If you're firing up the grill, don't settle for store-bought buns. These fresh-milled sourdough hot dog buns are soft but compact enough to hold even the fullest hot dog without falling apart. Freshly milled hard white wheat gives them a phenomenal flavor, while sourdough fermentation creates a tender crumb that stays fresh longer. Once you make them, you'll see why they're always worth making from scratch.
These buns are the perfect companion to my fresh milled sourdough hamburger buns if you're feeding a crowd with both burgers and hot dogs. Pair them with homemade baked beans, potato salad, or fresh coleslaw for an easy summer meal!
Summarize & Adapt This Recipe On:
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Bulk Fermentation: 5-8 hours
- Final Proof: 2-4 hours
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: About 8-13 hours
- Servings: 8 hot dog buns
- Difficulty: Easy
- Baking Method: Conventional or convection oven
- Best For: Hot dogs, sausages, bratwurst, sandwiches, and summer cookouts
Jump to:
- Summarize & Adapt This Recipe On:
- Quick Look
- Important Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Sourdough Hot Dog Buns
- Baking Schedule
- 💭Crucial Success Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- How To Store Sourdough Hot Dog Buns
- Other Fresh Milled Sourdough Recipes
- Fresh-Milled Sourdough Hot Dog Buns
- Need Help Tweaking This Recipe?
- Other Fresh-Milled Recipes You'll Love
Important Ingredients
- Freshly milled hard white wheat flour gives the buns a fresh milled flavor and nutrition, and enough gluten to make them soft and shapable.
- Active sourdough starter helps the dough rise and gives the buns great flavor.
- Honey adds a little sweetness and helps the buns turn golden brown.
- Egg makes the buns soft and tender.
- Olive oil helps keep the buns soft and moist.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Replace the honey with the same amount of sugar if you don't like a hint of honey taste in them (I don't sometimes!).
- Use softened butter instead of olive oil for a richer flavor.
- If you want to, you can add vital wheat gluten for extra softness and strength.
- You can also add sunflower lecithin to help the buns stay soft longer.
How to Make Sourdough Hot Dog Buns
Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water, warm milk, sourdough starter, egg, honey, salt and freshly milled flour (Image 1).
Mix on low until all ingredients are incorporated and a rough dough forms. The goal here is merely mixing all the ingredients together. The dough will not be elastic or good looking at this point, and that’s fine.
*You can also mix by hand, no problem at all.
Transfer the dough to a bowl where you’ll be bulk fermenting, cover, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Step 2: During the first 2 hours of bulk fermentation, perform 2-3 sets of stretch and folds, I like to space them about 30–45 minutes apart. The dough should gradually become smoother and easier to handle.
Continue bulk fermentation until the dough looks puffy and has increased noticeably in volume (about 50%) (Image 2). Depending on your starter and room temperature, this will typically take 5–8 hours.
Step 3: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces (Image 3).
Step 4: To shape the buns, flatten each piece into a small rectangle. Roll it up tightly from the long side, pinching the seam closed. Gently stretch each piece until it forms a smooth log about 15–18 cm (6–7 inches) long (Image 4).
Step 5: Arrange the shaped buns on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving barely any space between them, to achieve the soft pull-apart sides. For individually shaped buns, leave more space between each one (Image 5).
Step 6: Cover and let rise for 2–4 hours, or until they’re risen a bit more and look puffier (Image 6).
Toward the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) for a conventional (regular) oven or 350°F (175°C) for a convection (fan) oven.
Step 7: Whisk together the egg and milk for the egg wash. Brush the tops of the buns lightly.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches about 190°F (88°C). Allow the buns to cool at least a little before slicing (Image 7).
Once cooled, cut a slit along the top of each bun, being careful not to cut all the way through.
Hint: when shaping, roll each piece tightly to build surface tension. This simple step helps the buns rise upward instead of spreading outward, giving you that classic hot dog bun shape.
Baking Schedule
Morning (8:00 AM): Mix the dough.
8:30 AM: Let the dough rest.
9:00-11:00 AM: Perform 2-3 sets of stretch and folds.
Until about 3:00-6:00 PM: Finish the bulk fermentation until the dough is puffy.
Shape the buns: Place them onto the baking tray.
Final Proof: Let them rise for 2-4 hours.
Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
💭Crucial Success Tips
You really don't want to overbake these. Pull the buns from the oven once they reach an internal temperature of about 190°F (88°C). They'll stay soft while cooling.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can refrigerate the dough after bulk fermentation overnight, then shape, proof, and bake the next day. You can also freeze the baked buns for longer storage.
A struggling sourdough starter, cool kitchen temperatures, or under-fermentation are the most common causes. Make sure your starter is active and bubbly before mixing the dough, and allow enough time for the dough to become noticeably puffy.
Yes. Simply divide the dough into 8 burger buns instead of logs, flatten slightly before proofing, and bake using the same temperature. I do have a recipe that's even better for burger buns though!
How To Store Sourdough Hot Dog Buns
Store the cooled buns in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature, then warm them in the oven or microwave before serving. They freeze beautifully and taste almost as fresh as the day you baked them.
Other Fresh Milled Sourdough Recipes
- Fresh-Milled Sourdough Pancakes
- Fresh-Milled Sourdough Mini Pancakes (Jar Ring Pancakes)
- Fresh-Milled Sourdough Hot Dog Buns
- Fresh Milled Sourdough Grissini (Twisted Italian Breadsticks)
If you tried these fresh-milled sourdough hot dog buns or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below! Happy Baking!
Fresh-Milled Sourdough Hot Dog Buns
Ingredients
- 480 g freshly milled hard white wheat flour
- 180 g water warm
- 65 g milk warm
- 120 g active sourdough starter
- 1 egg
- 40 g olive oil
- 30 g honey
- 9 g salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk or water
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water, warm milk, sourdough starter, egg, honey, salt and freshly milled flour. Mix on low until all ingredients are incorporated and a rough dough forms. The goal here is merely mixing all the ingredients together. The dough will not be elastic or good looking at this point, and that’s fine. *You can also mix by hand, no problem at all. Transfer the dough to a bowl where you’ll be bulk fermenting, cover, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- During the first 2 hours of bulk fermentation, perform 2-3 sets of stretch and folds, I like to space them about 30–45 minutes apart. The dough should gradually become smoother and easier to handle. Continue bulk fermentation until the dough looks puffy and has increased noticeably in volume (about 50%). Depending on your starter and room temperature, this will typically take 5–8 hours.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 8 equal pieces.
- To shape the buns, flatten each piece into a small rectangle. Roll it up tightly from the long side, pinching the seam closed. Gently stretch each piece until it forms a smooth log about 15–18 cm (6–7 inches) long.
- Arrange the shaped buns on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving barely any space between them, to achieve the soft pull-apart sides. For individually shaped buns, leave more space between each one.
- Cover and let rise for 2–4 hours, or until they’re risen a bit more and look puffier. Toward the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) for a conventional (regular) oven or 350°F (175°C) for a convection (fan) oven.
- Whisk together the egg and milk for the egg wash. Brush the tops of the buns lightly. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches about 190°F (88°C). Allow the buns to cool at least a little before slicing. Once cooled, cut a slit along the top of each bun, being careful not to cut all the way through.
Notes
If you want to use sugar instead of honey
- Replace the honey with 30 g sugar.
If you want to use butter instead of olive oil
- Replace the olive oil with 40g softened butter.
Optional vital wheat gluten
- For a little extra strength and softness, add 15 g vital wheat gluten.
Optional sunflower lecithin
- Add about 10 g sunflower lecithin if desired. It can help improve softness and extend freshness.
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