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These Sourdough Hot Dog Buns are soft, fluffy, lightly tangy, and naturally leavened with your sourdough starter—ready in just one day and perfectly sized for piling on all your favorite hot dog toppings.
There’s something extra satisfying about showing up to a BBQ or family gathering with homemade buns in hand! These soft and fluffy sourdough hot dog buns are perfect for all your summer celebrations, whether it’s Memorial Day, Father’s Day, the 4th of July, or Labor Day. They’re far better than anything you’ll find at the store. And don’t forget the Sourdough Hamburger Buns too!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe
- These Sourdough Hot Dog Buns can be made in just one day and only need about 7 hours of rise time. They are naturally leavened with your active starter and do not require any commercial yeast.
- The hot dog buns are made with wholesome ingredients and use honey as the sweetener instead of sugar.
- They have a soft and fluffy texture and are perfect for all of your summer holidays, picnics, or gatherings!
Important Ingredients and Substitutions
- Bread flour – I prefer to use bread flour over all-purpose flour because it has a higher protein content and absorbs liquid better. In a pinch, you could use all-purpose, but you will need to slightly reduce the amount of liquid added.
- Sourdough starter – Use an active sourdough starter that has recently been fed, doubled in size, and is bubbly. Learn more about properly caring for your sourdough starter here.
- Milk – The milk helps create a soft and tender crumb. To speed up the process, you will need to heat the milk to 100°F, but be careful to not overheat the milk or it could damage your sourdough starter. I recommend whole milk for the fat content. For a dairy-free option use full-fat coconut milk.
- Butter – The butter adds richness and flavor to the hot dog buns. I recommend using unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the dough but either will work.
- Honey- The dough is lightly sweetened with honey, but if you prefer to use granulated sugar, like in my same day sourdough dinner rolls, you can replace the honey with 3 Tablespoons of granulated sugar.
See all the ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.
Instructions to make Sourdough Hot Dog Buns
Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm milk, sourdough starter, bread flour, butter, salt, honey, eggs and egg yolk and knead with the dough hook attachment. I like to use my Bosch mixer when kneading dough. Knead for 8-10 minutes or until the dough passes the windowpane test. If the dough is very sticky after 6 minutes of kneading add 1 Tablespoon of flour at a time until it is just tacky.
Step 2: Perform the windowpane test by pulling a piece of dough thin enough to see light through without it tearing. If it doesn’t pass, continue to knead for another couple of minutes.
Step 3: Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead into a ball. Place the dough ball in a bowl or straight edge container to rise, covered.
Step 4: Let the dough rise until doubled in size. At 80°F, this will take about 5 hours.
Step 5: Punch down the dough and, using a bench scraper, divide into 10 equal pieces, about 110 grams each. For smaller hot dog buns divide into 12 pieces.
Step 6: Roll each piece of dough into a 6×3-inch rectangle.
Step 7: Starting with the long edge (the 6-inch side), tightly roll the dough up into a log to form a bun.
Step 8: Pinch the seam closed, then use your palms to gently roll the dough back and forth into a smooth, even log.
Step 9: Place the buns seam-side down onto a lined baking sheet. Let them rise in a warm spot covered for about 2 more hours. The dough should look puffy and when poked should keep an indent.
Step 10: Brush the tops of the buns with an egg wash.
Step 11: Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, slice, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Let the dough double for the first rise in a warm spot to speed up the process. Use a bread mat (use code country10 for 10%) or proofing box to keep the dough warm, or see more tips on how to keep your dough warm here.
- After several minutes in the mixer, if the dough is super sticky, add a Tablespoon of flour at a time until it is just a little tacky.
- Let the buns rise fully during the second rise—this is key for a light, fluffy texture and even browning. You’ll know they’re ready when they’ve doubled (or more) in size and look visibly puffy.
- When shaping, be sure to flour your work surface to prevent sticking. A sticky dough can be tricky to work with and make it harder to get smooth, evenly shaped buns.
- The recipe makes 10 larger hot dog buns that are great for brats or bigger hot dogs. Or you can divide the dough into 12 and make smaller hot dog buns instead.
Storage Instructions
To store, let the hot dog buns cool completely and then add to an airtight container or plastic bag. They can be kept on the counter for 3-4 days.
The hot dog buns also freeze great. After they have cooled add them to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove them from the freezer and let them defrost on the counter.
How to prep the Sourdough Hot Dog Buns ahead of time
If you want to prep the dough ahead of time, you can refrigerate the shaped, unbaked buns and bake them later. Follow the instructions to shape and let them rise on a baking sheet. Once they’re puffy and nearly ready to bake, cover the buns and place them in the fridge for up to 12 hours. You can bake them straight from the fridge—no need to bring them to room temperature.
Option for overnight first rise
If you would like to let the dough rise overnight or for a longer period of time, like my overnight sourdough cinnamon rolls, you can reduce the temperature from 80°F to about 68-70°F for 8-12 hours. You’ll know the dough is ready to shape when it has doubled in size.
Sample baking schedule
Here is an example of the timeline to make the sourdough hot dog buns in one day. The timeline can depend on the temperature and the activity of your starter, so your time may vary. This timeline assumes a dough temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
| Step | Time |
| Feed sourdough starter a 1:5:5 ratio (17 grams starter: 90 grams flour: 90 grams water) left at room temperature. | Night before: 8 pm |
| Mix dough together. Let it rise for bulk fermentation. | 8 am |
| Divide dough into 10 sections and shape. Let rise for the final proof. | 1 pm |
| Add egg wash and bake. | 3 pm |
Recipe FAQ
I prefer to use bread flour, but in a pinch, you can substitute for all-purpose flour. However, all-purpose flour does not absorb as much liquid, so reduce the amount of milk added to the dough by 25 grams.
Yes or you can use my Sourdough Hamburger Buns recipe.
I tested a couple of hot dog bun pans and found that I prefer to just shape them and bake on a sheet pan. But if you have a hot dog bun pan, feel free to use it!
More sourdough Summer Recipes
Same Day Sourdough Recipes
Sourdough Hamburger Buns
Soft Sourdough Bread Recipes
Sourdough Pizza Dough
Sourdough Focaccia Recipes
S’mores Sourdough Focaccia
Sourdough Discard Recipes
The Best Sourdough Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Tried this Sourdough Hot Dog Buns or another recipe from the site? I’d love to hear about it! Drop a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments—can’t wait to see what you’re baking!
Sourdough Hot Dog Buns
Equipment
Ingredients
Dough
- 180 grams milk, heated to 100℉, ¾ cup
- 180 grams active sourdough starter, ¾ cup
- 550 grams bread flour, 4 cups
- 60 grams butter, softened, 4 Tablespoons
- 10 grams salt, 1 ½ teaspoon
- 45 grams honey , 3 Tablespoons
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
Egg wash
- 1 egg white
- 5 grams water , 1 teaspoon
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm milk, sourdough starter, bread flour, butter, salt, honey, eggs and egg yolk (save the egg white for the egg wash) and knead with the dough hook attachment. Knead for 8-10 minutes or until the dough passes the windowpane test. Perform the windowpane test by pulling a piece of dough thin enough to see light through without it tearing. If it doesn’t pass, continue to knead for another couple of minutes.180 grams milk, heated to 100℉, 180 grams active sourdough starter, 550 grams bread flour, 60 grams butter, softened, 10 grams salt, 45 grams honey , 2 large eggs, 1 egg yolk
- Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead into a ball. Place the dough ball in a bowl or straight-edge container to rise, covered.
- Let the dough rise until doubled in size. At 80°F, this will take about 5 hours.
- Punch down the dough and, using a bench scraper, divide into 10 equal pieces, about 110 grams each, for larger buns or 12 for slightly smaller buns.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a 6×3-inch rectangle. Starting with the long edge (the 6-inch side), tightly roll the dough up into a log to form a bun. Pinch the seams together. Add the buns to a sheet pan, seam side down, for the 2nd rise.
- Let them rise in a warm spot covered for about 2 more hours. The dough should look puffy, and when poked, should keep an indent.
- Brush the tops of the buns with an egg wash.1 egg white, 5 grams water
- Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, slice and enjoy!
Notes
-
- When shaping, be sure to flour your work surface to prevent sticking. A sticky dough can be tricky to work with and make it harder to get smooth, evenly shaped buns.
- Let the buns rise fully during the second rise—this is key for a light, fluffy texture and even browning. You’ll know they’re ready when they’ve doubled (or more) in size and look visibly puffy.
- The recipe makes 10 larger hot dog buns that are great for brats or bigger hot dogs. Or you can divide the dough into 12 and make smaller hot dog buns instead.
- To store the sourdough hot dog buns, let them cool completely and then store them in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 4 days on the counter.
- To freeze, let the buns cool completely, and then add them to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove them from the freezer and let them defrost on the counter.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made these for a July 4th cookout and my family loved them! I don’t think I’ll buy store bought buns again.
It was an easy recipe to make same day.
Thanks so much Darlene. Happy to hear the recipe was a success.
Can you also cold proof these after the 2nd rise?
You can cold proof them but you want to let them mostly rise first on the counter and then you can bake directly from the fridge.
These buns are fantastic! Super easy since the mixer does all the work. Simple directions a winner in our house!
Thanks Jenni! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the buns recipe!
Does the dough only use egg yolks? Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi Joseph, 2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk. Thanks!
These soft, fluffy sourdough hot dog buns are going to be a staple all summer long.