Hot Dog Buns

Hot Dog Buns

Yields: 9 buns

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

2 1/4 tsp (1 pkg) yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 cup warm milk

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp salt

3 – 4 cups all-purpose flour

egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water (optional)

sesame or poppy seeds (optional)

In the bowl of your stand mixer, dissolve the sugar in the warm water and then add the yeast. Let rest until yeast is foamy, ~10 minutes. Add the warm milk, vegetable oil, salt and 3 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. Beat with dough hook until combined. Add additional flour if needed*, 1 spoonful at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Knead 5-7 minutes, until you have a smooth elastic dough.

Put the dough into an oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a tightly-woven dampened towel and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface. Divide dough into 9 equal pieces. This is done most easily by dividing the dough first into thirds, and then those thirds into thirds (or use a scale to get even pieces).

Shape each piece into a ball. Roll the balls into cylinders, 4 1/2-inches in length and flatten slightly in the center. Place on baking sheet 1/2-inch apart.

Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Just before baking, lightly brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water) and sprinkle with sesame/poppy seeds (if using). Bake 20 minutes until golden brown. Transfer the buns from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice in half lengthwise to serve.

* you’ll find in the summer that you’ll need a bit more flour to absorb a given amount of liquid than you will in the winter. This is because it’s humid and flour acts somewhat like a slightly dampened sponge as a result.