I had a Schlotzsky’s® Original sandwich a couple
of weeks ago, and it had been years since the last one. I forgot how great all those toasted layers
played together, and especially how that great bun really anchored all the
flavors with its special taste and texture.
Well, the OCD in me took over and I was determined to make it for
myself. There aren’t any of these
restaurants near me, and I figured that if I wanted one I was going to have to
make my own some how.
This was basically going to come down to three challenges:
find a recipe to recreate the special bun, create a recipe to recreate the
special garlic dressing, and getting the sandwich put together with the right things
in the right order.
There are dozens and dozens of links to recipes for a “Schlotzsky
bun recipe” on the internet, but they basically come down to two – the recipe
the store uses (pounds of proprietary mix) or a home made copycat that everyone
seems to have copied. The first is obviously
useless, the second I found unsatisfactory as it wasn’t really close. After many tries, I think I have it nailed
pretty well.
Starting with some stock recipes, it only took a few tries
to get the garlic dressing down. It’s
very simple and very tasty, and can sure be used on other things too. Finally, I found a reference from a former
employee who laid out not only the ingredients for the sandwich, but also the
order of assembly and the instructions for the technique. He remains anonymous, but the process is
outlined below. Hopefully, some of you
will undertake this project and provide me feedback on your results.
Okay, here we go…
FILLING INGREDIENTS (for 1 large sandwich, adjust as needed):
CLONE - Sandwich Bun (recipe below)
CLONE - Creamy
Garlic Dressing (recipe below)
Parmesan
cheese, grated
1 cup
mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup
cheddar cheese, shredded
2 oz. cotto
salami, sliced very thin
2 oz. genoa
salami, sliced very thin
2 oz.
boiled ham, sliced very thin
yellow
mustard
red onion,
sliced thin
tomatos,
sliced
lettuce,
shredded
½ cup black
olives or marinated black olives
METHOD
Slice open the loaf horizontally into 2 even thicknesses.
Apply spiral rings of garlic on each bun half
starting from the outer edge inward - six for large, 3 for medium, 2 for small
sandwich. Add Parmesan cheese from a
shaker, roughly 5 to 6 shakes to lightly dust both entire buns.
Distribute one cup of shredded cheddar cheese on the bottom bun, and one cup
of mozzarella cheese on the top bun. Put
both buns in a toaster over at a heat of 375 degrees, to barely melt the cheese
until you see it bubbling a bit, then pull them out and spread the cheese
evenly with a spatula.
On the bun with the cheddar put 1/2 cup of the olives, then slices of boiled
ham covering the entire sandwich overlapping each ham slice.
Remove the top bun from the toaster over spread the mozzarella cheese out
evenly with the spatula; put the bottom bun back in the oven while you work on
the top.
On the top bun place slices of cotto salami laid out the same as the ham
then the slices of Genoa
salami even spread out on top of the cotto salami, finishing with rings of
yellow French’s mustard. Put the top salami
bun in the oven and take out the bottom bun and get ready to dress it. On the bottom bun add first shredded lettuce, sparingly just enough to cover
the bottom meat. Next, add your slices of
tomato and thinly sliced red or yellow onions, six thin slices, no more.
Here are two beauties, ready to go.
Retrieve the other bun but it together, and prepare to feast!
CLONE - Original Sandwich Bun
Makes 2 large or 3 medium sandwich buns
INGREDIENTS
1 recipe CLONEsky’s® sourdough starter (recipe
follows)
2 teaspoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup lukewarm milk (at about110° F)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons corn meal
METHOD
In a large bowl, stir together the warm milk, sugar, salt and baking
soda. Stir to dissolve, then add in the CLONEsky’s® sourdough
starter and whisk together. Beat the
flour into the liquid mixture one half cup at a time until smooth, then move on
to the next half-cup. When you are finished, the batter should be thick, very sticky
and smooth.
Prepare 2 each 8” or 3 each 6” pie or cake pans with
non-stick spray, and then scatter the bottom of the pans with the corn meal. Divide the dough evenly between the prepared
pans. It won’t look right, but the batter
will spread as the dough rises. Spray the top of each bun with non-stick
cooking spray, and then cover and let rise for one hour in a warm draft-free
spot for one hour. I turn on the oven
for a minute and then right back off, and let it rise in there. It should be barely just warm.
Once the dough has finished rising, spray the top of the
bread with non-stick cooking spray lightly again. Bake in a preheated 375° F for
20 minutes. Once the top is lightly
golden and a toothpick comes out clean, you are done. Turn the finished loaves out on a cooling
rack, and allow to cool for an hour before slicing.
CLONESKY’S SOURDOUGH STARTER -
yields about 1 ¼ - 1 ½ cups
- 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
- 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Combine the water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit until the
yeast becomes foamy, about 5 minutes. (If the yeast does not foam, discard the
mixture and begin again with new yeast –
check the date.)
Add the flour and stir briskly to work in. Cover loosely
and let rest in a warm, draft-free place (like an oven with pilot light or
light) for 8 to12 hours. (The mixture should become very bubbly.) Now you can use your Schlotzsky’s® sourdough
starter to make your Markzsky’s® Original® No-Knead Sandwich Buns!
CAUTION: Never keep any sourdough starter tightly closed! The gasses that
build up from the yeast can pressurize the container (such as a glass jar) and
possibly make it burst!
CLONE - Creamy Garlic Dressing
1 c.
mayonnaise 2
tbsp. minced parsley
1 tbsp. white vinegar 1 tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. powdered garlic 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. white vinegar 1 tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. powdered garlic 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
Whisk all
ingredients together in a medium bowl.
Load into squeeze bottle and keep in refrigerator. Makes about a cup
49 comments:
Excellent recipe! I made it tonight, made a few mistakes but it still came out awesome. I'm in England and missing Schlotzky's very much, so thanks :o).
Glad you liked it! I don't live near a Schlotzsky's either (but not as far as you), but now I can enjoy one occasionally too!
Mark
So glad I stumbled across your recipes/directions! I've been craving a Schlotzky's for three years (none in Los Angeles)! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Glad you liked it! It is one of my favorites (if I don't count calories that day!).
I'm making this next week. I've been on the internet for an hour trying to find one that looks and sounds like what I remember. None of the other recipes had a starter so I knew that couldn't be right. I moved to Chicago and I"m seriously considering driving 1 hour and 45 minutes away for a sandwich. It's hands down in my top 3 favorite foods ever. I miss it so. Thanks for taking the time to make this post! I'll let you know how it turns out! Oh and I pinned you :)
Can't wait to give this a try! We have a Schlotzsky's about 15 miles away here in CO but I never seem to make it up there enough to satisfy my cravings.
Yours is the most complete recipe (thanks for the starter, the bunz, and the garlic sauce recipes!) that I've found after three nights of searching online!
I substituted 1 1/2 cups of my sourdough starter and used this recipe. Worked out great, everyone loves em.
You're my hero!! Thank you! My kids and I have tried many recipes that were supposed to be Schlotzsky's copy cats, but none were. We made yours today and it's perfect!
Thanks all for the great words!
Dont know what i did wrong but the "dough" never gelled...the clone starter went exactly as planned but when i added it to the warm milk,baking soda etc it stayed batter"y"...i even added one extra half cup of flour but it never turned doughy...should i have added more flour???
Thank goodness for a man withdertermination and time on hand...I have been in Dubai for 8 years, home visits rarely allow for a pop in to my old favorite lunch spot. As there is no Schlotzkys here and most Deli's are "british or Canadian, I genuinely miss a good Deli sandwich...and truthfully Schlotzsky's was to only one I ever liked...it's the buns they are addictive!...So now thanks to you I will definitely try following your recipe...I'll keep you posted how satisfying it is! And Thanks again for your efforts!
I'm wondering, I love the jalapeno cheese bun, would i just add jalapeno and cheese to this recipe and it would work?
I think we are down to one sholotzsky's left in the Northstar state and I do make it there from time to time. I did research the Internet for a clone recipe and have to say yours is the best I've found. Ran a test run on my kids and they loved it so I plan on making a couple for new years eve.
Made this recipe several times now. Perfection. Thank you so very much for sharing.
Thank you so much for posting this. I have my starter fermenting and will try your recipe this weekend. I've been craving Schlotzsky's ever since I moved to Germany, so I am very happy to have found your page!
I left the Atlanta area two years ago, and have been looking for a good Schlotzsky's recipe for the Original Turkey Bacon Club. Using this recipe, I should be able to modify to make the sandwich I crave so much. Otherwise, I guess I'll be driving from NW Washington state to SE Washington. I don't want to go to Spokane. I have high hopes for this recipe.
Let me add my thanks as well! We had two Schlotsky's in the Portland Oregon area and now there are none!
Thank you so much for all the kind words. It was a labor of love tuning this recipe, and I am so glad that you all are able to use it! Please let me know how it works out for each of you.
Mark
I am making these for lunch today for the first time, and realized I never put the salt into the bred dough! �� I went back and re-read your blog and realized you must have forgotten to add that into your instructions.
Can't wait to pull these out for my hubbie! He loves those sandwiches! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hey, I am in the middle of making this tonight and I notice that you do not mention anything about when to put the 1/2 tsp of salt in when making the CLONE - Original Sandwich Bun. I assumed it was during the mixing in of the 2 cups of flour, but was not sure - please add this into the recipe.
One thing missing: Hot Sauce!
20 tabasco peppers, stemmed and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
3/4 cup thinly sliced onions
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 cup water
1 cup distilled white vinegar
In a saute pan, add the oil and sweat the onions (i.e. add the salt) for 5 minutes then add the garlic, continue to cook for 3 minutes. Raise heat to medium high and when you see a bit of burning or smoke rising, deglaze with the vinegar. Add the peppers, bring down to low heat and allow to cook for 4 minutes. Add the water, continue to heat on low for 20 minutes. Once it has reduced to your liking use an immersion blender or add to a blender in batches. Pour into bottles or preferred container, allow to sit in refrigerator overnight. Next morning, enjoy Louisiana hot sauce Schlotzski's style!
Wow! This recipe looks great. I am a native Texas and I now live in Florida. The closest Schlotzsky's is 8-9 hours away!!!!
I've tried to re-create these buns several times before, but was never happy with the results. I am going to try yours because it really sounds great.
I worked at a Schlotzskys for a couple of years and I love that you have all those steps down just right! :)
While on vacations, I've purchased several buns, brought them home and frozen them for making sandwiches. I can't wait to try your recipe.
I would like to throw in my 2 cents (for what it's worth). Your garlic dressing sounds really good, but from my experience working at the restaurant, the mixture was just 50/50 oil and butter with garlic powder mixed in. On another note, I am going to try a second rise, as I remember them taking the pans out of the proofer and giving them a hard tap on the counter to take out the air before letting them proof a second time. I'll give it a try on my own. :)
Thanks again!
This recipe was as close to the real deal as I have gotten (I've tried the other popular versions out there)! The dough was VERY wet - sort of like a thick cake batter but it rose beautifully and baked up light and spongy with those nice big holes like Schlotzky's bread has. I baked mine in four 4.5" springform pans which made for some very tall buns but they were still delicious. Thank you for figuring this out for everyone! It couldn't be easier!
Hey Mark, do you think this recipe will work well for making a traditionally shaped loaf of bread? When I was a kid (many decades ago) my mother made sourdough bread that was very much like the Schlotzky's buns in taste and texture. Unfortunately she and the recipe are gone but I sure would love to be able to recreate her bread!
An easy way to proof bread is to place a pot of boiling hot water on the bottom rack and the bread on the top rack of your oven when it is OFF! Do not preheat or turn on the oven at all. This allows the moist heat to proof the bread at a more rapid pace, but still allow the needed moisture and time for yeast development.
Hi' ı was looking for the recipe of the delicious buns of Schlotzsky's, and yours seem fabolous... I have just a question, can ı use my own homemade sourdough instead of active yeast? Thank you! :)
Craig Scott -
I don't see why not, I've done so on several occasions.
scrumptiosandhealthy -
This is good advice, the oven makes a great proofing cabinet!
discerning -
It is certainly worth a try, but of course no guarantees... can't hurt!
I live in Maine and can't find a Schlotzsky's in my State, but have enjoyed their sandwiches in many States in the South and in the West, such as Arkansas and South Carolina. I tried this recipe a few times and it is bang on! We even bought 6 inch pans to make them in! Having it tomorrow night. Thanks so much!!
Mark, Wow! This recipe captures the crumb and texture of the original. Still, I found myself wanting a little more of the "sour tang" that I remember. So, I tried using 1 1/2 cups of week-old unfed natural sourdough starter, and I substituted baking powder for the baking soda in order to keep from neutralizing the acidity. The rising time was about 5 hours. I think I nailed the flavor! Thought I would share.
I did everything for the mixing perfect but put too much dough in too small a container (just one, thinking i could cut it into squares instead of making several smaller ones) and my bread came out too dense. It still tasted pretty good, just not as spongy, and I can tell if I'd followed the instructions it would have been perfect. As it was, actually, it probably would have been great for dipping in soup.
Try using warm Perrier mineral water mixed with a 2 tablespoons of buttermilk instead of plain warm water. You'll thank me. Not sure of the amounts, but was told that's the secret ingredient.
Wow, perfect! We don't have Schlotsky's in Indiana any more, and I've been jonesin' bad for their sandwich. The sandwiches came out spot-on fantastic!
Thanks so much for the post!
Mike
This tasted very close to the real thing. I've tried recreating it myself, but it just wasn't the same. Your sourdough bread recipe is spot on. It is crunchy on the outside, soft and spongy on the inside, and not too sour-tasting. Thanks for this recipe! It was absolutely amazing, and you did a great job!
Hey just want to tell you I tried the recipe and mine looked good almost identical but the taste and texture wasn't quite the same,not sure what I did wrong.please help
How did everything turn out for you...I did my according to the recipe but added perrier water and buttermilk,it smelled just like the original but it wasn't as porous as the original
2018 and I’m thrilled to find this. Can’t wait to make it. So happy it was still here. Thanks!
I have already made your delicious Creamy Garlic Dressing, however, after reading and re-reading your instructions, I cannot find where you mention adding it to the sandwich. Can you list this for us? Thanks a bunch.
Vicki
I'm glad I found this recipe. We had Schlotzsky's delis here where I live until this year, then they all closed down. One local owner tried to keep his going after he lost the franchise, but without the Schlotzsky's name, sales plummeted and he went out of business. Now if I want a Schlotzsky's style sandwich, I've no option but to make it for myself.
Darren
Did you add the 2cups of bread flour?
I just finished making yourbuns and they are FANTASTIC!! Light, airy, fluffy, soft crust...just the way you want them to be! I'm having my hubby stop at the store on his way home tonight for the salamis and ham (everything else I have on hand). I'm so excited to make this! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Schlotskys Original ❤
BTW I used my own sourdough, which I already had,in this recipe.
About a year ago I discovered your wonderful and entertaining web site and the recipe for Schlotzsky's buns and garlic dressing. The others on-line seemed less "authentic". I made both your recipes and was VERY happy with the results. Truly as close as I can imagine one could get to the corporate product. Then today I was set to make another batch and couldn't find the recipes in my collection. I panicked! Back on line and checking through the great variety of recipes until, most fortunately, I was able to find you site. I now have not only the paper printout but also a file on the computer - no chance these gems will be lost again. Thanks so much.
I made yesterday (fail) and again today. Yesterday’s problem was that I put it in 10 3-Inch pans. It wasn’t enough for each pan and they were very flat. I had also sprayed the tops but the Saran stuck so ... today was 8 pans, no spray or cover, proofed for an hour in the oven before baking. They are absolutely perfect. I’ve tried every other copycat recipe out there and this is hands down the best. I’ll be keeping it forever.
Why? There is no hot sauce on Schlotsky's The Original sandwich.
I am very excited to try this. I first had this amazing sandwich in Bryan-College Station, Texas, and I was hooked. The restaurants in Dayton and Middletown, Ohio have closed,so I have to drive two and a half miles to get my fix. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
It's the first thing, after slicing the bun open. It says to add "rings of garlic". The word "sauce" was not used. I hope this helps.
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. I made it today and it was perfect. Don’t have to miss schlotzskys anymore.
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