After hours of research, trial and error and taste testing, I've discovered the holy grail copycat recipe for Subway's Italian Herb and Cheese Bread. Soft, fluffy and dusted with cheese, this is THE recipe everyone needs in their lives.
This recipe is part of my series recreating Subway 100% from scratch at home. This post can be found here. This recipe was adapted from this recipe as I struggle with bread making. The toppings were adjusted to taste more like subway.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
Ingredients
Bread Starter
- 75 g All-Purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon Diastatic Malt Powder
- 3 g Active Dry Yeast
- 60 ml Water, lukewarm
Dough
- 600 g All-Purpose Flour
- 40 g Butter
- 17 g Active Dry Yeast
- 50 g White Sugar, granulated
- 15 g Kosher Salt
- 15 g Diastatic Malt Powder
- 340 ml Water, lukewarm
Bread Topping
- ½ cup Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
- 3 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon Butter, melted
Substitutions and Diet Modifications
I don't have x... what can I use instead?
...Diastatic Malt Powder? You don't NEED it, but it won't be the same without it. Modernist Pantry describes diastatic malt powder as "the "secret ingredient" savvy bread bakers use to promote a strong rise, great texture, and lovely brown crust". I got mine on Amazon for a very reasonable price, but you can likely find it at specialty stores or bulk sections of a supermarket.
...Active Dry Yeast? YOU CAN USE INSTANT YEAST BUT don't swap it with an equal amount of Active Dry Yeast. Active Dry Yeast is different than Instant Yeast and I prefer Active Dry almost always.
If you only have instant yeast, substitute the amounts of diastatic yeast in the "starter" section with 2.25g of quick yeast, and substitute the "dough" section with 12.75g of quick yeast. The recipe won't be identical but it will be close enough. I understand yeast has been hard to come across since the middle of 2020. Work with what you have.
...Monterey Jack Cheese? You can use Muenster, Havarti or Gouda. Really, you can use any kind you want as long as it's not overly strong. Different cheeses that are a different color may make the bread look different but it will still be delicious!
Can I make this vegan? Great news - this recipe is already vegetarian. If you're vegan, you can use vegan cheese as a substitute, or just leave it out all together to just make an herb loaf. You'd also need to swap butter for a plant based alternative of your choice. Make sure your diastatic malt powder is vegan if you have dietary restrictions as some are not dairy-free.
Can I make this gluten-free? Theoretically you could substitute the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free variety and leave out the malt powder. I'd say if you're gluten-free this may not be the easiest recipe to customize just because baking is so sensitive. Here is a Subway style bread recipe that is gluten-free by Gluten Free on a Shoestring! I haven't tried it as I'm not gluten-sensitive, but this is the highest rated recipe online.
Instructions, FAQs and Other Tips
Instructions
1. The recipe for Subway's Italian Herb and Cheese Bread is put together by creating a bread starter out of flour, yeast, diastatic malt and water. After combining all these ingredients, you leave the starter covered for 4-6 hours.
Don't I Need to Proof My Yeast?
You'll notice that I don't proof my yeast. This is actually something you don't have to do and I often don't. This article from King Arthur talks about why people proof their yeast (originally called proving). It was a process to make sure (prove) the yeast was alive. If you know that your yeast is healthy and isn't expired - follow the recipe as is.
If you're unsure and want to test it, you can take the 3g of yeast in the starter and mix it with 20ml of lukewarm water before combining it with the diastatic malt and flour. Then, add it to the other ingredients (including the other 40ml of water) if it foams or bubbles, you know your yeast is alive and you can skip proving during the next step.
After the dough rests, you combine the starter with all the ingredients for the dough. You want to knead for about 8 minutes. I recommend a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer with a dough hook, but you're welcome to knead by hand if you have the patience. After kneading, allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes (room temperature being 25-30 degrees Celsius, ideally.)
3. After the dough has rested for 30 minutes, you fold the dough and then let it rest 3 separate times for 10 minutes each interval. After, shape the dough into 4-5 even logs and place on a baking sheet. If you want to be authentic, Subway uses silicone bread molds (shown above) to maintain the bread shape.
4. Top the bread with the ingredients marked as "topping" and bake for 20-25 minutes with an oven safe bowl filled with water at the bottom of the oven. Once the bread is done, broil the loaves for 1-2 minutes to achieve a crispy and brown crust.
FAQ:
How do I know when my bread is done? After 20 minutes, take the temperature of the middle of the baguette with an Instant Read Thermometer. You want it to read between 190 and 210 degrees (Celsius). If you don't have a thermometer, insert a toothpick or knife and look for it to come out clean. If dough sticks, it's not ready.
Alternatively, if you're a comfortable or seasoned baker, done bread has a "sound" to it. Turn the dough over and tap it - it should sound hollow. The Kitchn has a great article talking about bread doneness.
How can I make regular Italian bread from Subway? Great question! All you have to do is leave off the cheese and seasonings. The other ingredients and steps are identical.
How can I make my entire Subway order at home? If you like their sauces and cookies, this post may be of help to you. Learn how to copy Subway mayonnaise, chipotle southwest sauce, sweet onion sauce and white chocolate macadamia nut cooking.
What equipment do I need for this recipe? Bread making can be as simple or as complicated as you want. One thing you really need to bake is a kitchen scale. If you want to bake on a budget, you can do this with a good oven and good old fashioned work. A stand mixer with a dough hook (Kitchen Aid brand recommended), silicone baguette molds and an instant read thermometer are nice to have.
Zero Waste Tips and Storage
Almost everything in this recipe is a pantry staple. If you find yourself left with a lot of diastatic malt powder it's the perfect time to make bagels, pretzels or sourdough.
The best tip for avoiding food waste in this recipe is proper storage. This bread doesn't have as many preservatives as store-bough bread and may go stale/spoiled rather quickly if it's not used. It's best to use the bread within 2-3 days. If you can't go through it in that time, it freezes well. To reheat, let it defrost in the fridge and it's best to heat it up in the oven until warmed through and slightly crispy.
If you buy active dry yeast it can also spoil. I store my yeast in a reusable container in the fridge. I make sure I never use measuring materials that are wet or cross contaminated in order to keep the yeast good as long as possible.
WANT MORE SUBWAY RECIPES?
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📖 Recipe
Italian Herb and Cheese Bread Subway Copycat
Ingredients
Bread Starter
- 75 g all purpose flour
- 0.5 teaspoon diastatic malt powder
- 3 g active yeast
- 60 ml water lukewarm
Dough
- 600 g all purpose flour
- 40 g butter
- 17 g active yeast
- 50 g sugar white, granulated
- 15 g kosher salt
- 15 g diastic malt powder
- 340 ml water lukewarm
Bread Topping
- ½ cup monterey jack cheese shredded
- 2 tablespoon parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 3 tablespoon italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
Instructions
Bread Starter
- Mix all the dry ingredients for the bread starter and then add the water.
- Cover the starter with a clean dish cloth and allow to sit at room temperature for 4-6 hours.
The Dough
- *Optional - mix yeast with ¼ cup (60ml) of the lukewarm water and allow to dissolve. This step is NOT to proof the yeast, just to dissolve it in order to mix easier. You don't have to do this, but I find it lends to an easier time to knead. Keep in mind, you only need 280ml of water added to the final dough and not the entire 340ml if you use this method.
- In a stand mixer, add all the ingredients for the dough with the starter that was set aside for 4-6 hours and knead for about 8 minutes.
- Let the dough rest for 30 minutes at room temperature, ideally around 25 - 30 degrees Celsius.
- Gently fold the dough a few times and then allow it to sit for 10 minutes. Repeat this step 2 more times (3 in total). Before you let the dough rest for the last time, preheat your oven to 350°F..
Baking and Toppings
- Divide the dough into 4-5 baguette style loaves. Ideally before baking they should be place in a silicone baguette pan to maintain structure. You can skip this if you don't care about the perfect shape in your loaf.
- Combine all the topping ingredients (minus butter) and set aside. With a pastry brush, coat the dough in butter and roll in the herb and cheese mixture.
- Let rest for another 20-30 minutes until bread has expanded to desired size.
- Add an oven safe bowl full of water to the bottom of your oven along with the bread, and bake for 25-30 minutes (or until the bread is desired size and texture). The bread should be browned slightly.
- Turn the oven to broil, watch closely and broil until the color is even, about 1-2 minutes.
- After the bread is done, cool them while draped in a clean dish cloth to keep the loaves super fluffy and moist.
Nutrition
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Jessica
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it.
Maritime Glutton
Thank you! You'll have to let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Sara
Is it possible to make the starter the night before? And leave it at room temp overnight? Then do the other steps the next morning....
Lauren
Hey Sara! I'd recommend trying to let it sit at room temperature for about 2 hours and then let it sit in the fridge overnight. If you let it sit that long there will be too much fermentation and may affect how the other ingredients mix!
Joe
This bread is amaizing!!!
At first, it sounded a bit complicated and daunting, but its really not. I don't bake much, and this process was very different from what I'm used to. That said, this turned out great. Better than subway!
Thanks for sharing, keep up the good work!
Maritime Glutton
I’m so glad you liked it, Joe! Thanks for the great review
Julie
Nothing beats fresh homemade bread! This is going on my must bake list.
Maritime Glutton
So glad to hear, Julie!
Isabella Gallatin
This looks so good! I always order this bread when I go to Subway since they discontinued the Asiago cheese bread. I'm going to try making this bread.
Maritime Glutton
It turned out super similar. I can't wait to hear how you like it, Isabella!
Pranali
Italian herb and cheese is my favourite breaad when I used to eat at subway. Recently had given up eating at restaurant. So always in look out for good goes recipe and this one looks amazing. Will give it a try. Thank you
Maritime Glutton
Wow, thank you Pranali! Let me know how it turns out <3
Leeandra
This is my favorite bread from subways!
Maritime Glutton
I hope you love it!
hari
such a yummy recipe!
looks delicious and can't wait to try.
thanks for sharing!
Maritime Glutton
Thank you Hari!
Jude
I’m sorry if this is a dumb question, but I have to ask: After the dough has rested for 30 minutes, you fold the dough and then let it rest 3 separate times. what exactly does this mean? Fold, let it rest, fold, let it rest, fold, let it rest? How long do I let it rest between foldings?
Jude
Ugh I saw the answer to my question was already answered in the actual directions. Sorry about that! No need to post either comments lol thank you.
Corinne
Turned out perfect!!!
Maritime Glutton
Thank you Corinne - I’m so glad!
Denise
Bake at 350 C? That’s about 662 F and my oven doesn’t go past 500 F. Is this a typo? Maybe 180 C/ 350 F?
Maritime Glutton
Great catch! It’s 350°F! Will change now. Thanks, Denise!
Jeff Albom
I love this bread. It's my pick whenever I stop at Subway. It's great to make it at home.
Maritime Glutton
Thanks so much, Jeff! Glad you liked it 🙂
Claudia Lamascolo
so much easier than expected and super delicious
Maritime Glutton
So glad to hear, Claudia!
Anaiah
Yum! I am so hooked on this italian herb and cheese bread. It's one of my favorites! And this is so much better than Subway because I am in control of all the ingredients that go inside haha
Maritime Glutton
So glad to hear, Anaiah! Glad you loved it 🙂
Michelle
This homemade version is waaayyy better than subway. I'll be making it all the time!
Maritime Glutton
Thank you so much, Michelle!
Dylan
I love this recipe so much I bake these all the time. I've made them for family events and everyone goes nuts over them.
I do have a question though. Do you melt the butter and include it with all the other ingredients or do you soften it and incorporate it after the rest of the ingredients? Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Lauren
Hi Dylan! I'm so glad you like this recipe 🙂 I leave the butter as is (softened) and add it at the same time as all the other ingredients of the dough. No need to mix it in after or melt it!
Gayle
While this bread is really good the conversions from grams to cups and grams to tablespoons etc … is tricky. The process is long too compared to other bread recipes
Lauren
You shouldn't be converting - weight measurements are the most accurate for bread 🙂 I'd recommend a cheap scale. There are other breads that are similar and easier, but in my opinion, not as close to the original!
Cora
Hey! i made your recipe and it’s amazing! just wanted you to know that the preheating temp. is in celsius, not Fahrenheit! totally didn’t cause me some panic😅😅 lol!
Lauren
So glad you liked it! Great catch 🙂
michael strimple
I love to eat, love to cook, and I love cooking breads. Thank you very, very much for this recipe.
Bless you. 😋😋😋😋
Lauren
I'm so glad you like it, Michael 🙂
Shel
Is this supposed to be a very wet dough?
I think I went wrong somewhere….
Lauren
Hi Shel! I'd love to try and help you troubleshoot - if you wanted to email [email protected] I can try and see what happened!