Subway is renowned for its delicious sub rolls, freshly baked daily (in most locations). Their diverse menu features a variety of bread types to suit every preference, including:

• 9-Grain Honey Oat (a healthier, hearty option)
• Wheat Bread (another whole-grain choice)
• White Bread (also known as Italian, a classic base)
• Italian Herb and Cheese Bread (the aromatic star of this recipe!)
• Jalapeño Cheese (for a spicy kick)
• Monterey Cheddar (cheesy goodness)
• Parmesan Oregano (a savory herb blend)
• Roasted Garlic (packed with flavor)
• Rosemary and Sea Salt (fragrant and savory)
• Rye Bread (a distinct, robust flavor)
• Gluten-Free Bread* (note: not baked in-restaurant to prevent cross-contamination)
• Flat Bread (a softer, foldable alternative)

*Please remember that specific bread selections can vary by restaurant location, so not all flavors may be available everywhere.

Making your own homemade grinder rolls is significantly more cost-efficient than purchasing footlongs from Subway. This recipe yields 8 footlong loaves, which can easily feed 8-12 people. Considering a single footlong sub can cost around $7 (for a basic cold cut like a Black Forest Ham sandwich), making 8 at home offers substantial savings compared to the $56 you’d spend at the restaurant!

Beyond the cost savings, there are numerous advantages to baking your own Subway-style bread:

• Frugal: Enjoy substantial savings compared to restaurant prices, making delicious subs an affordable treat.
• Easy Recipe: Utilizes simple, readily available ingredients, and you have complete control over what goes into your food.
• Meal Prep Friendly: Bake a batch ahead of time for quick and easy sandwich assembly throughout the week, or to stock up for future meals.
• Freezer Friendly: Baked and cooled sandwich rolls freeze beautifully, allowing you to enjoy fresh-tasting subs anytime.
• Versatile: This base recipe is incredibly adaptable! Customize your bread with different toppings, herbs, or cheeses to match any sandwich craving.

For those seeking healthier Subway bread options, choices like Whole Wheat rolls or 9-Grain Honey Oat are generally recommended due to their whole grain content. While you could also opt for a multi-grain flatbread, homemade bread made with whole grains often stands out as the healthiest choice.

If you’re using pre-packaged wheat flour, I personally prefer Prairie Gold 100% Whole Wheat flour (a type of white whole wheat) for its mild flavor and excellent baking properties. If you decide to use freshly ground wheat flour from wheat berries, you might need to incorporate some store-bought white flour or add vital wheat gluten/dough enhancers to achieve a consistently soft and manageable dough. This helps ensure your homemade healthy bread still has that desirable fluffy texture.

To recreate this amazing copycat Subway bread, you’ll need a few essential ingredients:

• Bread Flour: For the best results, I recommend using an unbleached bread flour such as King Arthur Special Patent Flour. Its higher protein content contributes to a chewy, yet light crumb.
• Water: Warm water is crucial for activating the yeast, ensuring your dough rises properly.
• Yeast: Instant dry yeast, like Red Star brand, works quickly and efficiently in this recipe to create airy bread.
• Sugar: A touch of granulated sugar not only feeds the yeast but also enhances the bread’s flavor and contributes to its beautiful golden crust.
• Oil: Choose a mild-flavored oil, such as soybean, canola, or vegetable oil, to avoid overpowering the delicate bread flavor.
• Salt: Essential for balancing the flavors and strengthening the gluten structure of the dough.
• Eggs: Act as a fantastic dough enhancer, adding richness, contributing to a softer texture, and providing a lovely golden hue.
• Instant Mashed Potato Flakes (Optional but Recommended): These are a secret ingredient for extra fluffiness and a tender crumb, mimicking the texture of commercial bread.
• Herb Seasoning: A carefully blended mix of dried herbs, specifically oregano and dried parsley, forms the core of the Italian herb flavor.
• Cheese: This recipe uses two types. Parmesan cheese is incorporated into the herb seasoning for a deeper savory note, while shredded Colby Monterey Jack Cheese is sprinkled over the subs just before baking for a delightful cheesy crust.

This Subway bread recipe is a straightforward white bread preparation, shaped into logs and topped to perfection. Here’s a summary of the process:

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine warm water and yeast, then whisk in sugar, oil, salt, eggs, and optional mashed potato flakes.
2. Add the bread flour and knead for about 6 minutes on low speed until a smooth dough forms.
3. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten.
4. Transfer the dough to a floured surface, divide it into 4 equal pieces, then halve each piece again to make a total of 8 portions.
5. Gently pat and roll each dough portion into a 12-inch log.
6. Lightly spray the tops of the logs with water, then dredge them in the Italian Herb Blend.
7. Carefully place the rolls into silicone sub roll baking mats and score the tops with 3-4 slashes.
8. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until it has tripled in size (this can take up to 1 hour).
9. Just before baking, sprinkle the risen rolls with shredded Colby and Monterey Jack Cheese.
10. Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.
11. Cool the bread completely in the molds before carefully removing them to a wire rack.

Note: This recipe makes 8 footlong Subway rolls, requiring two 5-mold silicone sub roll mats and two 18×13 inch baking sheets to accommodate them.

Freezing baked and cooled bread is an excellent way to preserve its freshness for future meals. For the best results, freeze the bread the same day it’s baked. Ensure the bread is completely cool before freezing to prevent any condensation and subsequent frost buildup, which can affect texture.

While I haven’t experimented with freezing raw dough sticks (as dough tends to rise poorly after extended freezing), baking and then freezing the finished bread works wonderfully!

1. Prepare and bake the bread according to the recipe instructions.
2. Cool completely: This is a crucial step. Allow the bread to cool down entirely on a wire rack.
3. Place the cooled bread into freezer-safe bags or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months for optimal quality, or up to 6 months in a deep freezer.
4. To reheat: Thaw the frozen bread overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature. You can then warm it slightly in the oven for a “freshly baked” feel.

Storing Baked Bread: Freshly baked bread is best enjoyed within 3 days at room temperature. For anything longer than that, freezing is the recommended method to maintain quality.

Making these delicious Subway-style rolls ahead for meal prep is incredibly convenient. Simply prepare and bake all the bread according to the recipe. To maintain maximum freshness, follow the freezing instructions meticulously – ideally, freeze the bread on the same day it’s baked. When you’re ready to assemble your sandwiches, simply thaw the bread completely. This method ensures you always have fresh-tasting, homemade sub rolls ready for quick lunches or dinners throughout the week.

This base recipe is incredibly versatile, allowing you to easily adapt it to create various Subway-inspired bread types:

• Honey Oat: Replace granulated sugar with an equal amount of honey and use a combination of bread flour and whole wheat flour (or entirely whole wheat). After shaping and spraying with water, roll the dough logs in plain rolled oats before proofing and baking.
• Wheat: For a simple wheat bread, substitute a portion (e.g., 2-3 cups) of the bread flour with whole wheat flour. Adjust water slightly if the dough feels too stiff, as whole wheat absorbs more liquid.
• White Italian Bread: To make the classic plain Italian bread, simply omit the Italian Herb and Cheese blend. The base dough is perfect on its own!
• 9-Grain Wheat: Start with a whole wheat flour base. For every 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour you omit from the recipe, add 1 tablespoon of different ground grains (e.g., flax seeds, quinoa flakes, millet). This adds texture and nutritional value.
• Jalapeño Cheese: Mix finely diced pickled jalapeños into the dough during the kneading process. Sprinkle shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese on top before baking.

Once you have your incredible homemade Subway bread, the possibilities for delicious sandwiches are endless! Our family favorites include recreating the Subway melts (with turkey, ham, and bacon) and the classic Black Forest Ham. While I also adore steak and cheese or roasted chicken subs, almost any sandwich from Subway is elevated with a generous drizzle of my homemade Southwest Chipotle Sauce, which I’ve also perfected for home use!

Simply slice your freshly baked sub roll, pile high with your preferred meats, cheeses, and vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, olives are popular choices), and finish with your favorite dressings or sauces. Enjoy the freedom of customizing every aspect of your sandwich!

This recipe is designed to generously yield 8 footlong subs. Each 12-inch sub roll should ideally weigh approximately 10 ounces of dough before baking to achieve the authentic Subway footlong size and density.

Having the right tools can make all the difference in achieving perfect results. Here are the essential pieces of equipment I used for this Subway bread recipe:

• Sub Roll Silicone Baking Mats: These are crucial for helping the rolls maintain their classic shape and ensuring even baking. This recipe specifically calls for two 5-mold mats to accommodate all 8 subs.
• Measuring Cups and Spoons: Accurate measurement is key in baking, so good quality measuring tools are a must.
• 18×13 Inch Baking Sheets: You will need two of these to properly support the two silicone bread molds in the oven.
• Stand Mixer (e.g., Kitchen-Aid Professional Grade): A powerful stand mixer with a dough hook makes the kneading process effortless and ensures the dough is perfectly developed.
• Pastry Brush or Spray Bottle: For lightly moistening the dough before adding toppings.
• Dough Scraper or Knife: For easily dividing the dough into equal portions.
• Wire Cooling Rack: For allowing the baked bread to cool completely and prevent sogginess.

For the Dough:

For the Italian Herb Seasoning & Topping:

Instructions:

• 

  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the warm water and dry active yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes until frothy. Then, whisk in the sugar, oil, salt, eggs, and the instant mashed potato flakes (if using) until well combined.
• 

  Switch to the dough hook attachment. Gradually add the bread flour and knead for 6 minutes on low speed until a smooth, elastic dough forms. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
• 

  Lightly flour a clean work surface. Transfer the dough and divide it into 4 equal pieces. Then, cut each of these 4 pieces in half again, creating a total of 8 equal portions. Gently pat and roll each portion into a 12-inch log, ensuring they are uniform in thickness.
• 

  In a shallow dish, combine the dried oregano, garlic powder, dried parsley, and grated Parmesan cheese for the Italian Herb Seasoning. Lightly spray the tops of each dough log with water using a spray bottle.
• 

  Gently dredge the sprayed tops of the dough logs into the prepared Italian Herb Blend, ensuring they are well coated.
• 

  Carefully place the seasoned rolls onto the Silicone Sub Roll Mats, ensuring they fit snugly. Using a sharp razor or knife, score the tops of each roll with 3-4 diagonal slashes.
• 

  Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Place the mats with the dough on the baking sheets. Allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place until it has visibly tripled in size (this typically takes up to 1 hour, depending on your environment).
• 

  Once fully risen, evenly sprinkle the tops of the rolls with the shredded Colby and Monterey Jack Cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and melted. Cool the bread completely in the silicone molds before carefully removing them to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

• This recipe yields 8 footlong (approximately 10oz each) sub rolls.
• I highly recommend using these Silicone Sub Roll Mats for the best shape and even baking.
• For precise measurements, here are the conversions for the dough recipe in grams and milliliters:
   
  709 ml warm water
  45 grams dry active yeast (4 Tbsp)
  60 grams granulated sugar
  78 ml mild oil
  20 grams salt
  2 large eggs
  30 grams instant mashed potato flakes (optional)
  1,140 grams bread flour

Nutrition per serving