Hot dogs or hamburgers? That was the question I posed on Facebook last week, and the overwhelming majority picked burgers. While I’m definitely a burger girl too, once or twice every summer I get a major craving for a grilled hot dog, preferably served on a grilled bun and topped with ketchup and grilled onions π
Is it weird that I can’t think about hot dogs in the summer without my mind going straight to the Nathan’s hot dog eating competition they televise every year on the 4th of July? We’ve watched it religiously the past few years because Shane is obsessed with it, but personally I just don’t get it. I mean, I love food as much as anybody, but what is so enjoyable about stuffing your face with hot dogs as fast as you can? And they soak the buns in water so you know they’re soggy – ewww! I guess I just don’t understand the mentality of competitive eating…
We’ve been making homemade burger buns for years, and let me just be honest. They’re SO much better than store-bought, it’s not even close. Given that, I don’t know why I waited so long to make homemade hot dog buns, but finally I checked it off my to-do list last week. And just like the burger rolls, these hot dog buns blew store-bought out of the water. They taste so light and buttery (even without any actual butter in the recipe) yet were hearty enough for the hot dogs and plenty of toppings!
As yeast recipes go, this one is really simple too, with minimal hands-on time. The buns also freeze well, so you can make a bunch of them when you have some time then just pull them out on demand when you’re ready to grill. I promise they take any hot dog eating experience from really good to insanely awesome so it’s well worth the few extra minutes of your time!
Homemade Hot Dog Buns
adapted from Annie’s Eats (originally from King Arthur Flour)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 3/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1/4 cup warm water (about 110 F)
1 cup warm milk (about 110 F, I used whole)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
3-4 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)
To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the sugar, yeast, water, milk, oil, salt, and 3 cups of the flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until a rough dough comes together. Start kneading with the dough hook. If necessary, you can add some (or all) of the remaining cup of flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and sticks only to the bottom. The dough should be tacky, but not sticky. (I didn’t need to use any additional flour beyond the 3 cups, but this will vary depending on the conditions in your kitchen.) Knead the dough on low speed for about 5 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.
Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to the prepared bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto your work surface and divide it into 9 equal pieces (you can use a scale or estimate, your call). Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape it into a ball and then roll the ball into a cylinder measuring about 4 1/2-inches in length. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and flatten the cylinder slightly. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, placing them only about 1/2-inch apart on the baking sheet. Once they’re all shaped, cover the buns with a towel and let rise until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 F. Brush the buns with the egg wash and then bake for about 18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and an instant-read thermometer reads 190 F. Remove the buns from the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool completely.
Makes 9 buns
So fun! I’ve always wanted to make my own and these look perfect!
These buns look like they would make any hot dog a million times better!! They look perfect Tracey!
These buns were really great, they made our hot dogs feel like more of a gourmet experience! Thanks for making them!
I have been dy.ing to make this recipe and I have no idea what’s been holding me up! I LOVE that they end up as New England-style buns since that’s the only type of hot dog bun I’m allowed to buy. π They look perfect and now I’ve got myself a holiday weekend baking project.
I’m a burger person when it comes to making stuff on the grill too. I can only enjoy a hotdog if it’s at the movies, a ball game, or grilled/roasted over a fire. People boil their hotdogs and I’m like WHAT?! There’s no added flavor of the char!! Oh well. I can’t wait to make these someday π
I have a recipe that is for hot dog rolls that I use for hamburger rolls but these look so pretty that I might have to try them out π I am going to make them next time when I use up what I just made π
I’ve been curious about making my own hot dog buns, so excited that you posted this
The hamburger and hot dog bun is such a hybrid bread in my eyes. It is borderline sweet and intensely fluffy; but has enough body to hold up to the meat and soak in the fat juices. These look just right tracey, Hope you have a great 4th of July
Ooooh these homemade buns DO look so great! I reallllyy wanna try them soon!
I’ll have to show these to my sister. She is out here in Utah too, and she is obsessed with finding hot dog buns sliced down the middle. Believe it or not, it’s a New England thing to slice them in the middle and not the side. My sister has threatened to make her own so I’ll show her these so she can. π
I’ve avoided homemade hot dog buns for so long because I’m worried I won’t get them shaped right! How lame is that? And now I’m totally craving a hot dog!
Homemade hot dogs?! How have I never done this before? Being the huge hot dog lover I am, I need to add this to my bucket list!
These look like lobster rolls – I love lobster rolls and they are difficult to find around here. Thanks for these!
I could be down with competitive eating if it involved pies and not hot dogs…but maybe that’s just me. These buns look heavenly!
These are awesome, perfect to enjoy this weekend too. They look absolutely perfect and much better than store-bought.
I’ve also made hamburger buns before, but never hot dog buns. I’ll have to give it a try. Nice post Tracey!
Well that just looks amazing!
Wow, these do look fantastic, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing this recipe, these are perfect for 4th of July celebrations!
They look scrumptious!
Oh wow, that hot looks delicious π and these buns look perfect, I’d like to try this out!