Dibella’s Sub Rolls

When I was in college, Dibella’s was a tiny sub shop near campus. They made the best subs ever! The shop later grew, opened more locations, and eventually sold the name and recipe to Wegman’s. This is a close approximation to their “secret” recipe.

 New  Favorite  Comfort Vegetarian total time4 hrs yields4 – 6 rolls addedDecember 2025

• 3½ cups bread or all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• (optional) 1 tablespoon malted barley flour (for flavor)
• ½ – 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (soybean or canola)
• 1 egg
• 1¼ cups warm water

1. Mix flour, barley flour, salt, sugar, and yeast.
2. Activate the yeast in slightly warm water (100-110°F) and sugar for 5-10 minutes.
3. Wisk in egg and vegetable oil into the liquid mixture, then combine with dry ingredients.
4. Kneed until smooth (8-10 minutes).
5. Let rise 1 hour until doubled.
6. Punch down the dough and then shape into 4-6 rolls (~8-10 inches long).
7. Proof 30–40 min.
8. For a shinier crust, whisk a whole egg with 1 tablespoon of water, and coat the loaves. You can also sprinkle with sesame seeds.
9. Bake at 400°F with steam (pan of hot water in oven) for 18–20 min until golden and crusty.
10. See also Dibella’s sub oil.