Fast Soft Rolls

Soft rolls (or hoagies) from scratch in about an hour — one short rise, built for a roast beef sandwich

6 rolls · 15 min

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3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
2¼ tsp instant yeast (1 packet)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup warm milk (or water), ~110°F
3 Tbsp butter, melted (or oil)
1 egg (optional — richer crumb + egg wash)

Whisk the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the warm milk and butter (and egg if using); mix to a shaggy dough, then knead 5 min to a smooth, soft ball — a little tacky is right.
Cover and rise in a warm spot 25–30 min, until puffy and nearly doubled. (A barely-warm oven with the light on speeds it up.)
Divide into 6; shape into 5–6″ logs for hoagies or rounds for sliders. Set on a lined sheet, cover, and proof 10–15 min while the oven heats to 400°F.
Brush with egg wash (or milk) and bake 14–16 min until golden. Cool a few minutes before slicing so they don't squash.

Steps — tap one to keep your place

1. Whisk the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the warm milk and butter (and egg if using); mix to a shaggy dough, then knead 5 min to a smooth, soft ball — a little tacky is right.

2. Cover and rise in a warm spot 25–30 min, until puffy and nearly doubled. (A barely-warm oven with the light on speeds it up.)

3. Divide into 6; shape into 5–6″ logs for hoagies or rounds for sliders. Set on a lined sheet, cover, and proof 10–15 min while the oven heats to 400°F.

4. Brush with egg wash (or milk) and bake 14–16 min until golden. Cool a few minutes before slicing so they don't squash.

✨ Untested — Claude drafted this one from scratch; it hasn't been cooked and amended in our kitchen yet, so treat the amounts as a starting point. Low salt — salt at the end and taste as you go; broth, cheese, and canned goods already bring salt.