These deli style rolls are the perfect sandwich roll – they have a substantial crust yet are light and airy on the inside. Just like you would find at a deli!
It is no secret that I love baking bread. I usually try out a different loaf every weekend that we are in town. But for some reason, I never make rolls. I’m not sure why – they aren’t harder to make than normal bread. I just never think about it. But some sandwiches just call out for a roll. Like pulled pork – definitely need a roll for that! Or an egg sandwich – it just isn’t the same on toast. So I decided that we needed some deli style rolls in our life!
So making rolls really isn’t any harder than making a loaf of bread. All the beginning steps are the same. Mix your ingredients together. Knead the dough. Let it rise until doubled in size. But then instead of shaping it into a loaf, you shape it into rolls. It is a little more time consuming, but I think it is kind of fun to shape the dough. It is like playing with play-dough! Except you get to eat it in the end.
To shape the dough, cut it into even pieces, depending on how large you want your rolls. Remember, the dough will expand and rise, so cut the pieces accordingly. Then take a piece of dough, and lightly pull the edges under, turning the dough ball in your palm after each pull, until you have a smooth and taut top and the bottom is sealed. It takes a little practice, but you will get the hang of it quickly and then it becomes fun!
You can top these rolls with sesame seeds or poppy seeds, or leave them plain. I did half and half so that we could have a little of both.
These rolls are slightly crusty on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. They are substantial enough for a sandwich, but still light and fluffy in texture. They are the perfect vehicle for an egg sandwich!!
These deli style rolls are the perfect sandwich roll - they have a substantial crust yet are light and airy on the inside. Just like you would find at a deli!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups bread flour
- 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup lukewarm water
- 2 to 3 tablespoons sesame seeds or poppy seeds (for topping)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, stir together all the ingredients (except the seeds). Knead with the dough hook for 5 - 7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. You can also do this by hand.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place until it is puffy and almost doubled in size, about one hour.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased counter or a silicone mat, and divide it into 12 pieces (if you want your rolls larger, you can divide it into 8 pieces)
- Shape each piece of dough into a ball, and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. You might need to use two cookie sheets depending on their size - make sure to leave a lot of room between the rolls so they can rise. Lightly press on each roll to flatten them a bit.
- Lightly over the cookie sheet(s) with greased plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm spot until puffy, about 30 - 40 minutes.
- Halfway through the rising time, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- When the rolls are risen, lightly brush the surface with water and sprinkle with seeds (if desired)
- Bake until the rolls are deep golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes (the time will vary depending on the size of your rolls). Remove from oven and cool on a rack.
- If desired, just before serving, reheat the rolls in a 375°F oven for 5 minutes or so, to crisp.
Notes
Recipe from King Arthur Flour
Need more sandwich bread ideas?
These rolls look so great! I’m super impressed with your bread baking ninja skills! And now you have me thinking about pulled pork sandwiches… YUM!
Haha, I’m so glad you think I have bread baking ninja skills!! I have been practicing a lot. And I haven’t been able to get pulled pork out of my head all day. I might need to make that for the blog next!
I really want a little sandwich on fresh rolls now. 🙂 These look awesome! I’m not much of a bread baker, but now I feel like I need to try it!
Thanks, Beth! I think bread baking is definitely a labor of love, but I really enjoy it! And you can’t beat the results!
So those rolls are your first try??? seriously? they are beautiful and perfect! great photos too!
Thanks, Margherita! This was the first time I tried this recipe, but I have made a few other roll recipes. I usually just bake regular loaves of bread though!
I love baking bread too! These look great, and that egg sandwich is making me SO hungry!!
Thanks, Marie! I will have to check out your site for some bread recipes!!
Wow, these look so professional! I’m continually impressed by your bread-making skills 🙂 And the photos are gorgeous!
Thank you so much, Nora!!
There is nothing like a good dinner roll – these look absolutely amazing. Yum!
Thanks, Kathi!
These rolls look delicious! Love the last shot!
I’m ok with all these bread recipes! You do them so well. The domes on these buns look amazing! Definitely designed for egg salad … or BBQ!
Thanks, Mary Frances! These are so perfect for BBQ!
Fabulous looking rolls Cate. Beautiful pictures like always.
Thanks, Julie!
These look just about perfect! 🙂 I agree perfect egg sandwich vehicle!
Cate – these seriously are so beautiful! They look even better than what you get at the bakery! And truly, I bet they taste better because they are 100% homemade … no funny ingredients in there! I’ve wanted to try to make rolls, but they always seemed tricky. You’ve just shown me that I CAN do it! Thanks!!
YESSSS! I am obsessed with deli rolls-to the point where I think about how much I’ll miss them when I leave NYC! Yours look fab and like the perfect way to have them with me when I move!!!