No-Knead Chewy Sandwich Rolls

By AzWench

Submarines, grinders, hoagies, heroes, po' boys... what do YOU call a stuffed sandwich on a long, skinny roll? Whatever its regional name, there's nothing like bellying up to the counter at the sandwich shop and ordering "an Italian cold cut and provolone with everything" — everything ranging from chopped onions and tomatoes to chopped lettuce, hot peppers, oil and vinegar dressing, sweet peppers... these are the typical New England choices, but surely you have your own regional variations. Do I hear muffaletta?

These sandwich rolls, which start with a wet, sticky dough that's never really kneaded, aren't crisp/crunchy like baguettes. While they feature the baguette's open texture, they're more chewy than crusty. In addition, they're flattened off slightly on top, the better to hold a full load of filling.

The no-knead method used in this recipe is native to France, where it's used to make baguettes de tradition — we use it for some of the baguettes at our Bakery.

Ingredients

• 4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 3 tablespoons Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk powder
• 1 1/2 cups cool water
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Preparation

Step 1

Stir all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl large enough for you to stir without flour spilling over the sides, and large enough for the dough to rise once it's mixed.

Once everything is roughly combined (some floury patches will still be evident), use a dough scraper or spatula to stir the dough for 30 strokes, turning it over and over in the bowl.

Cover the bowl, and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

Give the dough 30 more strokes. Cover it, and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Repeat the process one more time. By the end of this 20-minute rest, you will have stirred the dough three separate times over the course of an hour. Now, give it 30 more strokes; see how it's smoothed out, compared to when you first started?

Cover the bowl, and let the dough rise for 2 hours in a fairly warm spot; 75°F to 80°F is perfect. If you don't have anywhere that warm, don't stress; just set the bowl somewhere away from cold drafts.

After 2 hours, the dough will have risen, though not wildly. It'll still be sticky and slack, but you should be able to work with it, so long as you grease or wet your hands.

Divide the dough into 5 pieces; each will be about 176g, or 6 1/4 ounces.

Gently push, prod, and pull each piece of dough into a log about 7" to 8" long. Keep your hands wet or oiled to facilitate this process. This isn't a typically springy, elastic dough you can easily shape; as noted, it's more a matter of push/pulling it into shape. Transfer the logs to a lightly greased or, preferably, parchment-lined pan, spacing them across the length of the pan. A half-sheet pan is the perfect size.

Transfer the logs to a lightly greased or, preferably, parchment-lined pan, spacing them across the length of the pan. A half-sheet pan is the perfect size.

Cover the pan with a large plastic cover, or drape the loaves with heavily greased plastic wrap or parchment. Let them rise until they're noticeably puffy, 2 to 3 hours or so. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 475°F.

Uncover the rolls, and spritz them heavily with warm water.

Bake the rolls for 18 to 20 minutes, until they're a dark golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool. Store the cooled rolls in a paper bag for a day or so; freeze for longer storage.

Tip:

Want to try making a classic crusty baguette using this no-knead method? Omit the olive oil and dry milk; and increase the water to 1 2/3 cups.

Yield: 5 large (8") rolls.