Kyl Haselbauer has 20 years of experience working in fine-dining and modernist kitchens, including Bar Cotto and Anchovies &amp; Olives in Seattle. He is also the owner of Bright Spot, a café and coffee shop in Seattle.

Kyl Haselbauer

Matthew Woolen is a master pastry chef and has worked in a variety of Seattle restaurants, including gastropub Old Sage, Zhu Dang, and a gluten-free restaurant called Capitol Cider.

Matthew Woolen

If you’re going to make a proper <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/precision-italian-beef">Italian beef sandwich</a>, you need the right roll. A roll that’s soft and squishy with a tight, even crumb that can stand up easily to a generous splash of gravy or a full dip. A roll with a tender crust that doesn’t shatter into a million little shards like a hoagie roll or a <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/banh-mi-bread">bánh mì</a>. This is it.Using a relatively short proof time helps with that soft crumb, but it also means the bread isn’t as tasty as bread made with an extended proof time. To boost the fermentation and flavor, we give you the option of adding diastatic malt powder. For an even, tight crumb that can absorb the gravy dunk without disintegrating into mush, we use a relatively extended mixing process and then vigorously degas the dough during shaping.

Italian Sandwich Rolls