Hot Dog Buns

We had hot dogs for dinner.

But to make the meal more fancy
i made my own buns.


these babies are amazing.

try them - you will NEVER buy hot dog or hamburger buns again.

their only flaw? they take 5 hours to make.

the good news is, they freeze beautifully

I got the recipe from The Gourmet Cookbook
(my go-to book for almost everything)

Hamburger Buns (recipe by Joyce McClelland in The Gourmet Cookbook, page 614)

makes 20 buns
active time: 30 minutes start to finish: 5 1/2 hours

2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)
2 (1/4-ounce) packages (5 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/4 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons and softened
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon salt
6-6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


Bring milk to a bare simmer in a small saucepan over moderate heat. Remove from heat. Let cool to 105-115 degrees.

Meanwhile, stir together warm water, yeast, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in mixer bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)

Add butter and remaining 1/4 cup sugar to yeast mixture and mix with paddle attachment at low speed until just combined. Add warm milk and mix until butter is melted, then add eggs and mix until well combined. Add salt and 4 cups flour and mix, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary, until flour is just incorporated. Increase speed to medium and beat until well combined, about 1 minute.

Switch to dough hook and beat in 2 cups flour at medium speed, scraping down sides of bowl once or twice, until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 2 minutes; if necessary, add additional flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time. Beat for 5 minutes more. (Dough will be sticky.)

Transfer dough to a lightly oiled large bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 2 1/2 hours.

Butter two large baking sheets. Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a 14-inch round (about 1/2 inch thick) with a floured rolling pin. Using a floured 3-inch round cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible and transfer to buttered baking sheets, arranging them 3 inches apart to allow for expansion. Gather and reroll scraps and cut out more buns in same manner.

Cover buns loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm draft-free place until they hold a finger mark when gently pressed, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Put racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375.

Bake buns, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until tops are golden and bottoms are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped, 14 to 20 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool completely.