Sourdough Hot Dog Buns

Hot dog with ketchup and mustard on a sourdough bun.

4.50 from 4 votes

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.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Rise Time6

Total Time6 40

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings: buns

Author: Emily Christensen

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 6x3-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.

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