These sourdough hot dog buns are light, fluffy, and packed full of flavor. They are super easy to make and will take your next family barbecue up a notch. 

hot dog with ketchup and mustard in a homemade sourdough hot dog bun on a wire rack. More hot dog buns in the background

Summer has arrived in Missouri. Weโ€™ve had multiple very hot days already, but thankfully, it feels like the typical Missouri June weather is coming back. 

These types of days call for a hot dog roast over a fire or BBQ. Since this is the first summer ever with a back porch, fire pit, and grill, we are totally living it up. Weโ€™ve had so much fun building family memories out there already.

How do you elevate regular olโ€™ hot dogs? Make some sourdough hot dog buns to serve them in! Delicious, tangy, and healthier than the store-bought bun, they are also pretty darn easy. 

I understand that hot dogs are not necessarily a โ€œhealth foodโ€, but people arenโ€™t usually choosing hot dogs to eat healthier.

They can, however, make a fun and delicious meal on occasion. We love choosing grass-fed hot dogs for a healthier option.

Most of the steps for the sourdough hot dog rolls are done the night before, so the day of, you just roll the dough, allow to rise one more time, and bake. 

For a long time, when a long-fermented recipe called for eggs, I would wait until after the bulk fermentation to add the eggs, which can be tricky.

More recently, Iโ€™ve just been adding the egg when Iโ€™m mixing the dough, and it has been totally fine. But this will totally depend on your comfort zone. Iโ€™ve done this ten times now, and weโ€™ve been fine.

6 sourdough hot dog buns on a wire rack with one sliced open

Tips For Making Sourdough Hot Dog Buns

  • This recipe can be fermented overnight for the most health benefits, or can be made into a quicker version for when you don’t have as much time.
  • Make sure your sourdough starter is nice and bubbly. A active starter is what is going to give this bread its rise.
  • If you buns are not rising the dough could be over-proofed, under proofed, or the temperature was too cold during rising. Also, if your starter is not super active it can take longer for the dough to rise.
  • If you are new to sourdough, make sure to see how to make your own sourdough starter and how to care for it.

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What is the best bread for hot dogs?

Sourdough bread is, in my opinion, the best bread for hot dogs. This is because it adds so much flavor and is fermented, making the bread more nutritious. 

six sourdough hot dog buns with a gorgeous golden brown crust on parchment paper
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Ingredients

  • Sourdough starter โ€“ active and bubbly
  • Warm water
  • Unbleached all-purpose flour 
  • Coconut oil or butter โ€“ or any neutral tasting oil
  • Honey 
  • Salt 
  • Eggs
side view of six sourdough hot dot buns on parchment paper

Tools

Stand mixer

Grain mill to grind fresh grain (optional)

Measuring cups

Berkey water filter

Baking sheet

Parchment paper

How To Make Sourdough Hotdog Buns

hands holding a hot dog with ketchup and mustard drizzled on top in a sourdough hot dog bun.

The Day Before

Feed sourdough starter 4-12 hours before starting the dough. You want the starter to be really active and bubbly before it starts to come down.

In a stand mixer, add warm water, unbleached all-purpose flour, melted butter or another neutral tasting oil, sourdough starter, honey, salt and egg. 

Knead with a dough hook for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap for 8-10 hours.

Optional: For a longer fermentation, transfer the dough to the refrigerator and chill overnight, covered.

The Next Day

eight balls of dough on a white quartz countertop next to a bench scraper

Divide the dough into ten equal pieces. I like to use a bench scraper.

sourdough dough balls being rolled out into small rectangles

Shape the hotdog buns by rolling the dough out with a rolling pin to form a 6 inch by 4 inch rectangle and then roll them up.

sourdough hot dot buns shaped and placed on parchment lined baking sheets

Cover the buns with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and allow to rise until doubled.

sourdough hot dog bun dough shaped onto parchment paper, allowed to rise a final time, and an egg wash brushed over

Create an egg wash by beating an egg yolk with water, then brush the tops of the buns with the mixture.

close up picture of golden brown sourdough hot dog buns

Bake the buns for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown.

close up of a sourdough hot dog bun cut down the side with a hot dog with ketchup and mustard nestled inside

For A “Quicker” Version

  1. In a stand mixer with a dough hook, add sourdough starter, warm water, all purpose flour, melted butter or coconut oil, honey, egg, and salt. Knead for 5-10 minutes.
  2. Shape buns and let rise until doubled, approximately 1-2 hours.
  3. Create egg wash and brush on top of the shaped buns.
  4. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven until lightly browned on top, approximately 25-30 minutes.
  5. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.

Find More Sourdough Recipes:

Sourdough Hot Dog Buns

4.45 from 86 votes
Light, fluffy, and full of that lovely sourdough tang, these sourdough hot dog buns are an excellent way to amp up your next BBQ.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 10 hours
Total: 10 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 10
hot dog with ketchup and mustard in a homemade sourdough hot dog bun on a wire rack. More hot dog buns in the background
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Ingredients 

  • 1/2 cup sourdough starter, active and bubbly (113g)
  • 3/4 cup warm water, 177g
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, 420g
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or butter, 60g
  • 3 tablespoons honey, 63g
  • 1 teaspoon salt, 6g
  • 1 large egg

Egg wash (optional)

  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon water

Instructions 

  • Feed sourdough starter 4-12 hours before starting the dough so it is nice and bubbly for baking.
  • In a stand mixer, add warm water, unbleached all-purpose flour, melted butter or another neutral tasting oil, sourdough starter, honey, salt and egg.
  • Knead with a dough hook for 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
  • Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap for 8-10 hours.
  • Divide the dough into ten equal pieces.
  • Shape the hotdog buns by rolling the dough out with a rolling pin to form a 6 inch by 4 inch rectangle and then roll them up.
  • Cover the buns with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and allow to rise until doubled.
  • Create an egg wash by beating an egg yolk with water, then brush the tops of the buns with the mixture.
  • Bake the buns for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown.

Notes

  • Optional: For a longer fermentation, transfer the dough to the refrigerator and chill overnight, covered after the first bulk fermentation.

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 52IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.45 from 86 votes (68 ratings without comment)

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118 Comments

  1. Lynda says:

    Can I use AP Einkorn flour and get similar results?

    1. Macintosh Homestead says:

      How did this go for you?! I’m trying it now

  2. kk says:

    Does the dough need to bulk on the counter for 8-10 before going in the fridge or can it go straight in there overnight? In the first part of directions it seems like straight to fridge is okay but in the recipe card it seems it needs to bulk on the counter first?

    1. Ryan says:

      Personally, I would say do the rise for 8-10 hours first, before popping them in the fridge. That’s what I plan to do… right now I have them in the first rise and will move to the fridge after while. Let me know how yours turned out!

      1. Rachel says:

        Is egg okay to sit that long?

      2. Taylor says:

        I misread the recipe and put them in the fridge to overnight ferment and then pulled them out and let them rise on the counter took a while longer for them to rise but they turned out great!

  3. Heidi says:

    Love your sourdough recipes! Is there a way to convert them to grams since Iโ€™m using a scale?

  4. Farmgal87 says:

    Well, they turned out delicious! Sturdy enough to hold up to lots of toppings but still soft with a little chew to the crust. I was worried they would be too small but they rose beautifully during final proof and in oven. These will be my go to recipe for all sourdough buns. Thanks for sharing this winning recipe!

  5. Farmgal87 says:

    I noticed that the directions say 10 buns but photos show 8. I just made them and am awaiting final rise now. Worried they will bo too small for a hotdog to fit. Should I have made them bigger? The dough was nice to work with and rose as it should. Hoping they double in size on this rise.

  6. alexis says:

    Can i allow it to sit longer than 8-10 hours?

  7. Missy says:

    I made these today, they were amazing! I will definitely be making them again

  8. Anonymous says:

    Can you freeze these ? Iโ€™m due at the end of July and hoping these can be frozen so I can make my little ones quick sandwiches! Iโ€™ve already made these for meatball subs, egg and sausage breakfast subs and hot dog buns. Iโ€™m going to try this dough foe hamburger buns… these are the absolute best sub buns (or as my husband says โ€œhoagieโ€)

    Thanks!!!

  9. JoLyn says:

    Thanks, Lisa. Iโ€™m excited to try this because I HATE store bought hot dog buns. I make sourdough bread every week, but I use a no knead recipe. I donโ€™t have a stand mixer and dough hook, so I wonder how difficult it will be for me to make it without that. Also, my husband is diabetic. Is the honey necessary for the recipe for some reason, or can I leave it out? Thanks so much, and have a lovely day!

  10. MariaEFS says:

    Can you substitute sugar for honey?

    1. Anonymous says:

      Sorry. Mom brain… I meant, can substitute honey for sugar?
      Thank you in advance!

      1. Lisa says:

        Yes! You sure can.