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Homemade Hot Dog Buns

Made with an easy, overnight brioche-style dough, these hot dog buns are tasty, soft and fluffy but substantial enough not to fall apart when you eat them.

The dough requires minimal kneading and can be shaped into buns for burgers too. Or use it to make delicious bread rolls to eat with soups, salads, or simply stuff with your favourite fillings.

Course Bread
Cuisine World
Keyword baking, buns, bread rolls, brioche
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Proofing time 14 hours 45 minutes
Total Time 15 hours 45 minutes
Servings 9
Author Moorlands Eater

Ingredients

  • 500 g plain white flour
  • 2 tsp instant dried yeast see Recipe Note #1
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar can be omitted
  • 60 g butter cut into small pieces
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 225 - 275 ml milk see Recipe Note #2

For the glaze

  • 1 egg, beaten see Recipe Note #3

Instructions

The day before you want to bake the buns

  1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Rub in the butter.

  2. Make a well in the middle and tip in the beaten egg. Stir the mixture to start bringing it together, gradually adding enough of the milk to create a ragged ball of dough: the mixture will be quite stiff. Ensure there are no dry bits of flour visible.

  3. Cover with cling film or a wet tea towel and leave overnight or 12-14 hours at room temperature.

    Tip: the dough can be put in the fridge during hot weather or if you wish to leave it for longer (up to 24 hours).

On the day of baking

  1. Line one large or two regular baking trays with greaseproof paper or baking parchment.

  2. Lightly flour a silicone mat or clean work surface and scrape the dough out onto it.

    Knead the dough for 5 minutes or until smooth. If it sticks, dust the surface again with flour, using only the minimum to avoid a tough dough.

  3. Ideally using scales, divide the dough into 9 equal pieces.

    Briefly knead each piece into a ball then roll back and forth across the surface into a smooth sausage shape approximately 16 - 18 cm long.

    You may find this easiest to do in two stages: first roll out each to approximately 12 cm, then go back to the beginning and roll each to the full length. On the second rolling you will find the dough more malleable and less likely to shrink back.

    Transfer to the baking sheet(s), spacing the buns 4 - 5 cm apart or closer if you don't mind having to pull them apart once baked.

  4. Put the tray(s) in a large polythene bag or cover with cling film or a wet tea towel. Set aside somewhere warm for 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

    Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / Gas 5 with a shelf in the middle and a deep roasting tray on the bottom shelf (this will be filled with cold water later to create steam and help the buns rise).

  5. Check that the dough is proofed:

    If, when a finger is gently poked into the dough, the dough slowly springs back but leaves a slight indentation then it is ready to bake.

    If the dough springs back quickly then it's not yet fully proofed: leave it another 5 -10 minutes and check again.

  6. When they're ready to bake, add the glaze by brushing a layer of the beaten egg over each bun and place in the oven.

    Carefully pour cold water from a jug into the hot roasting tray in the lower part of the oven then immediately close the door.

  7. Bake, without opening the oven door and letting the steam out, for 15 minutes.

    After 15 minutes carefully open the oven door (caution: lots of hot steam may billow out so keep your face, hands etc. out of the way) and, if necessary, turn the tray around to ensure the buns cook evenly.

    Cook until the buns are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on top: approximately 5 min more i.e. 20 minutes in total.

  8. Transfer each bun to a wire rack and leave until cold.

    Best eaten on the day they're made or frozen.

    Tip: on the day after baking or after freezing, microwaving on high for 20-40 seconds will make the buns soft and fluffy again.

Recipe Notes

#1 Yeast. Dried yeast that needs activating before mixing with the other ingredients will NOT work with this method. Only use instant, fast-acting yeast that doesn't require activating first.

#2 Liquid. Different flours absorb different amounts of liquid so it's not possible to be exact about the amount you'll need to bring the dough together.

#3 Egg for the glaze. You won't need a whole egg for the glaze so, if you don't have a use for the rest and don't want to waste it, you could hold back a tablespoon of the beaten egg from the dough and use that instead. You can also omit the glaze if preferred.