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.
Summer has arrived in Missouri. We’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. We’ve had so much fun building family memories out there already.
How do you elevate regular ol’ 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 “health food”, but people aren’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, I’ve just been adding the egg when I’m mixing the dough, and it has been totally fine. But this will totally depend on your comfort zone. I’ve done this ten times now, and we’ve been fine.
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.
Ingredients
- Sourdough starter – active and bubbly
- Warm water
- Unbleached all-purpose flour
- Coconut oil or butter – or any neutral tasting oil
- Honey
- Salt
- Eggs
Tools
Grain mill to grind fresh grain (optional)
Measuring cups
Parchment paper
How To Make Sourdough Hotdog Buns
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
Divide the dough into ten equal pieces. I like to use a bench scraper.
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.
For A “Quicker” Version
- 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.
- Shape buns and let rise until doubled, approximately 1-2 hours.
- Create egg wash and brush on top of the shaped buns.
- Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven until lightly browned on top, approximately 25-30 minutes.
- Let cool completely before slicing and serving.
Find More Sourdough Recipes:
- Easy Sourdough Challah Recipe
- Sourdough Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler
- Sourdough Grilled Cheese
- Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Easy Homemade Sourdough Pasta Recipe
- Sourdough Zucchini Bread
Sourdough Hot Dog Buns
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Lisa! I love your recipes and you have been so pivotal in my learning of all things sourdough and kefir!
On this recipe, of my dough seems too hydrated and sticky even after 10 minutes of kneading with the dough hook, do you recommend adding a little bit more flour?
Thank you so much!
I’m allergic to eggs but can have duck eggs. Might want to try them.
Do you have this recipe in grams?
I do not technically… But this conversion chart is helpful for converting my recipes to grams. I’m slowly working on it myself. https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/baking-conversion-chart
Hi Lisa, thanks for the recipe. Can I use this for the hamburger buns also?
I don’t see why not! If you try it, you’ll have to let us know how they turn out!
I am wanting to double this recipe. Would I double the amount of starter too or leave it at 1/2 a cup?
I would double all of the ingredients.
Can you freeze these? If you can, At what point in the process can you pop them in? Or do they freeze well after they have cooked?
I usually freeze them after baking. Bread freezes amazingly well.
Hi, I’m newer to sourdough and live in central Florida. I’m having a hard time with things I’m attempting being too runny and sticky. For a few days I didn’t feed my starter often enough, like every 36 hours instead of 24. Could that be why? I’m also using Einkorn flour, so I use less water. I feed 50g of starter, 100g flour and about 80g of water. Any advice? Our family is going camping on Thursday so I’m attempting these buns and so far it’s just kind of runny/sticky. My dough isn’t really forming.
Einkorn definitely behaves very differently in this recipe.
I live in Florida as well, and so i decided that living with our humidity, i figured to add more flour to my sourdough recipes. i noticed that when i add some more flour, it’s Much easier to use.
Made these today for our unusually warm October day! Grilling out brats this afternoon! These made 10 perfectly sized buns! At first I wasn’t sure if they’d be the correct size, but they puffed nicely and turned out great! Thanks for the great recipe, Lisa!
Wonderful! That sounds like a delicious dinner.
Do you shape them before putting them in the fridge? Or just leave them in the bowl and after 8-10 hours on the counter pop it in the fridge? When you take them out can you put right in the oven?
I would shape them and then place them in the fridge for 12-15 hours. Then pop them in the oven.
These look amazing! Tried the quick version but they didn’t rise, or just barely, even 4 hours after scrolling and shaping them. I don’t have a stand mixer so had to knead by hand. Could it be not enough kneading or maybe my starter wasn’t active enough? Love all your recipes! Want to try this again but need some advice…
It could be either. It could also depend on the temperature of your home and how warm it is. Hopefully it will work better for you next time.
What can I use to replace the egg if someone in my family can’t have eggs?
I usually use a heaping table spoon of my homemade Greek yogurt for an egg in baking emergencies. Not worth an hour drive to get eggs.
I’m allergic to eggs but can have duck eggs. Might want to try them.