Hoagie Roll

Part I: Making the Roux – TANGZHONG

1. To a pan with high sides, add the flour, milk and water. Whisk them together until smooth and there are no lumps
2. Place the pan on the stove over low heat and stir continuously. Do not let lumps form. You’ll notice that within a minute or two, the mixture starts thickening.
3. If you have a thermometer, cook the Tangzhong till it reaches 65C (150F) and take it off the heat. If you don’t have a thermometer, then watch the roux/ tangzhong until you start seeing “lines” forming in the roux/ tangzhong as you whisk/ stir it. Take the pan off the heat at this point.
4. Don’t worry if the mixture is lumpy despite your constant whisking. Just take a spatula / flat spoon and beat the mixture well for a minute till it becomes smooth & creamy.
5. Cover the pan loosely & let it rest for 2-3 hours at least. . If not using immediately, transfer the roux to a bowl and cover using plastic wrap. It can be stored in the fridge for about a day. Discard the tangzhong after that.

Part II: Making the DOUGH

** NOTE: Since we’re using Tangzhong, the dough can get extremely sticky. So if you have a food processor or a mixer with a dough attachment, use that to do your kneading for you. But if not, you have to be patient and keep kneading the dough for 20-30 minutes until it becomes smooth & elastic.

1. To a large mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, sugar, powdered milk and instant yeast. Give them a good mix. (If using an electric mixer – pulse a couple of times)
2. In another bowl, add the TANGZHONG, milk and cream.
3. Mix well until it is smooth. Add this mixture to the flour mixture.
4. If doing it by hand, use a wooden spoon initially to mix the wet into the dry. Or run the mixer on slow speed until the dough comes together.
5. Add the softened butter and mix well.
6. Then switch to your hands and start kneading the dough (stretch-pull back together) for at least 20-30 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic & no-longer-sticky dough. If using an electric mixer, switch to medium speed and process for 10-15 minutes until the dough feels smooth.
7. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a well oiled bowl. Make sure the top of the dough is well oiled too (to prevent a skin from forming).
8. Cover with a kitchen cloth and let it rise in a warm spot for about 45 minutes – 1 hour. Or until the dough is almost doubled up in volume.

Part III: Shaping the dough

1. Once it has doubled, remove on a work surface. Use minimum flour to shape the dough.
2. Roll it into an even log. Cut it into 2 or 4 equal sized pieces. Stretch and roll to shape them like a hoagie roll (hot dog bun)
3. On a greased baking sheet, sprinkle cornmeal or semolina generously and place the shaped rolls on them. Cover iwth a cloth & let the rolls rise for 20-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F
4. Brush well with melted butter / milk / cream egg-wash.
5. Bake at 200 C for 20 -25 minutes or until the outsides are olden brown and inside fully cooked through
6. Let it cool completely before slicing. You can use this for ht dog, submarine sandwiches, bruschetta etc.

NOTES

1. You can make rolls as small or as big as you like. Based on the size, number of pieces of hoagie rolls made with this recipe will vary
2. You can also use your favorite soft bread dough recipe if you want