Homemade Hot Dog Buns

Soft and fluffy, homemade hot dog buns are a delightful treat... and easier than you think! This recipe will help you learn exactly how to make your own hot dog buns with ease. I've included directions for einkorn flour and modern wheat, so this is a hot dog bun recipe for everyone!

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We've been making all of our bread products for almost a decade. Things like our homemade einkorn hamburger buns, or this super easy recipe for homemade einkorn sandwich bread... and hot dog buns are no different!

This recipe produces the softest homemade hot dog buns with the help of a special ingredient. And with all the cookouts and parties that come along with various times of the year, I like to keep these on hand in the freezer so they are ready to go when we need them!

Homemade Hot Dog Buns

While we use einkorn flour for our hot dog buns, this recipe can easily be made with modern wheat as well! I'll talk about that in the ingredients breakdown next.

This recipe can be doubled or tripled and then frozen for access to these homemade hot dog buns all year long! Just thaw for a few hours at room temperature for the perfect fresh hot dog buns any time.

Ingredients

Let's take a quick look at the ingredients that go into this recipe, as well as any possible substitutions. I've been making this recipe for almost a decade and I've made it with many different variations! The full printable recipe with measurements is available at the end of the post.

• Flour - Like I said, we use all-purpose einkorn flour, but you can use any all-purpose flour here instead. If you are using freshly ground einkorn flour, use the same amount by weight. For pre-ground whole wheat einkorn, reduce the amount to 635g of flour per batch.
• Butter - This helps with the bread's flavor and softness. It can be removed completely, or a non-dairy butter can be used instead. You can also use oil if preferred. Butter is also used for the tops of the buns before baking.
• Salt - Needed for the bread to form the proper gluten bonds, salt shouldn't be skipped! It can be reduced if needed, but the bread will have less structure and may be overly crumbly.
• Sugar - A flavor enhancer, you can use whatever you like here. It's not needed to create a good rise, but I like to add a little maple syrup for flavor.
• Ginger Powder - This is just powdered ginger like you get in the spice section, and I have found that it helps strengthen the naturally weak gluten bonds in einkorn flour. If you are not using einkorn flour, you can skip this if needed - though it will help any dough to be stronger!
• Yeast - I have used both dry active yeast and instant yeast in this recipe and both work just fine. If you are using dry active yeast, place it in the warm orange juice with your sweetener for about 5 minutes before continuing the recipe.
• Orange Juice - Alright, this is the special ingredient that really makes the difference in this recipe! The acid in the juice creates such a fluffy texture! If you can't use orange juice, you can place 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a measuring cup and fill it to the 1 1/4 cup mark instead. This will not create as fluffy of a texture, but it will be better than plain water alone. And don't worry, these buns are not super sweet! The orange juice just fades into the recipe and doesn't stand out too much.

Directions

You might think that making hot dog buns is too time and labor-intensive, but this method only takes about 10 minutes of hands-on effort!

1. Prep - Heat the orange juice to 105-115°F while you prep the dry ingredients. If using dry active yeast, place it in the warm orange juice (off the heat) along with the sweetener and mix well. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before adding to the dry mix.
2. Combine - Add the remaining ingredients (except the butter needed to brush on the tops before baking) to the mixing bowl of an electric mixer and add the dough hook.
3. Knead - Pour in the orange juice and mix with the dough hook on low speed for 5-10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and slightly sticky. However, it should not stick to your hands when pinched. If it's too sticky, add 2 more tablespoons of flour and mix again briefly. I recently switched to a stainless steal dough hook for my KitchenAid and I've never had smoother dough in 20 years of baking!
4. First Rise - Remove the dough hook and cover the bowl tightly. Let rise in the bowl in a warm place for 20-30 minutes.
5. Shaping - Divide dough into 12 equal pieces (about 86g per ball) and shape into logs about 6" long. Place each piece on a parchment-lined baking tray and press them down slightly. They should be about 1-1.5" wide after pressing. Repeat until all buns are shaped.
6. Second Rise - Rise again for 30-60 minutes in a warm place. The dough will not double in size, but it should rise some.
7. Bake - Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Brush the tops of the buns with melted butter and bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the internal temperature of the buns is 185°F
8. Cool - Allow the buns to cool for at least an hour before slicing. This will prevent very crumbly buns!
9. Freezing - If you are freezing your hot dog buns, simply allow them to cool completely and then place them UNCUT in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours when ready to eat.

Even More Recipes You Might Enjoy

Now that you've mastered homemade hot dog buns, here are a few more recipes for you to try next! And remember, you can make these recipes with modern wheat or with einkorn flour!

• Homemade Einkorn Hamburger Buns
• Texas Roadhouse Copycat Einkorn Yeast Rolls
• Homemade Einkorn Hawaiian Rolls

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