moving on with next steps.

      Reply