Soft sub rolls

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk and the yeast. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
2. Add the melted butter, honey, flour, and salt. Knead with the dough hook on medium-low speed for 5 to 7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
3. Put the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. Spray a baking tray lightly with cooking spray.
5. Punch down the dough and divide it into 4 equal portions, about 255 to 260 g each.
6. Shape each portion into a smooth ball. Cover with damp paper towels and let them rest for 15 minutes.
7. Work with one piece at a time: flatten the dough to a square of about 25 × 25 cm. Roll it up tightly, like a cinnamon roll, and pinch the seam closed as you go.
8. Put the rolls seam side down on the tray.
9. Brush each roll lightly with cream.
10. In a shallow tray, mix the Parmesan, parsley, oregano, and basil. Roll the tops of the rolls in the mixture until evenly coated.
11. Put the rolls back on the tray and score the tops with a sharp knife or a lame.
12. Cover loosely and let them prove until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.
13. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
14. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.
15. Let the rolls cool before you slice them.

With a tangzhong

A tangzhong makes the rolls even softer and keeps them fresh longer. Its flour and milk come out of the amounts in the list, so the totals stay the same. For 4 rolls, take 35 g of the flour and 175 ml of the milk.

1. Tangzhong: whisk the flour and milk together in a small saucepan until no lumps remain. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until thick and the whisk leaves lines on the bottom of the pan, about 3 to 5 minutes. Move it to a small bowl and let it cool to room temperature, or lukewarm.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the rest of the warm milk and the yeast. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
3. Add the cooled tangzhong, the melted butter, honey, the rest of the flour, and the salt. Knead with the dough hook on medium-low speed for 5 to 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. The dough is slightly stickier than without the tangzhong. Do not add much extra flour.
4. Continue from step 3 of the method.