Wondering how to make your own hot dog buns that are every bit as soft and moist as the packaged ones from the grocery store? The answer is sourdough. Using a ripe starter and a little bit of yeast gives lift and flavor to your buns, while our hot dog bun pan guarantees they’ll come out consistently beautiful each and every time.
Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
In a stand mixer fit with the dough hook, or using a bread machine set to the dough cycle, combine all the ingredients. If using a stand mixer, mix on low speed until the ingredients are combined, 1 to 2 minutes, then increase the speed to medium-low and continue to mix until the dough is smooth, soft, and starting to clear the sides of the bowl and form a ball around the hook, about 10 minutes total. Check the dough partway through mixing: If it feels sticky (rather than tacky), add flour by the tablespoon.
Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow it to rise at warm room temperature until it's nearly doubled in bulk, 60 to 90 minutes.
While the dough is rising, lightly grease a hot dog bun pan.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, gently deflate it, and stretch it until it's about 15" long and 6" wide. Don't worry about getting the soft, slack dough into the exact dimensions. Place the dough into the pan, stretching it to the edges.
Let the dough rise for 45 to 60 minutes, until it comes to within 1/2" of the top of the pan (be careful not to overproof, or your buns may become compressed in the oven). Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Grease a baking sheet, the invert it to cover the risen buns.
Put the covered buns into the oven, weighing the baking sheet down with something heavy and oven-safe; a cast iron skillet works well.
Bake the buns for 18 minutes, remove the weighted baking sheet, and bake for 2 to 5 minutes longer, if necessary to brown the buns.
Remove the pan from the oven, and cool the buns in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn them out onto a rack, rounded side up, to cool completely.
Slice each bun down the middle vertically, without cutting through the bottom; then cut between the buns to separate them.
Store buns wrapped in plastic for several days; freeze for longer storage.
Don’t have any starter? Here’s a recipe for homemade sourdough starter. If you're making it from scratch, you'll need to feed it for 5 to 7 days before it’s ready for baking. Want a head start? Purchase our classic fresh sourdough starter — it’ll be ready for baking soon after it arrives at your door. Looking for tips, techniques, and all kinds of great information about sourdough baking? Find what you need in our sourdough baking guide.
