Hot Dog Buns
Soft and delicious with a hint of sweetness, these Hot Dog Buns are simply amazing! They taste better than the ones from the store...
Ingredients
- 2 tsp. active dry yeast (or 1 packet)
- 1 cup warm water (between 105-110ºF)
- 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
- 1 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt
- 1 large free-run egg
- 6 tbsp. melted butter, divided or more as needed tips & tricks
- 1 tbsp. honey tips & tricks
- 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, to coat the bowl
Directions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine yeast, water and granulated sugar; stir and let it sit for 15 minutes or until foamy.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine all-purpose flour, bread flour and sea salt; whisk until very well blended.
- In another bowl, beat 1 egg with ¼ cup melted butter and honey; set aside.
- After the yeast is alive and foamy, pour in the egg mixture and most of the dry ingredients, keeping about ½ cup on the side. With the dough hook attachment, process on speed 2 for 2 minutes. Increase the speed to 3 and add 1 tbsp. of flour mixture until the dough releases from the sides of the bowl and clings around the hook. To know when it’s done, the texture should be soft and slightly sticky but not enough to stick to your fingers and when pressing down on it, the dough bounces back.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and form a ball by pulling it under.
- Place in a large bowl lightly oiled and swirl the dough around to coat. Cover with a clean light dish towel and transfer to a draft-free area such as an unheated oven. Let it rise for 2 hours or until it doubles in size.
- Punch the dough to deflate and transfer it back to the floured work surface. Sprinkle on a little flour and roll it while pressing down to remove any air bubbles. Stretch it to a rectangular shape of 16-inches long by 5-inches wide.
- Using a bench scraper, cut it in half and then each half in half and finally in half again. This recipe makes 8 large hot dog buns but if you prefer, it can always be cut it into smaller pieces to make 12 buns.
- Take one and flip the top side down. Tuck the ends in and pull the sides to the middle, pinching them together. Flip it again and gently finalize the shape.
- Place them onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper, leaving a small gap in between each bun. Brush them with the remaining 2 tbsp. butter making sure to brush in between to be able to pull them apart after they are baked.
- Cover with a clean dish towel and place them back in the unheated oven to proof for 1 hour. Make sure the towel is NOT tucked under and placed loosely on top otherwise the buns won’t rise.
- When time is up, remove them from their draft-free area.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the heat and let the buns cool off completely before separating them.
- Transfer them to a wire rack to dry out the bottoms then slice and serve.