Copycat Subway Italian Herbs and Cheese Bread
My sister has been obsessed with Subway sandwiches lately and asked me if I could make their Italian herbs and cheese bread.
I didn’t know how but I tried it!
The result is bread that is NEARLY IDENTICAL to Subway’s. It makes your house smell like when you walk into a Subway and get a whiff of freshly baked bread. Man, it’s good.
This bread was so good that my boyfriend said dinner was amazing that night. It wasn’t just good or fine, but AMAZING. If that kind of feedback doesn’t make you want to try this bread, the only other thing I can think of that might persuade you is that this costs significantly less to make (if you don’t count your time, because we all know our time is priceless) and it’s fresh.
No yoga mat chemicals are to be found in these subs! (Look up the scrutiny Subway was under for its bread ingredients before it removed one that was also found in yoga mats but was deemed safe for human consumption.)
And if you’re wondering if you can mail a loaf of bread, the answer is yes.
Let’s get into it.
Copycat Subway Italian Herbs and Cheese Bread
Recipe credit to Spiced
Time commitment:
Prep - 30-45 minutes
Resting time - 30 minutes
Proofing time - ~1 hour (keep watch for it to double sooner or longer than one hour!)
Cooking time - 16-20 minutes
Cooling time - 30+ minutes
Ready in around 3-3.5 hours!
Equipment list:
Cookie sheet, preferably nonstick (this is a great one)
Silicone sub mold (this one works well)
Aluminum foil if not using a sub mold
Stand mixer and a dough hook (this is a cute one that is very affordable and comes with attachments)
Medium sized mixing bowl and spatula or wooden spoon if not using mixer
Smaller bowl for toppings and cheeses
Your hands!
Cheese grater (if using block cheese and not pre-shredded)
1/2 tablespoon (or use half of 1) (I have this set of measuring spoons I keep attached to my fruit basket; it’s very handy!)
Plastic wrap OR foil
Tablespoon
1/4 cup measuring cup (or use half of 1/2)
1 cup measuring cup
4 cup measuring cup (or use what you have, just don’t forget to measure out all of your flour!)
Oven
Ingredients:
Bread:
1 1/2 cups warm water at 100-110F
2 tbsp instant yeast (2 packets)
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra for prepping resting bowl
1/2 tbsp salt (regular)
1 large egg
1/4 cup dried potato flakes (PLAIN instant mashed potatoes)
3 3/4 cups bread flour (yes, must be bread flour), plus extra for dusting countertop
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese (block cheese manually shredded or pre-shredded if you can find it)
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (block cheese manually shredded or pre-shredded)
Spray oil
Water
Sharp knife, preferably a small one like a paring knife
Topping:
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tbsp dried parsley
1/4 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese (block cheese shredded or pre-shredded if you can find it)
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (block cheese shredded or pre-shredded)
Steps to get copycat bread:
Gather all your equipment and ingredients. Grate your cheese if using fresh. Consider taking the time to measure out and prep all ingredients NOW instead of later!
TIP: A stand mixer is really the way to go here. It saves so much time and your hand power.
Add to your stand mixer bowl or mixing bowl if not using a mixer 1 1/2 cups 100-110F water, 2 tbsp instant yeast (2 packets), 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tbsp regular salt, 1 large egg, and 1/4 cup dried potato flakes (plain instant mashed potatoes). Stir until it’s well combined.
Add 3 3/4 cups bread flour, 1 cup shredded Monterey jack and 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Using the dough hook on your mixer OR using a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon, mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes or until everything is well combined.
Increase speed to medium OR keep mixing for 6-7 minutes. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl when using the dough hook, and when kneading by hand, it should be elastic, slightly sticky, and totally combined.
Transfer the dough to a large, oiled mixing bowl and cover with foil, plastic wrap, or a slightly damp hand towel to rest for 30 minutes.
TIP: Reuse your stand mixer bowl or your mixing bowl to keep from dirtying more dishes! Just be sure to clean the bowl out and oil it so the dough doesn’t stick.
Lightly dust your countertop with flour and then dump your dough onto it. Divide the dough into 4 equal-sized pieces. Working with one piece at a time, make a rectangle about the size of your sub mold.
TIP: The rectangle does not have to be perfect! Ensure it’s evenly sized with one of the sub mold openings. The mold size is about 11-12 inches long and a few inches wide.
Roll each piece into a log shape, spreading evenly from end to end (I say this because one end of my bread is usually thinner than the other). Again, don’t aim for perfection! Try to smooth out any bumps and get a good-looking log.
Place the dough into the mold and put the mold on a baking sheet.
TIP: The original recipe says if you don’t have a silicone mold you can make holders for the subs out of foil. I did not attempt this but it should be easy enough. You will need to make 4 of them that are 11-12 inches long and just a few inches wide.
Now combine in another bowl 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp grated parmesan, 1/2 tbsp dried oregano, and 1/2 tbsp dried parsley and mix well. Combine the 1/4 cup Monterey jack and the 1/4 cup sharp cheddar in a SEPARATE bowl for later.
Brush the tops of the logs lightly with water and sprinkle the topping evenly between each of the four.
Spray the tops of the logs with oil and then cover them with plastic wrap. Don’t suffocate them by wrapping them up tightly, but make sure they’re covered so they don’t dry out.
Let the logs rise at room temperature for about an hour OR until they’re doubled in size.
TIP: I’m at a higher altitude so this step takes me anywhere from 30-45 minutes. Room temperature is also considered around 70F, so if you’re colder or warmer than that it could take longer or less than one hour. Set a timer for 30 minutes to check progress, and then keep eyeballing the dough after that to monitor when it’s doubled.
TIP 2: You don’t want these to get too big or they will be full of air pockets and will deflate. Air pockets mean holes in your subs!
Once the logs are doubled in size, preheat the oven to 375F.
Using a sharp knife, cut 3 diagonal slits on top of each log. The cuts should be about 1/2 inch deep.
Sprinkle the combined Monterey jack and cheddar cheeses evenly between each of the four subs.
Bake for 16-20 minutes or until the subs are a light golden brown. Bake on the middle rack of your oven.
TIP: Since the mold or your foil will be placed on a baking sheet, the bottom of the subs will get toasty. Keep that in mind as you watch for these to turn golden - they’ll be crispier on the bottom than they are browner on the top.
Let the subs cool completely before you slice into them. But if you can’t wait that long, at least wait until they’re not piping hot!
After a few days, this bread will start to mold if the conditions are right, but don’t worry - bread freezes well, so cut this up into pieces and store it in a Ziplock bag in the freezer. Pull it out 30 minutes to an hour before you want to use it and it will defrost pretty quickly without being soggy.
