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A softer, butterier, and milkier version – you can find the recipe for New England rolls right here.
It is said that the noblest of all dogs is the hot dog because it feeds the hand that bites it. It might also be the most popular dog in America this time of year. Although hot dogs weren’t on our menu this past Fourth of July weekend, we enjoyed them quite a few weeks ago with these delicious, soft, and easy homemade hot dogs that I made. I think being able to handle and bake a dough that is versatile enough to make hot dogs, subs, or hamburger buns is a basic but fantastic skill. That’s why I’m so excited to share this recipe with you!
These easy homemade hot dog buns are perfectly soft and delicious! This dough is versatile enough to make hot dogs, subs, or hamburger buns, and it’s super easy to make!
It’s easy to find bagels anywhere, but not all of them taste the same.
WHY THE HOMEMADE HOT DOG BUNS ARE BETTER THAN STORE-BOUGHT
These hot dog buns are soft, but not too soft that they just fall apart after the first bite. And the best part is that you can make the buns as big or as small as you like. Make them small enough for small hot dogs or large enough for larger, thicker sausages.
This roll dough is so versatile. You can use it to make submarine buns, New England-style rolls, or even hamburger buns!
Homemade rolls are also delicious because YOU made them! So you know exactly what went into the dough and you can be sure that there are no artificial ingredients or chemicals in it.
Easy Homemade Rolls – The dough for these rolls is soft and sticky. Best done in a stand mixer.
The first is the cutting method – where the dough is shaped into a sheet and then cut into rolls.
The second is the shaping method – when you shape each hot dog individually into the desired shape.
Easy Homemade Hot Dog Buns – bread dough after rising overnight in the refrigerator. The dough has doubled in volume and is chilled.
Dough that was left overnight in the fridge
HOW TO MAKE BREAD DOUGH.
There are usually two control cycles for dough. This will develop the yeast to add air and flavor and also develop the gluten in the dough. The dough in this homemade hot dog recipe requires overnight proofing. I tried it with and without overnight leavening and I must say that overnight leavening results in a better taste and also makes the dough easier to handle.
Easy Homemade Hot Dog Buns – Chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to work with.
Another great benefit of this technique/recipe is that you can cover the dough and leave it in the fridge until you are ready to bake the bread. You can do this for up to 24 hours (I left it up to 1 ½ day).
What is gluten?
The gluten in the flour is two molecules – glutenin and gliadin. Together, these two form the important lattice structure of the bread. Glutenin is like a helix that can be stretched and Gliadin binds to them to form bonds. More kneading and more protein in the flour results in a more “organized” gluten structure, which in turn leads to the kind of chewy bread we all love.
How gluten works in bread – and what it means to slow down the dough (refrigeration overnight)
The leavening also adds extra flavor to the bread dough. Who doesn’t love more flavors? This is because the yeast ferments and multiplies, bringing in CO2 (which creates more air pockets) and alcohol (which leads to a beer-like taste).
A cooler environment (mostly the refrigerator for us home bakers) means slower rising due to the slowing down of yeast activity (metabolism). I also do this for donuts because it makes them tastier and easier to handle.
How yeast works in bread
And even though yeast activity slows down in the fridge, bacteria and enzymes continue to work to break down proteins to develop more flavor in the cooler environment.
WHAT ARE THE TWO WAYS TO MAKE THESE EASY HOMEMADE HOT DOG BUNS?
The first method of shaping the dough is the cutting method.
After rising overnight, the dough is rolled out onto a sheet. This sheet is cut into 10-12 parts and each part is placed on a baking sheet, raised a second time, and baked. This method is simpler and less time-consuming. With this method, the rolls will have rougher edges where they were cut.
Easy Homemade Hot Dog Buns
Rolled out the dough after rising overnight
The buns need to be placed close to each other during baking. This way, the buns support each other so that they rise as they bake, rather than flatten. This will also result in the rolls having soft sides as well.
Shaped dough before the second rise. This is the best stage to freeze the dough. After freezing, you can store it in plastic bags in the freezer.
The second way of shaping the dough is to divide the dough and then shape each part individually.
To do this, the dough, which had risen overnight, was turned out onto a floured work surface and flattened to release excess air. The dough is then weighed and then divided evenly into portions (by weight to ensure they are all the same size).
For this recipe, I like to divide it into 12 servings (for smaller rolls), 10 for medium rolls, and 8 for large rolls.
Easy Homemade Rolls – Cut the dough into 12 equal portions.
Each section is then rolled out into a flat piece that is about 5-6 inches long and 4 inches wide. The dough is then tightly rolled and the edges tucked and sealed to form an evenly shaped cylinder that is about 5 inches long and 1 inch wide.
