How to Make Subway Bread at Home

4.71 from 24 votes
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This Subway Bread Recipe is easy to make and tastes even better than the popular restaurant! Soft and chewy, it’s the perfect start to your favorite sandwich.

Hand holding sliced in half Subway Bread sandwich.
Featured with this recipe
  1. Ingredients in Subway Bread
  2. Secret Ingredient for Subway Bread
  3. Substitutions and Additions
  4. Frequently Asked Questions about Subway Bread
  5. More Bread Recipes
  6. How to Make Subway Bread at Home
  7. How to Make Subway Bread at Home Recipe

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’s sandwich bread at home when you can’t beat a $5 foot long or a cheap 6-inch sandwich? 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 and wow your guests. 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!

Full Subway Bread footlong sandwich with meat, cheese and cut up vegetables.


Ingredients in Subway Bread

Making homemade bread isn’t as daunting as it may seem. Just a few pantry staples and you’re well on your way to delicious, fresh bread from your own kitchen. Here’s what you need for this recipe:

  • Yeast – use active dry yeast, NOT quick rising yeast.
  • Warm water – warm to the touch but not too hot. You don’t want to kill your yeast with hot water.
  • Sugar – a couple tablespoons of white sugar helps to activate and “feed” the yeast, making light bread. You don’t need too much sugar – just enough to get that yeast nice and fluffy.
  • Flour – regular all purpose flour for white bread.
  • Vital Wheat Gluten – you can find this in a “Bob’s Red Mill” brand package at most grocery stores. See notes below for more on this “secret” ingredient.
  • Cold butter
  • Salt
Vital Wheat Gluten, flour, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, water and flour to make Subway Bread.

Secret Ingredient for Subway Bread

What kind of food blogger would I be if I wasn’t honest with my readers. So here it goes: 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.

Three loaves of baked Subway bread with a plate of meat and cutting board of vegetables for a sandwich.

Substitutions and Additions

  • Use whole wheat flour to create whole wheat bread
  • Add sesame seeds and a drizzle of olive oil to the top of your bread before baking
  • For Italian bread or Italian herb bread, sprinkle Italian seasoning or some oregano to the top of your loaf.
  • Make cheese bread by sprinkling shredded parmesan cheese to the top of the loaves before baking.

Frequently Asked Questions about Subway Bread

How do I get the shape of Subway’s loaves?

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.

Is homemade Subway bread healthier than the restaurant version?

The bread made at the restaurant has a high sugar content and artificial flavors that aren’t too healthy, so making it at home with wholesome ingredients is definitely a healthier option.

Where can I find the Vital Wheat Gluten? It’s not at my grocery store!

If you can’t find the Vital Wheat Gluten locally, you can get it on Amazon, here.

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 Subway Bread at Home

Side view of an assembled Subway Bread sandwich.

How to Make Subway Bread at Home

4.71 from 24 votes
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!
Prep Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Servings 3 12 inch loaves

Video

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
  • 1 ½ cup warm water, divided
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 ½ cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten see above notes
  • 3 tablespoons butter, cold, plus a little more for topping cold
  • ½ tablespoon salt

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine yeast, ½ cup of warm water, and sugar. Stir until well combined. Let stand for about 10 minutes or until nice and foamy.
    Foamy bowl of yeast with water to make Subway Bread.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour and vital wheat gluten. Set Aside.
    Add the remaining 1 cup warm water to the yeast mixture. Add the flour mixture.
    Bowl of wet ingredients and dry ingredients combined with a whisk to make Subway Bread dough.
  • Mix until combined, about 4 minutes.
    Stand mixer with hook attachment mixing Subway Bread dough.
  • Add a little flour if necessary; You want it a little sticky, but not so much that it sticks to the sides of the bowl.
    Sticky Subway Bread dough on a stand mixer hook.
  • Cut up cold butter into little cubes and add to the mixing bowl. Add salt. Mix an additional 5-6 minutes, until butter is mixed in. Pull the bread off the hook if needed throughout the mixing process. Again, you want the dough to be slightly sticky and stretchy.
    Hand stretching dough out of mixing bowl for Subway Bread.
  • Grease a large bowl. Place dough inside and roll around a little to get it greased all around Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.
    Risen Subway Bread dough in a greased bowl.
  • Punch the 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-inch-long loaf. The dough should be the same thickness all the way across. Place on a nonstick baking sheet, a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat, or a French bread baking pan. Cover and allow to rise for 40-60 minutes, until dough doubles in size.
    Three loaves of Subway Bread dough risen.
  • Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 15-25 minutes (check at 15 minutes), until bread is golden brown. Remove from oven and lightly run a little cold butter over the top.
    Hand rubbing cube of butter on top of hot Subway Bread.
  • Allow loaves to cool completely, then serve with all your favorite sub sandwich toppings!
    Full Subway Bread footlong sandwich with meat, cheese and cut up vegetables.

Notes

  • You can make variations of this bread easily. To make whole wheat bread, use whole wheat flour. You can also add sesame seeds and a drizzle of olive oil to the top of your bread before baking. For Italian bread or Italian herb bread, sprinkle Italian seasoning or some oregano on the top of your loaf before baking. You can make cheese bread by sprinkling shredded Parmesan cheese on the top of the loaves before baking. 
  • If you use a bread mold, you’ll get the perfect shape each time. 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 617kcalCarbohydrates: 105gProtein: 19gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 2438mgPotassium: 159mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 350IUCalcium: 31mgIron: 6.1mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I used to work at subway a few years ago, and this tastes exactly the same! thank you so much. I will be making this all the time!

  2. Can you please clarify for me the water measurements. The ingredients list asks for 1 cup water.
    The instruction calls for 1 and half cups of water (step 1 and step 2) . Can you please help me with these two steps please. Thank you so much

  3. I just made this…delicious. I do have a question, since it’s just myself and husband, I don’t need 3 loaves, can I freeze some of the dough?

    1. I wouldn’t freeze the dough, I would bake it all and then freeze the baked bread! I have had better success with that.

  4. 5 stars
    Some days, I wish I’d never found this recipe! I say that because now my spoiled kids will not eat store bought bread any longer. Seriously!

    Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to make. I already had the vital wheat gluten in my cabinet from other baking endeavors. It does make the difference. And do NOT skip the butter on top at the end – that makes or breaks the texture.

    This is a recipe from which I never deviate at all- no need to mess with perfection!

    We have a friend that owns a few subway franchises, and I keep wanting to take her some of the bread and someday, when I make them pretty enough, perhaps I will 🙂

  5. 5 stars
    Former Sandwich Artist from the late 90’s. This is damn close to what I remember. Making a meatball sub asap.

    1. Store it in an airtight container or plastic wrap at room temperature. Thank you for asking!

  6. 4 stars
    Very good flavor and texture! The outside was light brown and slightly crispy, while the inside was moist and airy. I made the loaves on a sheet pan and they didn’t hold their shape, but were still delicious. Like others commented, I also had to add more flour. I am going to get a sub pan and will definitely make this again!

  7. 5 stars
    So good ! Only change is I put 1/2 tbsp of salt instead of 1 and I knead it by hand. It was perfect and very delicious !

  8. 5 stars
    This was so good, just like my favorite bread at Subway and perfect for making at home when I can’t go out!

  9. 5 stars
    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!

  10. 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?

  11. 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!

    1. 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. :/

    1. 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

      1. Might want to list the kind of salt you use. some salts are finer than others and that might be why some of saying its to salty.

    1. 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!

  12. 5 stars
    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!

    1. 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!

  13. 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.

  14. 5 stars
    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 !!!!!

  15. 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?

    1. 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.

  16. 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.

    1. 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.

  17. 5 stars
    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!

    1. Thanks for the suggestion– I will try to do some step-by-step next time I make the recipe 🙂 So glad you liked it!!

  18. 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!

        1. 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!

  19. 5 stars
    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.

    1. 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…

  20. 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.

    1. 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.).

  21. 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

  22. 5 stars
    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!

  23. I only have active dry yeast in the little pkgs…how many packages would I use to equal whatever yeast you are using? Thanks!

    1. 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?

    2. Hi Jen!
      Professional baker here. Each packet of yeast is 2.25 tsp of yeast. If this recipe is calling for 2 tablespoons of yeast you would need 2 packets + 1/2 tsp more. That being said, yeast packets are poop. They give a way different result than red star or other awesome brands of “bulk” dry yeast. If you want to use your yeast packets most effectively, put them in your trash can and then…no, thats it. Trash can. The end. You will be so much happier with your baked goods when you use quality ingredients. Packets seemed like a good enough idea but they fall short in a big way.

  24. 5 stars
    I make this recipe 2-3 times a week. Basically live on this bread with sandwiches. On the salt issue, after coating the finished, still warm, bread, with the butter, I sprinkle salt on top. Perfect.! Salt sticks to the butter and you can control to your own tastes.

  25. I have been looking for a good bread recipe for a while! Every time I make bread it it super dense. I tried this recipe and got a nice fluffy, soft bread! There is way too much salt for my taste and a few other people who tried it but I’m sure that’s just personal preference. Thanks for a great recipe!

  26. I’m going to have to try this. Subway sandwiches are for some reason my pregnancy craving, and sometimes the only food I’m okay to eat during the first trimester! I’m already at 11 weeks but this is still worth trying – I can’t get out to subway after the kids are in bed!!

    1. Congratulations on your pregnancy! You do have to give in to those cravings. 🙂
      I think you’ll like this recipe. Good luck!

  27. 1 star
    Ok, I just tried this recipe. The changes I had to make in order to make this recipe to work. Salt went down from 1 tbsp to 2 tsp., yeast from 2 tbsp to 3 tsp, flour from 3 c to 4,5 cups… I added 4 tbsp of gluten to make the buns more stretchy as 2 tbsp are not enough… Buns turned out really good, We ate them hot right away.

    The original recipe made liquidy salted batter with pancakes batter consistency….

    1. 5 stars
      I just took these out of the oven, and LOVE the texture. I doubled the recipe and used my Bosch mixer. I think I will decrease the salt for us, as well, but no other changes for this family! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    2. Agree with Luka. I tried this recipe in my BM yesterday by halving all the ingredients. However after 10min of kneading i noticed it was more of a batter than a dough. Added almost 1 more cup of flour yet the dough is still very hard to work with.

      To mask the mess I had on my baking tray, I sprinkled some oregano & parmesan before baking and the whole house smelled like Subway! Lovely ~~

      Help! I really want this recipe to work…

  28. Loving Subway sandwiches as I do, I decided to give this recipe a try. In the process of mixing, I discovered that 1 Tablespoon of salt is entirely way too much! I added more sugar to counteract the saltiness, which helped a bit, but the finished product is still too salty, in my opinion. Also, I added at least 1-1 1/2 cups more flour and the texture of the baked rolls is soft and slightly chewy as a hoagie roll should be. I also baked the rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet. I advise anyone making this recipe to cut the salt to 1 teaspoon, as that would be sufficient.

    1. Thank you so much for your comment! So glad that it was the right texture but sorry that you found it too salty. Very good recommendation– I will re-visit the recipe and change if necessary. Thanks again!

    2. I agree on the salt. I found it too salty. I had too increase flour. I put it in bread machine and it started out with a soupy mixture had to add about a cup and half of flour.

    1. It is possible, but when it gets too thick to keep mixing you will have to knead it by hand (which might make it not quite as soft and fluffy) :/

  29. I’m really looking forward to trying this. My family and I love subway. Would you happen to have the recipe for Subway Sourdough?? That’s my favorite and I can’t find it here in Ohio. My husband loves the Italian Herb and Cheese.

  30. Hi – When I worked at the bank, one of my commercial customers was the owner of a Subway store. She said the “secret” to Subway is the bread, so that’s why I am so excited to have found this! Thanks!

      1. I would also like the recipe for the herbs and cheese bread. I’m guessing it starts out the same and herbs (?) and cheese are added on top before baking or during baking. Also, do you think you could get the recipe for Jersey Mike’s bread? That always seems so fresh!
        Thank you!

    1. You can lightly press the prpofed bread on an asiago cheddar blend with herbs right before baking. Thats how the bagel place i managed did it

    2. 5 stars
      All it is: parmesan cheese, Italian herbs, and Monterey cheddar cheese. Before bread is proofed and in the homemade forms or whatever using spray the bread with water roll the bread in the parmesan and Italian mix proof to where needed. Before baking evenly top the cheddar cheese not over doing it it can cause the bread to sink. Because the cheese is more heavier then the bread once proofed.

      1. Oh nice! Thanks for that! 🙂 I love that bread at Subway..so gonna try Erica’s original recipe here and then add the herbs/cheese. 🙂

    1. You can cover it with a clean, lightly damp kitchen towel, or plastic wrap that is lightly sprayed with oil (so it doesn’t stick if it rises and touches it)

    1. You would just have to knead it by hand… or if your bread machine does kneading, you can just use your bread machine 🙂 does that make sense?

  31. Thank you so much. Look forward to trying. Your 4 year old sounds like my 3 year old. He is obsessed with Subway and no matter how much I try to recreate it at home it gets shot down. Funny how he will finish a whole kids sub but sandwiches I make only eats a bit. Hope this is my saving grace 🙂

    1. haha arrrrggh kids!!! They are so picky (mine, I swear, being the pickiest)! lol Hopefully this recipe will be the trick for him too! Good luck!

  32. You could make a free form ‘pan’ to shape and bake the bread in by using foil or parchment paper.

  33. I am soo glad you posted this! I have wanted to make this bread for years!!! Ps will you make the honey whole wheat kind too? My kids love that one too!

    1. I’m so glad you liked the recipe! I would like to get the honey whole wheat recipe up on our site too….stay tuned!

      1. You can actually still add about 1 1/2 tsp of gluten to the 3 cups of bread flour and it’ll make your bread nice and chewy like their bread rolls. 🙂

        I have been making bread for over 20 years and when I make my own rolls that is about the ratio I use to add gluten to my bread flour for that extra chewy texture.

      2. 5 stars
        I don’t know how to make my own comment, so sorry for replying to yours. Anyway – I made this and…WINNER! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

          1. It’s the natural protein that is found in wheat. It give the bread a better texture and more elasticity. You can buy it online or in most stores. Bob’s Red Mill has a Vital Wheat Gluten that works great. Hope this helps!

    1. Do you know how to do the flatbread too? That is the one I usually get bc it’s less ‘bread’, but I can’t find any to buy in the store that do the same thing. They are all round and fluffy and stuff.

      Thanks!

    2. I have been making bread for years and I have to say this is the worst recipe I’ve ever used.It needed a lot more flour than three cups.Kneeding also was longer.Very stickie! Does it really call for 1and 3/4 cups of water?And after adding the butter it needed more Flour

        1. First you hate it then you love it? About the “stickiness:” I read that unless the dough is more batter-like than what you’re used to, it’s likely to bake up to be very dense and hard to chew.

      1. No. It calls for 1 and 1/4 cups water. The first thing I’d always suspect is not following the recipe correctly.

        1. The ingredients actually do call for 1 3/4 c water. The instructions only say 1 1/2 c water. Water is listed twice in the ingredients and also twice in the directions. Either way it is too much water for the amount of flour.

          1. I found it as well that it was too much liquid for the amount of flour. I added probably another 3/4 cup of flour when usually I have to add water because I lived in an arid environment. Bread is now in the rising stage but I’m very worried about it. Water is listed twice. I’m hoping it will turn out all right.