TheseEasy Homemade Hot Dog Buns are perfectly soft and delicious! The dough is super versatile and can be used to make hot dog buns, subs or hamburger buns.There is an overnight rise time in this recipe.EASY -This is an easy recipe, but there are a few techniques that require patience - especially with shaping the dough. US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Common Measurement Conversions. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results. You can access metric weight measurements using the toggle button below the ingredient list.
500gall purpose flour4 US cups, measured by spoon and level method (please see notes).
120mLwarm milk½ cup
180mLwarm water¾ cup
7gdry active yeast2 tsp
1 tspfine sea saltUse a little extra if using coarse kosher salt
1tbspsugar
1largeegg
28gsoftened butter / oil2 tbsp
Extra oil to lightly oil the bowl
1egg for the egg wash
Instructions
In a mixing bowl (of your stand mixer), combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt.
In another small bowl, whisk together the water, milk and egg.
With the paddle attachment in your stand mixer or a dough whisk, mix the dry ingredients and add the water-milk-egg mixture and mix to combine.
Switch to the dough hook of your stand mixer, and knead the dough to bring it together. The dough needs to be fairly wet and sticky. Knead for about 5 minutes, until you have a smooth ball of dough.
Add the oil or butter and knead for a further 5-10 minutes (I knead it for about 8 minutes), until the dough is shiny, smooth and tacky to the touch.
Lightly oil a big bowl and place the dough in it. Make sure the dough is lightly oiled on the surface as well.
For best results, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight (8 hours) or for up to 24 hours. Alternatively, if you want to bake it on the same day, you can cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1 hour in a warm place, until it has doubled in size.
On the day you bake the bread rolls - turn the chilled dough out on to a lightly floured surface and lightly dust the surface of the dough as well. If the dough wasn't chilled, you may need extra flour on your hands and on your work surface to prevent the dough from sticking.
FOR THE CUTTING METHOD FOR HOT DOG BUNS
Roll out the dough into a rectangle that's about 16 inches in length and 4-5 inches in width. Cut the dough into 10 sections and place them on a parchment paper lined baking tray, with about 1.5 inches of space between each.
FOR THE SHAPING METHOD FOR HOT DOG BUNS
Cut the dough into 12 (or 10) equal sections. I usually weigh the bread dough so that I know how much each section should weigh.
Knead each portion for just a few seconds to form a smooth ball. Roll out each portion into a flattened piece of dough that's about 5 inches long and 4 inches wide. Then TIGHTLY roll up the dough to form a cylinder. Tuck in the sides/edges and pinch these edges and seams to seal. Place each portion on a parchment paper lined baking tray, about 2 inches apart.
FOR BURGER BUNS
Cut the dough into 8 sections (for larger buns) or 10 sections (for smaller buns) and roll these portions in your hands to form smooth balls. Place them on the parchment paper lined baking tray, about 3 inches apart.
Preparing the dough for the second proofing
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rise for 45 min in a warm place, until it has just about doubled in size. In winter, this can take a little longer than 45 min, and on very hot summer days, it can take less than 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F about 30 minutes prior to baking.
Brush the hot dog rolls with the egg wash (lightly beaten egg) and bake in the preheated oven until they are golden brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped, which should take about 15-20 mins. (Optional - sprinkle sesame seeds or poppy seeds on the egg wash brushed dough before baking). SEE NOTES FOR FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS.
Remove from the oven and let the buns cool down enough to be handled comfortably. Best eaten on the same day. Will keep longer in an air-tight container in the fridge.
Notes
Note on the dough
Please use weight measurements for accurate results.Using cup measurements can result in the addition of more flour than intended, causing the dough to be too dry. This results in a heavy, dense bread roll, instead of the soft, fluffy roll that this recipe guarantees. The dough should be sticky and wet at the start, and with kneading it'll become glossy, smooth and tacky. Do NOT add more flour than the recipe calls for.
NOTE ON ACTIVATING YEAST -
If you're not sure of how fresh / active the active dry yeast is, OR if the yeast granules are larger, THEN ACTIVATE IT FIRST.Sprinkle the yeast over 1/2 cup of the warm liquid (water or milk) from the recipe (plus 1 tsp of sugar), and let it sit for about 15 minutes until it forms a foam on the surface. Then it can be used in the recipe.
Freezing
Bake the hot dog buns until they are just starting to turn golden brown - about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the buns from the oven, and allow them to cool down. FREEZE the hot dog buns at this point, and then place them in an air-tight container (or freezer bag). When you're ready to bake, allow the buns to thaw out in the fridge first. Preheat oven to 350°F and place the thawed out hot dog buns on the tray and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes until the buns are golden brown on top.