Hot Dog Buns

Step 1

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk well to combine the milk, 1 egg, yeast, and sugar until fully dissolved, about 2 minutes.

Step 2

Whisk in 1 cup flour and mix well until smooth. In a large mixing bowl, add 3 cups flour, butter, and salt. Mix evenly with a spatula. Pour in the milk mixture and stir well to combine until it forms a shaggy dough, scraping down the sides of the bowl (there should be no dry flour particles visible).

Step 3

Cover the bowl with plastic cling wrap and let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes. This helps dough develop gluten naturally without kneading.

Step 4

Knead the dough on a clean lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes until a smooth and soft dough ball is formed.

Step 5

Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. You can lightly oil the dough ball to prevent it from sticking to the bowl.

Step 6

Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into an approximate 12x5-inch rectangle. Use a knife or bench scraper to divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Shape each piece into the shape of a hot dog bun and arrange them on a parchment lined baking sheet, spaced evenly apart, about 2-inches apart. You can also roll the bread to shape it into a hot dog bun.

Step 7

Cover the baking sheet loosely with cling wrap and let dough rise until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes depending on the room temperature.

Step 8

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Step 9

In a small mixing bowl, use a fork to beat the remaining egg. Brush the egg wash evenly over each bun. The egg wash creates shine and enhances the golden color of the buns when baking.

Step 10

Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Step 11

Transfer the hot dog buns onto a wire cooling rack and allow the buns to cool completely before slicing, about 20 minutes.