Hot dogs are a regular weekend lunch at our house. I don't know what's so exciting about a barbecued sausage in bread but I love them so of course when I saw this recipe for hot dog buns on Annie's Eats I had to make them. There are a few requirements for the perfect hot dog bun. It must be soft on the outside, not crunchy and be soft and fluffy on the inside. I've never found a bakery bun that meets these criteria so I normally buy the supermarket variety that come in a bag. I'm sure there are a lot of preservatives and other nasties in this type of bread but they were the only ones that fit the bill. That is until now. This recipe produced soft, fluffy rolls that were just perfect and they weren't difficult to make at all.
In the bowl of an electric mixer mix the yeast, sugar and water together.
Add the milk, oil and salt and then 3 cups of the flour.
Use the dough hook to mix it all up until everything is combined then gradually add the rest of the flour until the dough comes away from the sides. I only used two tablespoons extra. Keep the dough hook going for another 5 to 7 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
Spray a bowl with oil and turn the dough out into it. Flip it over so that it's coated in oil then cover the bowl and leave it to rest until it doubles in size. Mine took about an hour.
This is what my dough looked like after the hour.
Weigh the dough then divide the weight by 9 so you know what each roll should weigh. Cut it up into nine portions.
Roll the balls into logs and place them on a lined baking tray so they're almost touching and press them down slightly. Next time I'll make mine a little bit longer and skinnier. Cover them with a tea towel and leave them to rest for about another 45 minutes.
Brush the rested rolls with beaten egg.
Sprinkle the rolls with sesame or poppy seeds if you wish to use them. Bake the rolls at 185C/365F fan-forced for 18-20 minutes or until they are golden on top.
Yum! The ones on the right are a little bit burnt but the rest were perfect. I'll check them just before 18 minutes next time.
Transfer the hot dog buns to a wire rack to cool.
This comes down to personal preference. Some people like to cut hot dog rolls like a bread roll but I like to cut the top down the middle.
Enjoy!
Recipe

Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2¼ teaspoon instant yeast
- ¼ cup warm water 105-110˚ F/40-43C, I've started checking the temperature of the water and it does make a difference to the dough
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3-4 cups all-purpose flour I only used 3 and a tiny bit
- 1 large egg beaten
- Sesame seeds or poppy seeds for topping if desired
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, yeast and warm water then mix in the milk, oil, salt and 3 cups of the flour.
- Using the dough hook, stir until all the ingredients are well combined. Add the rest of the four a little at a time. I only added two tablespoons extra but add it until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Keep the dough hook going for another 5-7 minutes until the dough reaches a smooth and elastic texture.
- Spray a bowl with oil and turn the dough into it. Turn the dough over once to coat it in the oil. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until it doubles. The recipes says 1 hour but mine didn't take quite that long.
- Line an oven tray with baking paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Lightly oil your bench or a chopping board and turn the dough out onto it. Weigh the dough and divide the weight by 9 then form the dough into 9 individual portions. Shape each into a cylinder shape and place on the oven tray so they are almost touching. Press each one down slightly.
- Cover them with a tea towel and leave them to rise until almost doubled which takes about another 45 minutes.
- After about 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 185C/365F fan-forced.
- Brush each bun with beaten egg and sprinkle with seeds if you choose to use them.
- Bake the buns for 18-20 minutes then cool on a wire rack.
Liz says
Nothing beats like home made bread or rolls. They cost less to make and taste better. ( I buy special white flour 5kg bag) from continental delis in Melbourne. So this lasts for a while. My kids and husband love home made bread.
I will be making these tomorrow so we have fresh rolls. (It's hotdog night).my 8 & 10 year old look forward to leftover rolls for the school lunch
Claire says
I like the sound of hot dog night! What a treat!
nancy budziszewski says
Can you make these with whole wheat flour instead of white using the same ingredients.
I am anxious to try these. Thought whole wheat would be a little more healthy.
thanks for your recipe
Nancy Budziszewski
Claire says
Hi Nancy. I'd say yes that shouldn't be a problem. Good luck!
Olive says
Thanks for sharing this! I'm soo into bread making these days..I 'm going to give this a try! :)
I agree with you on the water /liquid temp, it does make a difference!
Sara says
Great to see that you posted on these. You got some serious rise on that dough.
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
You know you're right, whenever I buy hotdog buns I always go to the supermarket because I like them soft. These rolls look amazing Claire-lovely and glossy and burnished by soft!
Nic@diningwithastud says
I love the satisfaction and amazement that I get when my dough rises properly. These look so great! Who doesnt love a hotdog on beautifully warm bread :)??
Claire says
Isn't it satisfying. I still do a little dance (yes I'm strange) when I take a great bread out of the oven. It amazes me that mixing such simple things together can make something so delicious!
Raquel.Erecipe says
hi claire ...love those hot dog rolls, I wish you are my neighbor so I could taste it right away =)