Hot Dog Buns
All the recipes on our website have a little story and meaning behind. The same with these hot dog buns which I first cooked after my little Maria (5 years old) asked me what hot dogs tasted like, as she saw them in cartoons and they looked good. It was so "irresposible" of us not to show our kids what classic fast food tasted like and kids want to try everything they see... So I set down to work. It was easy to find the sausages, but I thought it would be such a pity not to have some soft homemade buns for the hot dogs, just like the buns for the hamburgers.
And these hot dog buns were just great, soft, fluffy, tender and good-looking, turning the boring classic hot dog into a special and delicious dish. I really recommend trying them because they aren't complicated to cook and in maximum 2 hours you'll be serving them already and the meal will be sensational.
As for the topping and assembling of the hot dog, you can either do it simple and quick, using only ketchup or mustard, or you can add pickled cucumber, caramelized onions, salad greens etc. Oh, and don't forget to fry the sausage in a pan with a little oil.
Tip warm milk, 1 tbsp sugar and yeast into a bowl.
Let stand for 10 minutes for the yeast to activate.
Add 1 egg, 1 tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp salt and stir well.
Finally, add flour and mix dough with a spatula or a spoon.
Then turn it onto the table and knead until it becomes uniform and soft - it is a bit sticky, but don't add more flour than it is said in the ingredients section. This way, the buns will be tender and fluffy.
You can work the dough the same way as the the hamburger buns: either use the dough hooks of the classic mixer, or a food processor instead of kneading with your hands. The result will be the same, yet there will be less effort.
Transfer dough back into the bowl, maybe grease it with a little oil (to make it easier to take out after it rested).
Cover and let 30 minutes to rise.
After 30 minutes turn dough onto the floured table and divide in 8-10 even parts.
Shape them into small balls, you can use more flour to help you and let rest for another 10 minutes.
Now we quickly shape the hot dog buns.
Take each ball and flatten it until you get an oval, a bit longer than a big sausage.
Bring the long sides to the middle.
Then bring them again and stick the sides well together.
Place the buns sides down on the baking sheet prepared with parchment paper. Let rise for 30-40 minutes until almost doubled in size.
I made 8 pretty big buns, you can make 10 or even 12 if they are shorter - depending on your needs.
After buns have risen, brush the top and sides with whisked egg and spread over sesame seeds, if you have and if you like.
Bake in the preheated oven to 200 degrees C until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
They are good while hot, but they still stay soft the next day or you can also freeze them.
The kids wanted classic hot dog with ketchup and pickled cucumber, we added mustard and caramelized red onions-check my homemade hamburgers recipe, step 7. After all, it's all about preferencies and tastes and, no matter how you do it, it's still delicious.
Enjoy!
