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Sourdough Hot Dog Buns

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These homemade sourdough hot dog buns have a dense and chewy texture with sourdough tang, and are perfect for your next barbecue!

These homemade hot dog buns have a dense and chewy texture with sourdough tang, and are perfect for your next barbecue!
freshly baked hot dog buns on cooling rack
hot dogs in buns with toppings on pan

Ever thought about making your own hot dog buns?

It might seem like an extra step that takes too much time (I mean, store bought bakery buns are soooo easy to grab off the shelf), but these buns have an amazing flavor you won’t want to pass up!

These are perfect for filling with your favorite hot dogs, brats, or any meal you need a bun for! They have great flavor and enough weight to stand up to anything you fill them with! Need a hamburger bun recipe? Check out Sourdough Hamburger Buns!

freshly baked hot dog buns on cooling rack

Ingredients Needed

You only need a few pantry staples to make these buns. This just an overview, for the full set of directions, please scroll down to the recipe card below.

  • Flour – we are using a mix of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour 
  • Water – tap is fine, as long as it isn’t chlorinated. Do not use distilled water.
  • Sourdough starter – We are using a 100% hydration starter that has been fed and is active
  • Honey – sweetens the dough just a bit
  • Unsalted butter – helps to enrich and soften the dough. You want it at room temperature.
  • Salt 
  • Milk and melted butter for brushing on. 
  • Sesame seeds for topping, optional. You could use sesame seeds, dried onion, or everything bagel seasoning, too!

Equipment Needed

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  • Food scale (affiliate link)
  • Stand mixer with dough hook
  • Kitchen towel
  • Plastic wrap
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper or silpat mat
  • Silicone pastry brush
  • Wire cooling rack
hot dogs in sourdough buns with ketchup and mustard drizzles

How to make homemade hot dog buns with sourdough starter

These buns are fun to make, and I think great recipe for newer bakers who are looking to focus on their stretch and fold technique and their shaping without being overly worried about oven spring. For the full set of directions, make sure to scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Mixing the dough

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, combine the dough ingredients.
  2. Mix the dough on low speed until incorporated, about 2 minutes.
  3. Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 4-5 minutes, or until the dough starts to strengthen and clump around the dough hook. The dough should be strong, but it won’t completely leave the bottom of the bowl as it mixes, and will still look a little shaggy. But the majority of the dough should be around the dough hook. If the dough is not medium soft, add a little bit of the extra water at a time and mix until it is.
  4. Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
  5. Turn the dough on low, and slowly add the butter, 1 piece at a time, allowing the butter to be fully incorporated into the dough before adding the next piece of butter. It will take about 3-5 minutes. It will be a soft but strong dough. 
mixing dough

Bulk Fermentation

  1. Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a cloth. Set it in a warm place and let it sit for 30 minutes.
  2. Do the first set of stretch and folds. 
  3. Recover the dough, and allow it to sit for an additional 30 minutes.
  4. Do the second set of stretch and folds.
  5. Recover the dough, and allow it to sit for 30 minutes.
  6. Do the third set of stretch and folds.
  7. Recover the dough and allow it to sit for an hour and a half.
stretching and folding the dough

Shaping

  1. Place the bowl of dough into the fridge for an 1 and 30 minutes to chill. You can technically skip this step, but it really helps the dough to be easier to handle when shaping.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat and set aside.
  3. At this point, the dough should be well risen, bubbly, light but also firm.
  4. Lightly flour your work surface and gently dump out the dough.
  5. Divide the dough into 9 pieces. Cover the divided dough pieces with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 20 minutes to help the gluten relax, making it easier to shape into buns.
  6. Shape each dough portion into a log, about 6” inches long (or into a smooth ball for hamburger buns!). Begin by stretching and patting the dough into a rough rectangle (with the long side horizontal) . Fold the ends in. Take the top edge and roll towards your body, pressing the dough into itself and away from you (like how you would shape a pretzel). Continue rolling and pressing until you form a tube. When you have reached the bottom, seal the seam.
  7. Place the buns on the prepared baking sheet with the seam side down, about 1 to 2 inches apart so the buns will barely touch after they have risen.
shaping buns

Final Proofing

  1. Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel and allow to rest at room temperature for 1-3 hours, or until doubled. (The timing will depend on the activity level of your starter and the temperature of your house, so watch the dough here, not the clock)
buns before and after final proof

Baking

  1. Preheat the oven to 400F (you will also need steam for baking, so prepare for this now).
  2. Brush a little milk over the buns, as this will help them develop an even golden color when baking.
  3. Place the pan in the oven with the steam and bake for 25-35 minutes, turning the pan halfway through baking, until the buns are nicely browned.
  4. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter. This helps them maintain their soft texture.
  5. Cool completely on a wire rack before separating the buns.
  6. Slice and serve!

*A Note on Steam: There are two way ways you can create steam for this recipe. For both methods you will need a baking dish that is safe to temperatures over 400 F. A ceramic or cast iron pan is best for this. For both methods you will want to put the pan in the oven while during preheating so it is nice and hot. Make sure the pan is on the rack below where you will put your bread. The first method is to throw a handful of ice cubes into the hot pan when you place your bread in the oven. The second method is to boil some water and then carefully pour the boiling water into the pan after you place the bread in the oven.

before and after baking buns

Baker’s Schedule

Understanding how making these hot dog buns fits into your schedule is a big part of actually MAKING them! I like to work backwards from when I want them to be done to see when I need to start feeding my starter. Here is the timeline for baking these:

  • Mixing the dough – 25 minutes
  • Bulk Fermentation with stretch and folds- 3 hours
  • Shaping – 10 minutes
  • Final Proofing – 1 to 3 hours – until doubled
  • Baking – 25 minutes

*Remember the timing of this recipe depends on the temperature and humidity of your house. If your house is warm and humid, your dough will proof much faster. If your house is cold, your dough will take much longer to proof. Watch the dough, not the clock!

New to sourdough? Read my ultimate guide to sourdough for beginners to get all the answers to your questions in easy to understand ways!

hot dogs in buns with toppings

Recipe Tips

  • Allow the buns to fully proof and double in order to get super soft texture.
  • When you place the buns on the baking tray, allow a little room in between each one, but you want them to be close enough together that they will touch when they are fully proofed and puffed up. This helps them maintain their shape during baking.
  • Brush the buns with milk before baking to give them a beautiful color.
  • Don’t over bake or the crust will be too dark and crusty.
  • Brush with butter as soon as they are removed from the oven to help them stay soft.
three buns with hot dogs  on baking tray

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image promoting sourdough course book
freshly baked hot dog buns on cooling rack

Sourdough Hot Dog Buns

These homemade hot dog buns have a dense and chewy texture with sourdough tang, and are perfect for your next barbecue!
4.62 from 13 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 7 hours
Servings: 9 buns
Calories: 257kcal
Author: Jenni – The Gingered Whisk

Ingredients

  • 200 g whole wheat flour
  • 233 g all purpose flour
  • 300 g water
  • 10 g salt
  • 37 g honey
  • 27 g softened butter
  • 170 g sourdough starter 100%
  • sesame seeds for topping
  • milk and melted butter for brushing on the buns

Instructions

Mixing the dough

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, combine the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, about 3/4 of water, active sourdough starter, honey, and salt.
  • Mix the dough on low speed until incorporated, about 2 minutes.
  • Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 4-5 minutes, or until the dough starts to strengthen and clump around the dough hook. The dough should be strong, but it won’t completely leave the bottom of the bowl as it mixes, and will still look a little shaggy. But the majority of the dough should be around the dough hook. If the dough is not medium soft, add a little bit of the extra water at a time and mix until it is.
  • Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
  • Turn the dough on low, and slowly add the butter, 1 piece at a time, allowing the butter to be fully incorporated into the dough before adding the next piece of butter. It will take about 3-5 minutes. It will be a soft but strong dough.

Bulk Fermentation

  • Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a cloth. Set it in a warm place (about 75 F) and let it sit for 30 minutes.
  • Do the first set of stretch and folds. Grab a section of dough that is closest to you and stretch it up high above the bowl. Then fold it over to the opposite side of the bowl. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Repeat this process until you have done a stretch and fold on each "side" of the bowl (four times total).
  • Recover the dough, and allow it to sit for an additional 30 minutes.
  • Do the second set of stretch and folds.
  • Recover the dough, and allow it to sit for 30 minutes.
  • Do the third set of stretch and folds.
  • Recover the dough and allow it to sit for an hour and a half.

Shaping

  • Place the bowl of dough into the fridge for an hour and a half to chill the dough. You can technically skip this step, but it really helps the dough to be easier to handle when shaping.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat and set aside.
  • At this point, the dough should be well risen, bubbly, light but also firm.
  • Lightly flour your work surface and gently dump out the dough.
  • Divide the dough into 9 pieces, each about 100g. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 20 minutes to help the gluten relax, making it easier to shape into buns.
  • Shape each dough portion into a log, about 6” inches long (or into a smooth ball for hamburger buns!).
  • Begin by stretching and patting the dough into a rough rectangle (with the long side horizontal) . Fold the ends in. Take the top edge and roll towards your body, pressing the dough into itself and away from you (like how you would shape a pretzel). Continue rolling and pressing until you form a tube. When you have reached the bottom, seal the seam.
  • Place the buns on the prepared baking sheet with the seam side down, about 1 to 2 inches apart so the buns will barely touch after they have risen.

Final Proofing

  • Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel and allow to rest at room temperature for 1-3 hours, or until doubled. (The timing will depend on the activity level of your starter and the temperature of your house, so watch the dough here, not the clock)

Baking

  • Preheat the oven to 400 F. You will also need steam for baking, so prepare for this now, depending on what method you want to use (see notes in the post for this).
  • Brush a little milk over the buns, as this will help them develop an even golden color when baking.
  • Place the buns in the oven with the steam and bake for 25-35 minutes, turning the pan halfway through baking, until the buns are nicely browned.
  • Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter. This helps them maintain their soft texture.
  • Cool completely on a wire rack before separating the buns.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 459mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g

(lightly adapted from Wild Yeast)

sourdough hot dog buns on white platter
hot dog buns stacked on platter
sourdough hot dog bun split open to show crumb
platter of hot dog buns made with sourdough

24 Comments

  1. I am still confused about the steam. It says to prepare for the steam, but doesn’t tell me how to do this?

    1. Hi Janis, I went and added more information into the post on how to do this for you. There are several ways you can create steam in the oven for this recipe. You can either carefully add a pan of boiling water below the tray of buns in the oven, or you can add a handful of ice cubes into the oven with your buns. Both of these will help you create steam in the oven to help your buns have nice oven spring and keep them soft! Hope this helps! Please reach out if you have any other questions, I am always happy to help!

  2. Lori Hagen says:

    I am a little confused on one part of the recipe btw line 27 and 29. You say prepare for steam then brush the buns and then remove the steam. So do you remove the steam before you ever put the buns in the oven?

    1. So sorry for the confusion! I went back and made sure to clarify this part of the recipe!

  3. Stephanie says:

    I’m making these now and am confused about adding “part of the water”. Can you be more specific about how much water should be used? Thanks.

    1. Hi Stephanie! You will add about 3/4 of the water to the dough initially, and then at step 4 in the recipe card when you are kneading the dough, you can add a little bit more as needed to achieve the correct texture of the dough as described in the recipe card steps. Its not quite as simple as saying a specific amount because doughs will change based on the humidify of your house, how you measured, what your starter was like that day, the position of the moon, etc, haha. So add most of the water (ike 3/4 of it) and then adjust as needed. Hope this helps!

  4. Could I start these the day before and leave the dough in the fridge overnight? I’m looking forward to home made buns! Thanks.

    1. Yes, you can definitely do that!

  5. Great recipe, Just baked and ate them with some really good quality hotdogs. I have been baking bread for 50 years, and while most people swear that you must weigh everything to bake, I actually bake by sight and feel for my standard bread recipes. When I bake something new, I usually go by approximate volume, and adjust accordingly if there is a next time. Even when I have “failures” the bread is still better than store bought, so I was not terrified when the dough from your recipe was wet and sticky. I live at high elevation and bake in a wood fired stove so precision is no guarantee of perfection. Altitude humidity and temperature all affect the bake. Even the wood type used, and it’s moisture content are variables So my simple request for people like me is to please include all ingredient measures by weight and approximate volumes in the future. I like things simple.

  6. Tyler Cook says:

    mine turned out kind of flat and dense! I thought I followed the directions to a T. What could I have done wrong?

  7. Made these yesterday and they were superb! Thanks to you I finally convinced my husband to stop buying those awful preservative-filled buns from the grocery store.

    1. Oh, I am SO glad that you loved them! They really are so much better than anything you can get at the store!

  8. These look yummy…I'm super impressed that you worked with sourdough at all! I'm scared of it 😉

  9. They look great! I like the airy crumb; and the crust has a beautiful color, they remind me of pretzels 🙂

  10. pizzarossa.me says:

    Oh Jenni, that crumb looks just divine! I would love to sink my teeth into one of those right now!

  11. What does the terminology "100%" or "80%" sourdough starter refer to? I had never heard of it (even though I use my starter all the time and make some pretty darn deliscious stuff…) I've seen both in these bun recipes and don't have a clue what they are talking about.

    1. 100% starter means that the starter is fed equal amounts of flour and water – When I feed my starter I have (for example) 100 g starer, 100 g water and 100 g flour mixed together. Higher hydration rates (like 120%) mean more water than flour and yield more open crumbs, but are also more difficult to handle and work with. A lower hydration rate yields smaller crumbs, but are much easier to work with (think braiding a challah). I prefer to keep my starter at 100% because it lends itself to most recipes easiest, and its not difficult to change the hydration for a small amount of starter for a specific recipe.

  12. korenainthekitchen.com says:

    All those holes – it's like a ciabatta hotdog bun. How artisanal of you, Jenni! 😉

  13. Shaping dough into hot dog rolls scares me for some reason. Power to you for getting it done with so many things stacked against you.

    1. It was sticky, and messy, and kind of stressful. LOL Most of my buns are kind of wonky shaped, but taste and texture sometimes win over appearance, right?

  14. bulmerfood says:

    That looks like a really good crumb, especially for a cold, rushed job!

    Oh and personally I think a dinosaur footprint on each roll would have given them a very artisan touch 🙂

4.62 from 13 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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