Sourdough Hot Dog Buns

These homemade sourdough hot dog buns are fluffy, soft, and perfect for holding your favorite dogs or brats. They are made with wholesome ingredients and long fermented for additional health benefits. Get ready for the perfect from-scratch barbeque!

These homemade sourdough hot dog buns are fluffy, soft, and perfect for holding your favorite dogs or brats. They are made with wholesome ingredients and long fermented for additional health benefits.

An unexpected dinner or snack recipe!

This past weekend my family took a drive up to the tulip farms in our state and got caught behind an accident on the highway. We ended up having to wait 45 minutes to keep going (on an already long drive). I had packed a cooler of these homemade hot dog buns, which had been previously frozen, with some hot dogs and other snacks. We weren’t planning on eating them in the car, but with the long delay, I pulled out the buns and we all just ate them like dinner rolls. It was the perfect snack!

With summer approaching at the homestead, I was eager to develop my homemade hamburger bun and hot dog bun recipes. I love using sourdough for all the health benefits, and recently I’ve started adding freshly milled grains into my sourdough recipes.

If you’re a fan of from scratch food, and sourdough, this recipe is a keeper. It is actually the same ingredients as the homemade sourdough hamburger buns, only shaped differently for hot dogs. Makes it so easy to have one recipe for both purposes!

I’m always planning meal prep ideas in the back of my mind. After that 2 hour car ride over the weekend it made me realize having these types of snacks in the freezer makes things so much easier. If i can remember to do so, I’ll definitely have to make a big batch of these + the hamburger buns and throw them in the freezer before our baby comes this summer!

Why You’ll Love Homemade Sourdough Hot Dog Buns 

Better Flavor – Just like my homemade sourdough hamburger buns, these homemade sourdough hot dog buns have a rich, tangy depth of flavor that store-bought buns can’t match. Fermenting the dough with sourdough starter not only adds health benefits but also enhances the flavor of bread products.

Healthier Ingredients – When you make your own buns, you control the ingredients, avoiding preservatives, artificial flavors, and unnecessary sugars. I love long-fermenting sourdough to make it more easily digestible and beneficial to gut health.

Better Texture – Store-bought buns are often too soft and flimsy, while homemade sourdough buns have a sturdy yet tender structure. You can add as many toppings as you want to your dogs without worrying about a mushy bun.

Rewarding – If you’ve been around the blog you know I love making everything I can at home! It’s rewarding to have so much involvement in my family’s food, and I take great enjoyment in the process of it.

More Sourdough Recipes from the Homestead

Sourdough French Toast

Sourdough Cheese Bread

Einkorn Sourdough Crepes

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

Homemade Sourdough Bagels

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Tools Needed

Small stovetop pot

Fork or whisk

Measuring cups and spoons

Stand up mixer with dough hook (you can also knead with your hands)

Tea towel or plastic wrap

Bench scraper

Baking tray with parchment paper

New to Sourdough?

You can learn how to make your own sourdough starter from scratch to make homemade bread, sourdough pizza, bagels, and more. 

Put all your sourdough recipes in one spot! 

Download and print off this NEW sourdough recipes ebook and keep your favorite sourdough recipes on your counter for easy, every day cooking. 

Homemade Sourdough Hot Dog Ingredients 

(Makes 8 hot dog buns) 

DOUGH PASTE

1/4 cup milk

2 tbsp flour

DOUGH

1/2 cup milk, warmed

1/4 cup sourdough starter

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar or honey

2 1/2 cup flour

The paste from earlier

1 egg + 1 egg yolk room temp

3 tbsp softened butter

OTHER

1 egg (for egg wash)

Can I use sourdough discard for homemade hot dog buns?

Sample Baker’s Timeline 

Day 1 (morning): feed the sourdough starter (1 cup four + 3/4 cup filtered water)

(afternoon): make the dough

(evening): stretch and folds (optional)

(night): long ferment in the fridge 

Day 2 (morning): pull dough out of the fridge, shape into buns, cover with tea towel

(late morning or afternoon): bake the buns

How to Make Homemade Sourdough Hot Dog Buns

MAKE THE DOUGH

Heat a small saucepan on medium heat. Add the dough paste ingredients and whisk together with a fork until a thick paste has formed. Remove and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, add the rest of the milk, starter, salt, and honey or sugar to a stand up mixer and whisk to combine. 

Then add the flour, the paste from earlier, eggs, and butter and combine on medium speed until a consistent dough is formed (about 5-8 minutes). Be sure to use a dough hook! If using your hands, knead the dough for about 10 minutes. 

Create a dough ball by using a cupping shape with your hands to turn the dough in circles on the countertop. Push it forward away from you and drag it back towards you to create tension in the bottom of the dough. Place the dough in a bowl, cover it with a tea towel, and let sit on the countertop 6-8 hours in a warm location (if letting sit out overnight, cover with plastic and place in a cooler location of the house, or even in the fridge).

Optional Stretch and Folds

Now, you also have an option here to do stretch and folds. Stretching and folding your hot dog bun dough will help develop the gluten, give it a better rise, and make it more flavorful and digestible. You can do between 1 and 3 stretch and folds, each 1-2 hours apart. Pull up on one side of the dough and then fold it over onto the middle of the dough. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and do the next side, until you’ve stretched and folded all four sides of the dough. Then, cover and let rest overnight.

AFTER THE RISE

Later that day (or the next day), flour a work surface and use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 8 even pieces. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Gently stretch each dough piece into a rectangle, about 4” by 2”. Then, using a roller, gently roll the dough length-wise until it is about 6 inches long, and about 3” wide.

Starting with the long side, tightly tuck the edges of the dough inward and roll into a ball. Fold both corners in. Pinch the dough together so there are no open edges. Place the hot dog dough pinch side down on the parchment lined baking tray. Repeat for all dough pieces. Place dough pieces about 1/2 inch away from each other (the proximity will actually help them rise upwards instead of out to the side). 

Cover the baking tray with a tea towel and let sit in a warm location of the house for 2-4 hours, or until doubled in size. 

BAKE

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Crack the egg into a bowl, whisk it up, and brush onto each dough ball. This egg wash gives the buns the glossy top and provides rich flavor! 

Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes, or until slightly browned on top. Note: all ovens are different so oven times may vary slightly. Once removed, brush a little butter on top of each sourdough burger bun for better flavor. Let sit 15 minutes before cutting, and enjoy! 

FAQ:

Can you freeze sourdough hot dog buns?

You can freeze sourdough hot dog buns by slicing a slit down the middle and then placing them in a freezer safe bag. Easily reheat them by placing them on an oven tray until warmed.

Do I have to use an egg wash on hot dog buns?

No you don’t have to use an egg wash on hot dog buns, but it sure makes them delicious!

More Summer Recipes from the Homestead

Creamy Basil Chicken Pasta

Homemade Raspberry Ice Cream Recipe

Homemade Tomato Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes

Healthy Kefir Smoothie Ideas

Summer Kohlrabi Slaw with Roasted Potatoes

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