Soft, bouncy, and buttery this hot dog buns recipe takes your hot dog game to the next level! These might just steal the show at your next barbecue.
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Hot dog night is a big thing in my house – the kids are always super excited to just have plain old American hot dogs, maybe with some chili if it’s cold out. And thankfully, the days of hot dogs automatically being junk food by definition are over. Now you can buy real, all-beef hot dogs that are even organic and grass-fed if that’s your thing!
But I’ll be honest, getting good-quality hot dog buns isn’t always so easy. Maybe it’s the problem of keeping them shelf-stable without adding a bunch of dough conditioners and preservatives, but whatever the case, I decided to start making my own hot dog buns instead of using the store-bought ones. It takes a little time, but the results are so worth it!
Why You’ll Love This Hot Dog Bun Recipe
- Quality: Homemade buns don’t have any preservatives or additives. Just wholesome ingredients straight from your pantry.
- Better Texture: These have soft, fluffy interiors and a golden, slightly crisp crust that’s unmatched by store-bought options.
- Superior flavor: Freshly baked buns have a richer, more complex flavor that elevates any hot dog or sandwich. They are ever-so-slightly sweet and buttery. Perfect with Air Fryer Hot Dogs!
- No special equipment: You may be surprised to learn this, but you don’t need special pans to make hot dog buns! Yes, there are “specialty pans” you can buy, but trust me, they’re not needed.
- Freezer friendly: Plus, you can freeze extra hot dog buns for another time!
Looking for more ways to make bread? Try my Soft Dinner Rolls, Sweet Hawaiian Rolls and these amazing Homemade Crescent Rolls!
What You’ll Need
These hot dog buns are made with an enriched dough, meaning that it includes extras like butter and eggs for extra flavor and a soft texture. Here’s what you’ll need (be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete recipe with amounts and nutrition facts).
Hot Dog Bun Ingredients
- Milk and Water: Warmed up a bit to activate the yeast – not too hot though! The best temperature is between 105°F and 110°F.
- Yeast: I use active dry yeast.
- Sugar: Regular granulated sugar. You can substitute raw sugar or honey or if you like.
- Eggs: Large, whole eggs.
- Flour: I recommend using bread flour combined with all-purpose for the softest hot dog buns, but you can also make this recipe using only all-purpose flour.
- Salt
- Butter: Salted butter, at room temperature. If you use unsalted butter, add 1⁄8 tsp of salt to the recipe.
Egg Wash Ingredients
- Egg White: Separate the white from a whole egg – save the yolk for making lemon curd or enriching an omelet!
- Cream: A spoonful of heavy cream makes the egg wash extra-shiny and delicious.
- Salt
How to Make Hot Dog Buns
If you enjoy baking with yeast, you will love making this homemade hot dog bun recipe. I use my stand mixer to make the kneading process easy and effective, but you could also do it by hand – just make sure to thoroughly knead the dough until it’s smooth, soft, and elastic.
- Proof the Yeast. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the warm water, warm milk, yeast, and sugar. Lightly whisk these ingredients a bit to blend them, and then let them sit for 5 minutes, until bubbly and frothy. (If you don’t see frothy bubbles, there was either a problem with the yeast or the water/milk temperature. In that case, you will need to discard the mixture and start over so the yeast gets activated.)
- Add the Remaining Ingredients (Except Butter). Once the yeast is proofed, add in your eggs and whisk to combine. Next, swap the whisk attachment to a dough hook, and add in your flour. Place the salt on top of the flour, and knead the dough on low speed for a couple of minutes, so that the dough comes together.
- Add the Butter and Finish Kneading. Last, mix in the butter and knead on medium speed for 8 minutes, until a soft dough forms that is smooth and elastic.
- First Rise. Place the dough into a separate, greased bowl to rise. Spray the top of the dough with baking spray or a bit of oil, and then cover it with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Cut the Hot Dog Buns Out. Once the dough has risen, punch it down to deflate it. Then turn the dough out onto a clean, floured surface, and use your hands to press it out into a rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half down the middle, then cut it in half the short way. Cut each piece into 3 strips to make 12 pieces total.
- Shape the Hot Dog Buns. Roll each strip of dough into a tight ball. Cover the rolled-up dough balls with a damp towel or paper towels, and let them rest for 10 minutes before rolling each one into a log shape about seven inches long. Arrange these on a parchment-lined baking sheet, about 1/2 an inch apart.
- Second Rise. Let the hot dog buns rise for 45 minutes – 1 hour. Towards the end of that time, preheat your oven to 375°F and make the egg wash by combining the egg white, heavy cream, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk together until combined.
- Bake! Once the buns have risen, brush them with the egg wash. Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven on the center rack, and bake the hot dog buns for about 18 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and immediately brush with melted butter.
- Enjoy! Allow the buns to fully cool before slicing.
Baker’s Notes
Yeast-based recipes have their own little quirks, so I’m sharing a few tips I’ve learned when dealing with yeast, rising times, etc. I hope you’ll check them out!
- Temperatures: When working with yeast-based recipes like this, it’s very important to make sure your liquids are at the right temperature. If they are too hot, they will kill the yeast. If they are too cold, the yeast won’t activate and the dough won’t rise properly. The best temperature is between 105°F and 110°F – think warmer than body temperature but not super hot.
- Butter: Using room-temperature butter in this recipe is crucial! What is room-temperature butter, you ask? Well, it needs to be soft enough to be easily pliable, but still firm enough to hold its shape – if it’s liquid-soft then it won’t mix into the dough correctly. I recommend setting the butter out on the counter about an hour before starting.
- Slicing: I know, I know – freshly baked bread is so tempting! But you really have to make sure that the hot dog buns have fully cooled before you slice them, or they won’t be done. The cooling time actually allows them to finish baking on the inside. Cut too soon, and they will be doughy.
- Measuring Flour: It’s very important to properly measure your flour! Fluffing your flour (so it is not compact), then spooning the flour into a measuring cup and leveling off the top with a butter knife will give you correctly measured flour. If you open a new bag of compacted flour and just scoop it right out with the measuring scoop, you will scoop out too much flour and your bread/cake/cookies will come out dense!
Ways To Use Hot Dog Buns
What should you serve with hot dog buns? Hot dogs, of course – and don’t forget the sides! These are some of our favorites:
- Baked Beans: Growing up my Mom always served hot dogs with Best Baked Beans and now I continue on that tradition.
- Esquites: Esquites, or Mexican Street Corn Salad, is creamy, spicy, tangy, and sweet all at once. This addictive dish might just steal the show! We have often served it over hot dogs for a fun fusion twist.
- Deviled Eggs: Everyone loves deviled eggs around here, but especially these Pimiento Cheese Deviled Eggs. Made with pimientos and cheddar cheese, they’re all kinds of delicious.
- Chili: Top your hot dogs with savory beef chili, like this Homemade Keto Chili. Chili dogs are a total indulgence, and so good.
How to Store and Reheat
- Store on the counter: These easy homemade hot dog buns don’t even have to be refrigerated! Just store them in an airtight container or baggie on the counter for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: If you’d like to warm them up, place them in a 350°F oven for a few minutes, or microwave for about ten seconds.
- Can I freeze them? Sure! For best results, wrap each bun individually in plastic wrap, and then freeze them all together in a freezer bag marked with the date. They should keep for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Bread Recipes
Yield: 12 Hot Dog Buns
Hot Dog Bun Recipe
Soft, bouncy and buttery, these homemade hot dog buns will take your hot dog game to the next level!
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm milk
- ⅓ cup warm water
- 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 3 ½ cup bread flour
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup salted butter, room temp
Egg Wash:
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
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Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the warm water, warm milk, yeast and sugar. Lightly whisk until just incorporated, then allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes, until bubbly and frothy.
- Once proofed, add in the eggs and whisk to combine. Swap the attachment to a dough hook, then add in the flour. Place the salt on top of the flour, then knead the dough on low speed for 1-2 minutes or until the dough comes together.
- Add in the butter and knead on medium speed for 8 minutes, until a soft dough forms.
- Transfer the dough into a separate, greased bowl. Spray the top of the dough with spray oil, then cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Once risen, punch down the dough. Turn the dough out onto a clean, floured surface and press out into a rectangle. Cut in half down the middle, then cut in half the short way. Cut each 1⁄4 piece into 3 strips. 12 pieces total.
- Roll each strip into a tight ball. Cover the rolled dough with a damp towel or paper towels and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Once they have rested, roll each ball into a log, about 7” long. Place the logs onto a parchment lined baking sheet, placing each one about 1⁄2” apart. They should all fit onto a large baking sheet. Let the buns rise for 45 minutes – 1 hour.
- Towards the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 375°F. Make the egg wash by adding the egg white, heavy cream and salt to a small bowl. Whisk together until combined.
- Once the buns have risen, brush them with the egg wash. Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for 18 minutes, until lightly golden.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and immediately brush with melted butter. Allow the buns to cool before slicing.
Notes
Storing: Store homemade hot dog buns in an airtight container or baggie on the counter for up to 4 days. If you’d like to warm them up, place them in a 350F oven for a few minutes, or microwave for about ten seconds.
Freezing: Wrap each bun individually in plastic wrap, and then freeze them all together in a freezer bag marked with the date. They should keep for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Temperatures: When working with yeast based recipes like this, it’s very important to make sure your liquids are at the right temperature. If they are too hot, they will kill the yeast. If they are too cold, the yeast won’t activate and the dough won’t rise properly. The best temperature is between 105°F and 110°F – think warmer than body temperature but not super hot.
Butter: Using room-temperature butter in this recipe is crucial! What is room-temperature butter, you ask? Well, it needs to be soft enough to be easily pliable, but still firm enough to hold its shape – if it’s liquid-soft then it won’t mix into the dough correctly. I recommend setting the butter out on the counter about an hour before starting.
Slicing: I know, I know – freshly baked bread is so tempting! But you really have to make sure that the hot dog buns have fully cooled before you slice them, or they won’t be done. The cooling time actually allows them to finish baking on the inside. Cut too soon, and they will be doughy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1, Calories: 235kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 59mg, Sodium: 373mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g
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Could you freeze the buns prior to baking them?
Hi Sandy! Unbaked rolls can be kept frozen for about a month, after which the yeast starts to have trouble rising the dough after thawing. The day before you want to bake the rolls, remove the shaped rolls from the freezer and arrange them in your baking pan. Cover and let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Then bake as directed!