Easy Homemade Sourdough Sub Rolls

Add the lukewarm water to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the kneading hook. Whisk in the sourdough starter until mostly combined, then add the sugar, salt, and vegetable oil. Mix briefly to combine.

Add the flour in about four additions (roughly 120g each), mixing between additions. When all the flour has been added, continue mixing for 3-4 minutes, to develop the dough. The dough may be quite wet and sticky. That's fine. It will tighten up as it rests and you can add additional flour later, if needed.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for 45-75 minutes, until it has risen by about 30% — watch the dough rather than the clock, as timing will vary with your kitchen temperature and starter activity.

Once the dough has risen about 30%, cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for 6-10 hours (overnight), until the dough is roughly doubled, domed, and bubbly at the surface and edges. Since the dough has a head start from the room-temperature rise, start checking at the 6-hour mark.

Remove the dough to a floured work surface. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. *I like to weigh the entire piece of dough, then divide that amount by 4, to weigh out identically sized pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, cover with a clean tea towel, and let rest at room temperature 45-60 minutes, to relax and warm slightly before shaping — cold dough straight from the fridge will tear or resist stretching.

Roll each piece of dough into an 8x8-inch square. Starting with the edge closest to you, tightly roll the dough up, jelly-roll style, and pinch the seam together. Using your palms, roll the dough log on a work surface, gently and evenly stretching it out longer, until it is 11 to 12-inches long. Be sure that the dough is even thickness along the length of the dough. Remove the dough to a large, un-greased baking sheet. *You can lightly dust the baking sheet with a bit of flour or line the baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper, if your baking sheet is prone to sticking.

Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.

Brush the top of the rolls with water, cover, and let rise 1.5-2.5 hours at room temperature, until puffy. Watch the dough rather than the clock — a finger poke should leave an indentation that springs back slowly.

About 20-30 minutes before the rolls finish proofing, preheat the oven to 375F (regular bake/not fan-assisted), so the oven will be hot and ready when your rolls are ready.

Brush the dough with water again and sprinkle with any toppings at this point (seeds, cheese, dried herbs etc.)

Bake 18-22 minutes, or until deep golden. Remove from the oven and immediately transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Wrap and store at room temperature or in the fridge, to extend the freshness time. For longer storage, wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months.