Last summer we went to the cabin for the Fourth of July with my daughters and their families. I brought hot dogs up to the cabin, but forgot the hot dog buns! It was in that moment that I had remembered, I had been wanting to adapt my hamburger buns recipe into homemade hot dog buns and what better time to try?? It was a perfect success and I’ve now added hot dog buns onto the list of things that I’ll make, instead of buy at the grocery store.
Our hamburger bun recipe became so popular because of its ease and how quickly you can have hamburger buns ready made at home. I still laugh at the phone call I got from my daughter when she called me in amazement saying, “It’s one of those things I’ve always bought at the grocery store- it never occurred to me I could make them at home when I needed to!”. In fact, if you read some of the comments on that recipe, you’ll see that a lot!
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Why We Love Homemade Hot Dog Buns
- This is a quick recipe: In only 33 minutes you have perfectly fresh, homemade hot dog buns. You can’t beat the smell of fresh baked bread!
- Made fresh, tastes fresh: Is anyone else grossed out by the fact that hot dog buns will last on your pantry shelf for weeks when we know homemade bread only lasts 3-5 days?
- Adapted from our popular hamburger buns recipe- we knew this would be a hit, just like our hamburger buns recipe is!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Active dry yeast– This is a necessity! This is what gives the buns their quick rise. It is a lot of yeast, but this is why this is a quick recipe. If you use a sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast check out our sourdough hamburger buns recipe.
- Cooking oil-use your preferred cooking oil or use melted and cooled butter for a more buttery bun!
- Sugar– This is a must for this recipe, since this recipe has a very short rise time, the sugar is essential to help the yeast rise.
- Egg-use room temperature eggs. It tends to help keep the dough warmer for a good rise.
- Bread flour- you can substitute with all-purpose flour, but it won’t have as light or fluffy of a texture, which is why we recommend bread flour.
Equipment
- large bowl
- baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- wire rack
How to Make Homemade Hot Dog Buns
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar; let stand for 5 minutes.
- Add beaten egg, salt, and 3 cups of flour and make a soft dough. If the dough is too runny, add the rest of the flour, 1/4 cup at a time.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes.
- Divide into 12 pieces and shape each into a 5-inch rope shaped dough. Place on baking sheet. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Cut in half to serve.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
You can skip a step by using instant yeast instead of active dry yeast. Mix the instant yeast right in with the flour.
How to Shape Homemade Hot Dog Buns
After kneading your dough, it should be smooth, the texture of the dough will change from rough and shaggy to smooth and elastic looking. It will be slightly tacky (like the inside of your cheek) but not sticky. At this point you can shape your dough into a rectangle. Divide it down the middle and keep going, dividing in equal sections until you have 12 small rectangles. Roll each section into a 5 inch long rope, tucking any seams underneath when placing on the baking sheet.
Recipe FAQs
The texture of the dough will change from rough and shaggy to smooth and elastic looking. It will be slightly tacky (like the inside of your cheek) but not sticky.
Brushing them with butter right out of the oven helps keep the hot dog buns soft. Also, don’t over cook them! They should be golden brown, check them at 6 minutes and also to bake to 8 only if they are not ready yet.
You can knead by hand with this recipe. You’ll need to knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it becomes soft and pliable. If it’s been kneaded enough, you should be able to stretch the dough for 4-5″ without it tearing. The dough is soft and pliable, so flour your countertop and hands well before kneading.
Other Homemade Bread Recipes to Consider
- Sourdough Hamburger Buns
- Old Fashioned Yeast Rolls Recipe
- Sourdough French Bread
- Sourdough Cinnamon Bread
If you tried this hot dog bun recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Quick and Easy Hot Dog Buns
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast see notes for instant yeast
- 1 cup warm water 95° to 105°F
- ⅓ cup cooking oil
- ¼ cup sugar *see notes
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 to 3-1/2 cups bread flour or all purpose flour
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add beaten egg, salt, and 3 cups of flour and make a soft dough. If the dough is too runny, add the rest of the flour, 1/4 cup at a time.
- Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead (by hand or using a dough hook in a stand mixer) until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes.
- Immediately divide into 12 pieces and shape each into a 5-inch rope shaped dough. Place 3 in. apart on baking sheet (non-stick, greased, or cover with parchment paper) and let rise 10-20 minutes (see notes below).
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Cut in half to serve.
Notes
- Don’t skip the sugar! Since this recipe has a very short rise time, the sugar is essential to help the yeast rise.
- You can let the dough rise for 10 minutes, but I have found that 20 minutes is optimal.
- Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast? Yes, skip adding the yeast to the warm water, and add it to the flour. Go ahead and mix the dough as in step 2 of the recipe.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of dried minced onion or onion powder to the dough for an onion flavor.
- Swap 1/2 of the bread flour for half whole wheat flour for a healthier option.
- Use everything but the bagel seasoning instead of sesame seeds.
- Store in a sealed zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. Warm them in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes to reheat until soft and warmed.
- If you plan on storing the bread rolls for over a day or two, it’s best to freeze them.
- Freeze in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, thaw overnight on the counter, then warm them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.
Nutrition
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