The Best Bread For Cheesesteaks Is A Philadelphia Classic

It would be impossible to talk about Philadelphia's food scene without mentioning the Philly cheesesteak. This sub-style sando is ubiquitous to the city's culinary heritage, so it's fitting that the best bread for building the ultimate cheesesteak is a Philly institution, too. Introducing: the Amoroso roll. For the unacquainted, an Amoroso roll is a soft, Italian-style hoagie that's roughly 8 to 12 inches in length, with a slightly tapered shape. A longstanding Italian bakery, the eponymous Amoroso's Baking Company, opened in 1904 and has been supplying rolls to the city's sandwich shops ever since — a legacy that predates the invention of the Philly cheesesteak by nearly 30 years. Purists would likely argue that a classic Philly cheesesteak can only arrive on this specific type of bread. So, what makes Amoroso rolls best for the job? 

Composed of hot, thinly-sliced ribeye folded with melted cheese and diced onions, the cheesesteak is no amateur sandwich. As such, its bread must be more than a vehicle, serving double-duty by creating bites with balanced structure and moisture control. Resilient Amoroso rolls are prized for their ability to handle this sandwich, keeping the juices locked in so that by the time foodies bite down, it's a mess-free (or at least less messy) feat. It's all about the loaves' textural diversity, sporting a plush, yet tight crumb that can support melted cheese and savory juices without becoming soggy. Meanwhile, the roll's crisply thin outer crust is toothy-soft, but still durable enough to accommodate heavy loads of hot meat without ripping apart. 

To achieve the cohesion for which it's famous, Amoroso's bakery uses high-moisture dough and a unique hearth-baking process, with high temperatures and deck ovens. The recipe has been passed down through generations from the bakery's original founder, Italian immigrant Vincenzo Amoroso. Today, the bakery remains owned and operated by the family. In a post on Instagram, fifth-generation president Jesse Amoroso shares, "To me, being Philly-born and 'bread' is unapologetically celebrating and being proud of everything that is Philadelphia. Our Philadelphia sandwiches are iconic in that regard ... [and] Amoroso's has been more involved in the background of the community than people might recognize." In fact, the bakery has worked with local school districts and even partnered with the Philadelphia 76ers and Eagles. 

Across the city, countless businesses and restaurants source their rolls exclusively from Amoroso's as a point of quality and pride, with the bakery becoming near-synonymous with the Philly cheesesteak formula. Any Philadelphian who is serious about the sandwiches is quick to recommend the rolls. Even beyond the city limits, foodies who get a taste of a cheesesteak on an Amoroso roll never seem to lose their craving for it. A Redditor in r/Bread implores fellow cheesesteak lovers for help in recreating the recipe for texturally perfect Amoroso rolls in Colorado where the elevation is much higher — the jury's still out. As a final tip, to finish assembling your cheesesteak like a true Philly local, only Cooper Sharp cheese will get the job done.