Homemade hoagie rolls and a chopped cheese

Combine the flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt in the mixer bowl and make a well in the centre.

Add the water, whole milk, egg and neutral oil.

Mix on the lowest speed eight to 10 minutes, adding a little extra water if needed, to a stiff, smooth, supple dough that does not stick to the bowl.

Knead it a few times on the work surface and form a ball.

Oil the mixing bowl, return the dough round side up, cover and leave at room temperature about an hour.

Move to the fridge and cold ferment overnight; the long cold fermentation develops flavour.

Pat the risen dough down and divide it into four ounce portions with a bench scraper.

Pre-shape: tuck the loose bits into the larger piece, gather the ends to one side, pinch, turn seam side down and cup and circle it against the bench for friction. Use no bench flour; spritz water if it will not grip.

Bench rest five to ten minutes to relax the gluten.

Shape: turn round side down, flatten into an elongated oval with a rolling pin, lengthwise left to right.

Fold the far long side into the centre and press with the fingertips, turn 180 degrees and do the same, then fold the whole thing in half toward you and seal with the heel of the hand; pinch the seam hard.

Seam side down, roll from the centre outward into a torpedo about seven inches long, pressing harder at the ends to keep the taper.

Set each roll seam side down on parchment on a sheet tray, four to a sheet, and cover with a slightly damp towel.

Spritz the rolls and the towel and proof about an hour and a half at around 80F, until 50 to 75% larger, not quite doubled.

Heat water in a pan and set it on a rack below the preheated carbon steel griddle for steam.

Slash one long line down the centre of each roll with the lame.

Slide the parchment onto the preheated griddle at 450F, two sheets at a time, and bake until golden brown all over, 16 to 20 minutes.

Cool the rolls on the work surface; the trapped steam migrates out and softens the crust.

Move the griddle to the stove over two burners, the near burner hot and the far one low as a warming zone.

Dice the onion, thinly slice the tomato and shred the iceberg lettuce.

Season the beef patty with salt and pepper.

Oil the hot zone and cook the onions until softened and browned at the edges, then move them to the warm zone.

Put the patty on the hot zone, chop it up with the bench scraper, bring the onions back in, mix, lay the American cheese over and let it melt into the beef.

Split a cooled roll without cutting all the way through, leaving it hinged.

Spread mayo and ketchup inside, scoop and spread the chopped cheese in, and top with sliced tomato and shredded lettuce.