Before you delve into your next Subway sandwich, it’s imperative to acquaint yourself with the cornerstone of this beloved fast-food favorite: the bread. The bread in your Subway sandwich is not just a mundane ingredient; it’s the very essence that transforms a regular assortment of sandwich fillings into a delicious submarine sandwich. Deciding on the type of bread to house your choice of toppings is of utmost importance because the quality of your meal hinges on it. Therefore, it’s high time to explore the fascinating world of Subway bread, from the most popular choices to the unsung heroes, the freshest options, and even some little-known hacks to elevate your experience.
Choosing the Right Bread for Your Sub
Upon walking into a bustling Subway, where an array of bread options dazzles the senses, you might find yourself overwhelmed with choice. To help you navigate this bread aisle, we’re here to provide insights into the most and least popular bread options. Yet, the world of Subway bread extends far beyond mere popularity rankings; there’s much more to unravel. Let’s dive deeper into the intriguing universe of Subway bread.
Subway’s Daily Freshly Baked Bread Tradition
The delightful aroma of freshly baked bread wafting through the air when you enter a Subway sandwich shop is an integral part of the overall experience. Interestingly, Subway wasn’t always synonymous with the scent of fresh bread. In its early days, when the first Subway restaurant opened in 1965, it didn’t bake its own bread. At that time, the focus was solely on crafting simple submarine sandwiches.
However, it wasn’t until 1983 that Subway embarked on a transformative journey by introducing the practice of baking its own bread in each restaurant, every day. This tradition of daily freshly baked bread remains a hallmark of Subway’s commitment to offering a superior dining experience.
The frequency with which the bread is baked in each store can vary depending on factors such as customer traffic and the store’s dedication to keeping the bread as fresh as possible. Some locations opt to bake bread in the morning and later in the day if needed, while others choose to maintain a continuous baking cycle to meet the ever-present demand.
The Quest for the Softest Bread
Freshly baked daily doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you’ll receive bread that was baked on the same day you place your order. If you visit Subway earlier in the day when the bread is still in the process of baking and cooling, you might end up with yesterday’s batch. Some Subway outlets adhere to a rule of not serving bread older than eight hours. In contrast, other franchise owners might offer day-old or even two-day-old bread to minimize food wastage and maximize profits.
It’s worth noting that the texture of Subway bread evolves depending on its age. Within the first 24 hours, it remains at its most moist and elastic. As time passes, especially during the second 24 hours, the bread begins to lose its moisture. Despite this, older bread is easier for Subway employees to slice efficiently.
If you’re passionate about securing the freshest bread for your sandwich, here’s a savvy hack: simply ask the sandwich artist which bread is the softest on that day. They are likely to guide you toward the most recently baked batch, as they’ve been working with these bread varieties throughout their shift. Keep in mind that the softest bread might not always correspond to the most popular options, but it does ensure you’re getting the freshest loaf.
The Myth of Custom-Baked Bread at Subway
The idea of requesting custom-baked Subway bread, freshly prepared in the oven, might sound appealing, especially if your preferred variety is temporarily unavailable. However, the reality of this process is more intricate and time-consuming than one might imagine. It’s not as simple as popping a loaf into the oven and serving it hot for your sandwich.
Subway’s bread-making process commences with frozen loaves, which need to thaw and go through various stages before they reach your plate. These stages include thawing, proofing, retarding, baking, and cooling. The entire journey, from freezer to customer, spans anywhere from 10 to 14 hours, depending on the specific variety and size of the bread. Some larger or more complex bread types might require even longer processing times.
Therefore, the idea of requesting a freshly baked loaf when your preferred bread is out of stock is often impractical. You’d be facing a wait of several hours, particularly if the bread hasn’t yet completed its necessary stages. Furthermore, freshly baked bread needs time to cool and stabilize, as serving it too soon could result in a collapsed and hardened texture.
Subway’s Bread Dough: An Off-Site Endeavor
While Subway prides itself on baking each loaf fresh on-site, it’s essential to clarify that the process doesn’t start with mixing dough from scratch within the store. Subway collaborates with several suppliers, including Lineage Logistics, Aryzta, and Southwest Baking, to produce the dough required for the various franchise locations. These suppliers play a critical role in formulating the recipes used to create Subway’s dough, which often align with Subway’s evolving health and nutritional goals.
Subway relies on these companies to achieve milestones such as increasing whole grain content, removing trans fats, fortifying dough with essential vitamins and minerals, eliminating high fructose corn syrup, and reducing sodium content in some varieties. Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, Subway partnered with Aspire Bakeries to innovate bread that would maintain its texture longer when filled with wet ingredients and sauces, addressing the shifting consumer habits towards more carryout orders and delivery.
The Controversial Ingredient in Subway Bread
Subway’s bread faced an unusual controversy in 2014 when it came to light that one of its ingredients had another purpose outside the culinary world. This specific ingredient, known as azodicarbonamide (ADA), was also used in non-food products, including yoga mats, shoes, and artificial leather. ADA serves to create small gas bubbles in plastics, imparting a spongy texture.
However, Subway was not alone in using this unusual ingredient in its bread. Other fast-food giants, such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Starbucks, and store brands like Roman Meal, Sunbeam, and Wonder, also included it in their bread recipes. While the notion of consuming bread containing a substance used in yoga mats might raise eyebrows, it’s crucial to note that the food-grade version of ADA is FDA-approved for enhancing dough texture, yielding a puffier end product.
Nonetheless, public awareness campaigns led by figures like Vani Hari, who launched a petition on her Food Babe blog, resulted in Subway swiftly addressing the concerns. The company had already been exploring recipes that omitted the use of ADA, and once it received government approvals, Subway made a complete transition to non-ADA bread.
Cleaner Ingredients in Subway Bread
Subway’s dedication to customer well-being extends to the quality of ingredients used in their bread. Over the years, Subway has committed to enhancing the nutritional profile of its bread offerings. This commitment includes augmenting fiber content, eliminating trans fats, and improving whole grain content in their bread varieties.
When you inspect the ingredient list of Subway’s bread offerings, you’ll find a list that closely resembles what you’d use in your home kitchen, such as flour, salt, oil, vinegar, yeast, and sugar. Some more complex bread varieties may include additional ingredients like cheese, spices, and various grains. Notably, Subway’s enriched flour includes vitamins and minerals to enhance the nutritional value of their bread.
However, a few bread types may contain ingredients that aren’t common in your pantry. For instance, you might come across soy lecithin as an emulsifier in some varieties. Enzymes and anti-caking agents like cellulose or silicon dioxide are also included within the FDA’s safety guidelines. Certain breads may incorporate preservatives or mold inhibitors to prolong the freshness of ingredients like cheese or jalapeños, although some consumers might be allergic or sensitive to certain preservatives, such as sodium metabisulfite.
The Enigmatic Subway Bread Scent
The enticing scent of freshly baked Subway bread is a trademark of the brand. The smell is so captivating that it often permeates the air around the store, attracting passersby. Many have speculated that Subway employs a special aroma to entice potential customers from a distance.
Mark Christiano, Subway’s Global Baking Technologist, has clarified that Subway doesn’t intentionally disperse specific smells outside the store. However, he affirmed that Subway takes pride in its bread’s natural aroma. Christiano attributes this captivating scent to the complex baking process, which combines a blend of various ingredients. In essence, the unique smell is a product of the harmonious interaction of these elements within Subway’s ovens.
To investigate this further, Vice attempted to recreate Subway’s bread scent using an online ingredient list, but they couldn’t replicate the iconic aroma with plain bread. However, once they introduced Italian herbs into the mix and began baking cookies, the distinctive scent surfaced, affirming that the aroma is a natural result of Subway’s baking processes.
Subway Bread: Not Legally Considered Bread in Ireland
In an intriguing legal twist, Subway sandwich bread is not legally classified as bread in Ireland. This revelation emerged in 2020 when the Irish Supreme Court assessed the sugar content of Subway’s bread. Ireland employs a Value Added Tax (VAT) system that categorizes items based on their ingredients, with different tax percentages assigned accordingly.
Food staples like bread typically enjoy tax exemption. The Value-Added Tax Act of 1972 originally stipulated that the sugar content in bread should not exceed 2% to qualify for this tax break. However, when Ireland scrutinized Subway’s bread, it was revealed that the dough contained 10% sugar, surpassing the stipulated limit.
Consequently, Irish authorities determined that Subway’s bread did not meet the criteria for bread taxation exemptions and categorized it differently, more akin to confectionery. The revelation raised eyebrows, with reports indicating that consuming a 6-inch Subway sub was equivalent to eating two British digestive-style cookies.
Not All Subway Breads Are Dairy-Free or Vegan
For individuals following dairy-free or vegan diets, it’s vital to exercise caution when selecting Subway bread. While some bread varieties are obviously unsuitable for these dietary preferences, such as those containing cheese, including Italian herbs and cheese, jalapeño cheddar, Monterey cheddar, and Parmesan oregano, a few others may also pose challenges due to their milk or lactose content. Specifically, the multigrain flatbread contains milk, while the artisan flatbread might contain milk.
On the flip side, several Subway bread varieties are dairy-free and vegan-friendly. These options include artisan Italian white bread, gluten-free bread, hearty multigrain, sourdough, spinach wrap, tomato basil wrap, and plain wrap. The availability of these bread varieties can vary by location, so it’s advisable to consult Subway’s “Allergy and Sensitivity Table” or its “Product Ingredient Guide” for the most up-to-date information.
The Ephemeral Tale of Subway’s Gluten-Free Bread
Subway first introduced gluten-free bread in select U.S. locations in 2011, offering a unique gluten-free option in a fast-food landscape with limited alternatives. It was even available in certain international locations. However, despite its initial appeal, the presence of gluten-free bread at Subway has quietly dwindled over time.
The absence of gluten-free bread from Subway’s 2023 product list suggests that this option has become a rarity. While it’s conceivable that the gluten-free bun may resurface in response to consumer demand, it’s also essential to acknowledge the inherent challenges in offering gluten-free bread in a commercial kitchen. Cross-contamination risks and the potential for allergic reactions have prompted many with severe gluten sensitivities to exercise caution when considering such options.
The Most and Least Popular Subway Breads
Subway customers have distinct preferences when it comes to bread choices. The Italian herbs and cheese bread emerges as the clear favorite, with 46% of participants indicating their preference for this flavorful variety. Conversely, when asked which bread they’d avoid, 37% of respondents expressed their aversion to jalapeño cheddar bread.
The popularity of Italian herbs and cheese bread can be attributed to its unique flavor, derived from the inclusion of Monterey Jack cheese, cheddar cheese, and a Parmesan-oregano topping infused with an array of spices and garlic. On the other hand, jalapeño cheddar bread is a spicier option containing Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, along with the tantalizing heat of baked-in jalapeños.
Elevating Your Subway Bread Experience: The Subway Bread Hack
Every once in a while, an unexpected hack emerges to enhance the enjoyment of something you already love. Subway’s bread hack is one such hidden gem, aiming to elevate the quality of toasted sandwiches by optimizing the texture and flavor of the bread. This ingenious trick was shared by Reddit user u/mincerafte1969, who gleaned it from working at Subway.
To achieve a perfectly soft and cheesy texture for toasted sandwiches, you can request that the oil and cheese be placed on the bread beneath your meat. This strategic positioning allows the oil and cheese to soak into the bread during the toasting process, enhancing its overall flavor and maintaining its softness. A proper layering sequence for constructing your sandwich is as follows: bread, oil, cheese, meat, veggies, and more bread. This method not only maximizes the infusion of flavors but also keeps the bread pleasantly soft.