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+ servings

Cheddar Focaccia Hoagie Rolls

Gari McMellon
Soft, airy focaccia-style hoagie rolls with pockets of melted cheddar throughout and a golden exterior. Perfect for steak sandwiches, hot subs, and other hearty sandwiches, with optional jalapeños baked on top.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rise Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course dinner, lunch, Snack
Cuisine American, Comfort Food, Italian
Servings 4 hoagie rolls

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g (4 cups, spooned and leveled) bread flour
  • 400 g (1⅔ cups) warm water
  • 5 g (1 teaspoon) honey
  • 1 Packet (2 ¼ tsp) active dry yeast
  • 12 g (about 1 tablespoon) kosher salt
  • 15 g (1 tablespoon) extra virgin olive oil
  • Extra virgin olive oil, for shaping and the pan
  • 113 g (4 ounces) cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
  • Grated cheddar cheese, for topping
  • Thinly sliced jalapeños, for topping, optional

Instructions
 

  • Combine the warm water and honey in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water, stir briefly, and let stand for 5–10 minutes, until foamy. Stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
    Add the bread flour and kosher salt. Mix until a sticky dough forms and no dry flour remains. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
    Scatter the cubed cheddar over the dough. With damp hands, stretch one side of the dough up and fold it over itself, enclosing some of the cheese. Rotate the bowl and continue stretching and folding around the dough, incorporating the cheddar as you go. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
    Repeat the stretch-and-fold process three more times, allowing the dough to rest for 30 minutes between each round.
    After the final stretch and fold, cover and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
    Lightly oil a clean work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Gently turn the dough so both sides are coated with oil, then carefully spread it into a rectangle without pressing out more air than necessary.
    Using a bench scraper, cut the dough into four hoagie-sized portions. Transfer the rolls to a well-oiled baking pan, spacing them as far apart as possible.
    Cover and let the rolls rise for 45–60 minutes, until visibly puffy.
    Preheat the oven to 425°F.
    Gently dimple the tops of the rolls. Top with grated cheddar and thinly sliced jalapeños, if using.
    Bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown and the centers reach approximately 200°F.
    Transfer the rolls to a wire rack and allow them to cool before slicing.

Notes

  • The dough is sticky, so use damp hands for the stretch-and-fold process rather than adding additional flour.
    When spreading and cutting the dough, handle it gently to preserve the air developed during the folds.
    Space the rolls as far apart as possible in the pan so they maintain their individual hoagie shape as they rise and bake.
    Jalapeños are optional and can be added to some or all of the rolls before baking.

Keyword baked, hearty, homemade, savory
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