This Subway Bread Recipe is so easy to make and tastes even better than the popular restaurant! Soft and chewy, the perfect start to your favorite sandwich!
Subway Bread
A perfect sandwich begins and ends with the bread! This Subway Bread recipe uses real, actual, bread-making ingredients and tastes even better than what you can get at the restaurant. It’s soft, slightly chewy, with fresh, homemade flavor. You’re probably thinking, why go through all the trouble of making Subway bread at home when you can’t beat a $5 foot long? I’m with you there! But hear me out. This recipe is so fun to make at home. It’s ideal for parties, baby showers, picnics, whenever you want to serve delicious homemade sandwiches. My kids love to help shape the dough, watch it bake, then play “Subway” as they assemble all the sandwiches. Try this recipe and see how much fun it can be to create your favorite sub in your own kitchen!
Suggestions for Subway Bread
- I’m not going to lie, it took a few tries (four to be exact) until I got this Subway Bread just right. There is a little secret ingredient you need for it to be just right and that is Vital Wheat Gluten. I know that sounds intimidating, but it isn’t. It’s what you need to make the bread chewy and soft like real Subway bread and you can find it at your regular grocery store! I got mine at Winco in their bulk bins for about two dollars a pound. If you don’t have a Winco nearby, you can get it in a “Bob’s Red Mill” brand package at most grocery stores but it is a bit pricey. But this is the ticket to soft and chewy Subway bread.
- If you REALLY want to make it like Subway, you can use special “sub” bread mold pans. They will help the bread rise in the right direction and you will get that nice “Subway-ish” shape. If you don’t have special pans, you can just shape them as best you can with your hands. The more cylinder-shaped you can get them, the better.
- Use whole wheat flour to create a whole wheat bread, or add sesame seeds or shredded Parmesan cheese to the top of your loaves before baking.
More Bread Recipes
As long as you have a few bread recipes in your back pocket, you will always have something nourishing and comforting to feed your family. Try a few of our favorites:
- How to Make French Bread Pizza
- Honey Whole Wheat Bread
- Mom’s Zucchini Bread
- Irish Soda Bread
- Hot Cheese Bread
- Rosemary Parmesan Focaccia Bread
How to Make Subway Bread at Home
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 cups flour
- 2 tablespoons Vital Wheat Gluten see above notes
- 1 1/4 cups warm water
- 3 tablespoons butter cold
- 1 tablespoon salt
Instructions
- In a stand mixer mixing bowl, combine yeast, 1/2 c. warm water, and sugar. Stir until well combined and let stand for about 10 minutes until nice and foamy.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour and vital wheat gluten. Add 1 c. warm water to the yeast mixture (in the stand mixer bowl) and add flour/wheat gluten mixture until combined.
- Attach the bowl to the stand mixer and with the bread hook attachment, mix dough for about 3-4 minutes, adding a little flour if necessary- keeping it a little sticky.
- You want the dough to be sticky enough that it sticks to the bottom of the bowl a little bit, but not the sides.
- After 3-4 minutes, cut up 3 Tbsp. of cold butter into little cubes and add to the mixing bowl and add 1 Tbsp. salt. Mix an additional 5-6 minutes until butter is mixed in to the dough, pull the bread down off the hook if needed throughout the mixing process. Again, you want the dough to be slightly sticky and stretchy.
- Place dough in a large greased bowl and roll around a little to get it greased all around. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for about an hour.
- Punch dough down and divide into 3 equal pieces (flour your hands if the dough is too sticky for easier handling). Roll out each piece into a 12" long loaf.. The dough should be the same thickness all the way across. Place on a non-stick baking sheet (I used a silicon baking mat) or a bread form pan. Cover and allow to rise 40-60 minutes, until dough doubles in size.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake in oven for 12-25 minutes (check at 12 minutes) until bread is golden brown. Remove from oven and lightly run a little cold butter over the top(this will soften it up nicely).
- Allow loaves to cool completely, then serve with all your favorite sub sandwich toppings!
Robbi Misura says
That is really amazing
google.com
Jen says
I only have active dry yeast in the little pkgs…how many packages would I use to equal whatever yeast you are using? Thanks!
Erica says
Usually if I have the small packages I pour them into the measuring spoons to measure for a recipe. I’m not exactly sure off the top of my head the measurements of the packages as they can vary… maybe Google?
Nan says
Not quite a tablespoon
Kindra says
Typically a pouch measures 2 1/4 teaspoons. It should be listed on the packaging.
Jeanette says
I made this recipe for the first time today, as I was taking it out of my mixer the texture was silky smooth! I fell in love 🙂 so much so I immediately started a second batch. Thanks for sharing!
Sybil Norling-Ely says
I am so gonna make this subway bread. I make ciabatta bread all the time as my husband gobbles it up so fast. Will see how this goes down. Thanks so much
Emily says
Let us know how you like it!
Blessing oyi says
i tried it and it was OK just that the top of the beard is not golden brawn.pls what do i do
Erica says
The top of the bread was not golden brown? Did it need to bake longer?
Daniel says
The same thing happens to me. Try baking it half the time at 350 then turn it up to 375. Also brush the stop with butter. I’m pretty sure most bread will look sort of “pale” unless it has some type of wash (egg, butter, honey,etc.).
Nan says
You can brush it with egg wash before baking that should do it
Daniel says
I was eating a Subway sandwich yesterday when I thought: “I can make this myself” and which led me here. I whipped it up yesterday and it turned out great!
I made just a few changes to make it whole wheat bread. I replaced 1 cup of the regular flour with 1 cup of the whole wheat flour and mixed the 1 cup of whole wheat flour, yeast, sugar and all the water together at one time and let it sit for about 30 min. During the kneading stage I mixed it for about 4 minutes in the mixer and 4 minutes by hand both kneadings. To soften them up, as suggested after baking I brushed them with butter and also draped a damp towel with all the water wrung out over the baking sheet for about 15 minutes.
Laura says
No one else has complained; but, is the amount of yeast (2-1/2 tablespoons) correct? It seems like a lot.
Erica says
Yep- that is the correct amount 🙂
bob says
was thinking the same… my bread had a yeasty bland taste… i tried another recipe and it only called for 2 tsp of yeast. came out more flavorful…
Nora says
I gave it a try,and it was fab.it taste really like the subway bread,soft and fluffy.I just did some adjustment.I add 1/2 cup more of flour,reduce the salt to 1tsp. I tried to split the flour into,1.5 cups of all purpose and 1.5 cups of unbleached whole wheat flour to make it healthy. Do you have a recipe for the flatbread?Thanks for the recipe.
Erica says
No recipe for the flatbread yet but hopefully soon! Glad you liked the recipe and thank you for your comment!
Lorena says
Hi! I was wondering if you ever came up with a recipe for the honey whole wheat bread? I searched and didn’t find it, but I was hoping I just missed it.
Thanks!
Erica says
We don’t have the Subway version, but we do have our own version: /honey-whole-wheat-bread.html
Lorena says
Thank you!
Lorena says
Any tips for making it rise upward and not outward? I made the cylindrical shape as you said, but mine ended up very flat and wide. Not at all like it should have. I would really like to try again!
Emily Thoreson says
This recipe is amazing. Even when I messed it up, it was still good! I followed it to the T and it was perfect. If you are trying this for the first time and looking at the comments for advice… Follow the recipe exactly and don’t make any changes the first time. Even if it doesn’t look right in the mixer at first, it will! Don’t be like me and add extra flour/water to try and fix what *looks* wrong (it isn’t!! It’s just the process!). I would love to see pictures step by step, I think that would help many of us novice bread makers. I will say thank you again though because this recipe is easy and you were very descriptive which I appreciate! This bread is amazing!
Erica says
Thanks for the suggestion– I will try to do some step-by-step next time I make the recipe 🙂 So glad you liked it!!
Kip says
I tried baking this recipe but at 25m @ 350F, my 3 buns are not even close to nice golden brown shell. I’m thinking 35-45m to fully bake inside and out.
Echo says
This bread recipe was created being baked at 2,605 ft (794 m). Bread bakes differently at varying elevations and ovens also vary. I think your on the right track with watching the top of the bread to determine how long it should stay in the oven.
Tammy says
I’ve been waiting for Subway to offer a gluten free bread forever. Any idea on what differences I’d need to make to this to make it not taste like a sponge?
Echo says
I’ve really enjoyed the Namaste Gluten Free Organic Flour Blend that you can purchase at Costco. I like it because it a cup for cup substitution. It tends to make the bread a little more dense and you have to cook it a little longer, but it’s overall a good substitute. Thanks for asking.
Mike says
Worked out perfect I used bread flour but did use about 3/4 cup more then recipe needed but excellent recipe just before sticking them in the oven I put Italian seasoning and parmasion cheese on top to tastes just like subways bread !!!!!
Echo says
Sounds delicious! Thanks Mike!
Lisa Evans says
So all together instead 1 and 3/4 th cups of water.there is 1/2 c in with.yeast and sugar and then you add 1 cup if water right before you add the flor gluten mixture. Bc/I think thr directions direct you to add differ amts of water than the ingredients say.
Jen says
I have now made this bread several times and it’s a huge hit. So much that I ordered a subway bread form off of amazon which helped the spreading issue. I think the amount of flour depends on if you dip a measuring cup in or if you sift than spoon. If you dip it is more packed and creates more flour. I used KA bread flour but as a previous user suggested I added “some” gluten. My form pan makes five loafs, and is not recommended cooking without all filled… I stretched the original recipe to all five and they were a little small so I altered the recipe to make five… IMO it made them way to big. Next time I’ll adjust to four loafs! But still an amazing recipe and makes my kitchen smell like subway!
Erica says
Hi Jen– so glad that this bread was a hit for you! I am going to have to find an actual “Subway” bread form– I just use a french bread one. It still tastes the same but I bet the Subway form would make it puffier!
Vickie Thieme says
Does Subway make their own pretzels? If so, can you please share the recipe.
Favorite Family Recipes says
Hmm that is a good question. I have never had their pretzels and don’t know if they make their own. :/ Sorry! Not much help here!
Penni Allen says
Horrible! Been making bread for years..Not enough flour and way too much salt! Had to throw it all out!
Favorite Family Recipes says
Hi Penni- so sorry to hear that it didn’t turn out well for you. We haven’t had any complaints about it being too salty before, I will have to investigate this further and adjust the recipe if necessary
Grumpy Old Man says
This recipe is so bad, I rate it ZERO stars! Tried making this twice thinking I must have made a terrible mistake the first time for it to turn out flatter than pancakes. But when the second attempt turned out just as bad, I decided it’s the recipe! Don’t waste your flour!
Erica says
I am so sorry this didn’t turn out well for you! We will try to re-visit this recipe and see what could have gone wrong. :/
dominic muia says
wheat gluten…any substitute for this, not found here..
Favorite Family Recipes says
We haven’t tested out any other substitutes for this recipe yet, sorry!
Linda Dougty says
When listing ingredients water is list as a total of 1 3/4 cups. In the directions it says a total of
1 1/2 cups.Which is it?
Favorite Family Recipes says
Thanks for catching that! Its 1 1/2 cups.
Meagen says
This was such an easy recipe. I expected it to be so much more difficult! My husband is a fan so we will definitely be making more! Yum!
Britni says
This was so good, just like my favorite bread at Subway and perfect for making at home when I can’t go out!