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3 ½ – 4 cups bread flour/448-512 grams *see note

1 ¼ cups plus 2 tablespoon – 1 ½ cups warm water (110-115F degrees) / 308-355 grams *see note

2 Tablespoons / 25 grams of sugar

1 packet instant yeast (2 ¼ teaspoon of RedStar Platinum Yeast) / 7 grams

1 teaspoon kosher salt / 6 grams

4 Tablespoons / 56 grams cold unsalted butter, cubed *see note

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1. If using ACTIVE DRY YEAST you have to proof the yeast first. Add the Active Dry Yeast, sugar, and ¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoon of warm water in a bowl of a stand mixer. Using a whisk or spoon, mix and set aside for 5-10 minutes or until the yeast has bubbled quite a bit. Then add 2 cups of flour and the remaining cup of water. Start off on low. Mix for 4 minutes. . Start off on low. Mix for 4 minutes. Continue at step 3.

2. If using INSTANT YEAST, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook add in 2 cups of flour, water, sugar, and the Instant Yeast. Continue to step 3

3. Add in the salt and 1 cup at a time of the remaining flour and mix for 5-6 minutes until the dough is slack (See note). At this point, your mixer should be at medium speed. If your dough, after 5-6 minutes is not slack add up to ¼ more cup of water (taking you up to a full 1 ½ cups used) but add one Tablespoon at a time. The additional water will fully depend on how humid your room is.

4. Add in the butter 1 Tablespoon at a time and mix until almost fully melded in before adding the next Tablespoon. In total, mix for 1-3 minutes or until the dough comes back together and the dough until it pulls completely away from the side and is smooth and shiny. Remove from bowl and transfer to a greased, covered bowl until doubled in size. ~1 hour.

5. Punch the dough down and place it on a very lightly floured board. Divide into 4-8 pieces and shape. I would advise using as little flour as possible when shaping these. The more flour you add, the tougher the hoagies will be. Transfer to a parchment-lined tray and cover with lightly sprayed plastic wrap. Allow to rise again until almost doubled. ~30-45 minutes. Do NOT overproof them otherwise they will fall flat.

6. Preheat the oven to 375 F. If you want to slash your bread, using a lame, make your slashes. If desired, brush with a coating of choice and bake for 16-23 minutes or until golden brown. To ensure doneness, test the internal bread temp. It should be at 200F.

7. Allow to cool before cutting with a quality bread knife

NOTES:

Cold Butter

I was raised using cold butter in this recipe though you may use softened or equal amounts of olive oil. When using cold butter, even though you ‘meld it into the flour’, you’re helping with gluten formation and the development of dough structure.

Slack Dough

Slack dough means when the dough cannot hold a shape; it has no elasticity or spring back at all. It’s a wet dough but not too wet. It’s “billowy”. The dough is super, super soft, and smooth.