Italian sandwich roll recipe needed

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I'm a bread fiend.......and also a bread snob! lol! I've been baking so long the Home Ec. teacher in high school had me, as a 7th grader, come in to teach the seniors how to make bread! lol! I completely understand your need to learn to make bread!
Those are beautiful loaves justplainbill.
You might try looking here we love ciabatta.
Ciabatta Rolls: King Arthur Flour

kades
 
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I know the flavor and texture of this bread having grown up in Maine, but honestly I've never had any like them anywhere else, and I am not quite sure how they are made. There is a place back home that produces kaiser (also called hard or bulkie rolls up there) and deliver them to grocery stores, I always buy them to make sandwiches, they are so good, I wish that I knew how to make them.

I'm willing to bet that there is some potato starch in them, potato starch makes bread so soft and velvety in texture.
 
Being a Maine Italian sandwich fiend, there are two undisputed atrocities in many parts of the country:

1.) The rarity of sour pickles
2.) The rarity of usable Italian sandwich bread

Now, I am from the NY/NJ area, and I know what people mean about "Italian" sandwiches around hear, and I understand why some will give an askew look towards the Italian I know and love. They will never understand that you have to have the pickles and the bread has to be just right!

The bread: Akin to the hot dog roll, but a bit more dense, and certainly bigger. No, it's not crusty, and no it doesn't have seeds.

Having said that, I do not bake, but I can search well. And yes, I have found some brands of supermarket bread that fit the bill! They are both nice and soft, with only the color of the crust (no toughness). They are sold near the deli section of the supermarket, but sometimes are in the bread isle. For the sake of a picture, see link of one of the brands below:

Azio & Sons Sub Rolls - Walmart.com: Anzio & Sons Rolls: 6 Ct Sub, 15 oz: Bakery & Bread

I can't for the life of me remember the other brands, but they all come in similar Italian color packaging, and you can tell just be giving a little squeeze that it is right. I get them at both Pathmark and Shoprite in NJ.

I do make my own pickles now. Whenever I find sour pickles, I buy them all and they are never restocked.
 
Buon Giorno,

Interesting Post ...

*** Involtini ( Rolls ) in Roma ...

When we were in Roma, we had enjoyed Turkey Involtini stuffed with fresh home made Ricotta with black truffles at Casa Bleve on Vìa Del Teatro Valle Number 49 ...

In Italia, I have never seen Involtini in bread ... They are a roll served without bread.

Therefore, I would tend to believe that this Recipe from Maine had been developed by Italian Immigrants either during the 1920s or WWII 40s or prior to 1920s ...

Any historical knowledge on topic ?

Good luck with finding the right recipe for you.

Have a nice Sunday.
Ciao, Margi. Cintrano.

You can view the history here:

Amato's - Pizza :: Pasta :: Sandwiches - Our History

And here:

Amato's - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
I prefer Italian breads and rolls that look like this-
(Of course the small rolls are often round and of a much lighter color.)

Please do not get us wrong jpb We tottaly agree with you there is nothing like a crusty chewy loaf of italian bread!! We love that... too!! It's just that for the sandwich we are trying to make the crusty bread would not work well. It needs to be plyable and not hard to bite into. I would say that the roll we are talking about, although it is called an "italian" roll (because the name of the sandwich is called "Italian Sandwich") it really is NOTHING like an italian loaf of bread NOR is the sandwich any thing like something "italian." We know that is a conundrum but it's just the way it is. It is a unique sandwich and a unique roll but I'm quite sure if you ever were to have one you would truly enjoy it. Here are a couple of sites (which do not have the roll recipe) that show what the sandwich and roll look like. The first one is Amatos website and the other is from someone who worked at Amatos for years. Also, in post #24 to Margi Cintrano, you will see I have posted a historical account of these sandwiches. Enjoy!!

Amato's - Pizza :: Pasta :: Sandwiches - Home

AND

The Original Italian Sandwich Recipe | Just A Pinch Recipes
 
Being a Maine Italian sandwich fiend, there are two undisputed atrocities in many parts of the country:

1.) The rarity of sour pickles
2.) The rarity of usable Italian sandwich bread

The oil is also a MUST for the sandwich... AND greek olives.

I checked out the Amatos oil bottle and found that it is a BLEND of olive oil and other oils (I don't remember which). So I experimented and found that Wesson Oil has an oil which is called Best Blend. It is a blend of canola and soybean oils. I mix this with my cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, using a ratio of 1:1, and it's almost perfect.

I live in Oklahoma and the Walmart here sells a large container of sour pickles which is acceptable but they have to be refrigerated after opening so you need room in the frige. I can't find any of the pickles at the deli like I used to in Maine.

I, also, haven't found the greek olives in the deli like in Maine but, once again, Walmart does sell Kalamata Olives in a jar, brand name Mezzeta, which are very good.

All-in-all, they taste much like Amatos. I'm still looking for a recipe for the roll but untill then I've found some that fit the bill. I'll keep working on my search and will post back if I ever do... for those might be looking in the future.
 
I used to work at Nappi's Bakery in Portland Maine.
The quintessential Italian Sandwich Bread bakery in the southern Maine area.

The trick to the crust is to spray it with water before the proofing and after the proofing. The water for moistening and the water used in the dough was very well filtered also.
(note: after the proofing the dough ropes should be touching each other to the point of rising upward (not outward.)

A full size bakers sheet should hold 15 ropes (I think. It has been 20+ years) They were bagged in 6's and the division per pan was not even.

As to the recipe, it was a family secret.

There is no other bread like that in the world.

Thank you dhardt. This is very helpful!!
 
In my travels from Milano and Vicenza to Roma the Subway / Blimpie (swollen frankfurter roll / hamburger bun / Wonderbread consistency) breads did not seem to be particularly popular; except perhaps with people who have dental problems. Many of the northern Italian breads seemed to be a little short in the salt department. Throughout much of Europe breads of a more substantial nature seemed to be favored more than many of the breads favored in the USA.
I had to learn how to bake my own bread bread my when I moved out of the NYC area.
Bread is more popular in the south. My mother is from Sicily and sometimes she prepairs the "pane cunzato". It is hot bread just taken from the oven, with salt, pepper, oil (extra virgin oliva oil, of course). You can add dry pomatos, olives.
 
I know the flavor and texture of this bread having grown up in Maine, but honestly I've never had any like them anywhere else, and I am not quite sure how they are made...
Since someone made this thread *ahem* rise to the top ;) I had to check it out. I've never lived in Maine and, when visiting, am sure I've never eaten a sandwich that didn't have lobster in it. But I had to soldier on and look for a copycat recipe for a bread I've never tasted. bakechef, your name says it all. I found a recipe that might be like the rolls you remember from Maine. If you want to check it out, you can find it here: Budget101.com - - Copycat Amato's Italian Sub Rolls | Italian Sandwiches | Homemade Italian Sub Rolls
 
Hi! I signed up specifically for this thread but I now realize there are many other interesting things to explore here. I realize this is an old thread but I'd like to bring it back to life. I too once lived in Maine and I CRAVE Maine Italian sandwiches and am trying to figure out what the Maine Italian Sandwich Bread Recipe might be? . I'm trying to see if I can make them at home and wonder if anyone has anymore tips or tricks to offer? I've tried hamburger and hot dog roll recipes and they aren't the same. Thanks!

The light bread that is soft on the inside, but not chewy and has light layers along the sides. It's an extraordinary sandwich that compliments any filling crammed within it, but... if you venture out of New England chances are slim that you'll be able to enjoy the taste... until Now.

To be fair, let me explain that in Maine we don't refer to them as subs, they're simply "Italians",


but as you head south towards Boston, New York and Jersey- they transform into "subs".

Here's a copycat recipe for New England Italian rolls, fresh from a 'Maine-ah' who's moved south!

You'll Need:
2 cups water, lukewarm (about 110 degrees F)
4 tsp Bread Machine Yeast (fast rising)
3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 1/4 cup Cake Flour
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salt

Place the warm water and yeast in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer and allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes (optional for some types of yeast).

Using a dough hook attachment, add the flours and sugar to the water and mix

low speed until a dough starts to form.

Drizzle the oil and salt into the dough and beat on medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes (or knead the dough by hand), or until a smooth, firm, elastic dough is formed.


Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and spray the dough with a thin coating of cooking spray (cooking spray not necessary if you roll the dough around the oil-lined bowl).

Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to proof in a warm, draft-free place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.

Remove the plastic wrap, punch down and flatten the rounded dough with the heel of your hand. Roll the dough up tightly, sealing the seam well after each roll. Place the rolls with the sides touching slightly on a greased cookie sheet to rise again.


Allow the dough to proof, loosely covered with a damp towel for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.


oven to 325 degrees

Lightly spritz the dough with water from a water bottle and then place the rolls in the oven. Immediately close the oven and bake for 3 minutes. Open the oven door and spray the dough again with the water bottle. Bake for about 30-35 minutes

Split the Italian roll (don't completely cut through, all your fillings fall out and that's not how we do it!) add sliced ham, sliced american cheese, diced onions, halved black olives, sliced dill pickles, sliced tomato, sliced green pepper, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Do not forget to wrap in wax paper after sandwich is made
 
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Hi All! Want to update this thread. I've ALMOST got it!
I looked up Lucarelli's Bakery in Livermore Falls and looked at their Italian Sandwich Roll ingredients. They make a great roll and I changed the recipe a little because of that.


I almost followed Jeff2019 recipe. This is what I did:
I cut the salt in half and used vegetable oil instead of olive oil. The reason being is I kicked around Southern Maine restaurants for years and know the oil most places use on Italians is LaSpagnola which is only 5% olive oil. I used white sugar instead of brown.


My stand mixer is in storage so I combined everything except half the bread flour and beat it with a hand mixer for about 15 minutes. Added the rest of the bread flour, and kneaded for about another 15 minutes using a bench scraper to knead with and not incorporate more flour.


I let it rise once. Cut it into 8 rolls which were 9" long because I used a 1/4 sheet pan (9"x 13").
I sprayed them with water using dhardt suggestion and covered the rolls with a sheet of parchment. When they had risen, and were doubled in size, I sprayed them with water again. Baked them at 325 and they stayed nice and pale like they're supposed to.


They came out of the oven pretty crusty. Let them cool completely, bagged them up and let them sit overnight. They were almost perfect, still just a little heavy. I made an Italian with one, wrapped it up in parchment paper and let it sit for a bit. LOL! It's SO close.


Next time I make them, I'm going to let them proof longer. Let them go to the point they're almost overproofed and I think that's all it's going to take. I will report back!��
 
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