It’s summertime! Which means from May – September, we’re grilling as much as possible. Which means steaks, burgers, brats, hot dogs, you name it – we’re grilling it. You guys went crazy over my hamburger bun recipe, so I thought that it was a must to create a hot dog version. These are delicious, soft, and made with sourdough discard so you can mix and enjoy these within just a few hours!

โค๏ธ Why You’ll Love Sourdough Discard Hotdog Buns

Any kind of bread made with sourdough discard uses commercial yeast to help it rise. Which means 1. you’re not wasting any of the beautiful sourdough discard, and 2. you get to make and enjoy these buns all in the same day without any overnight ferment.

๐Ÿฒ Ingredients

Sourdough Discard – Unfed, inactive sourdough starter that’s been on the counter or stored in the fridge.

Flour – We use Kirklandโ€™s organic, all-purpose flour for all of our recipes, but you can use whatever you have on hand. Organic isnโ€™t always necessary, but I do recommend using unbleached flour.

Yeast – I use this brand of instant yeast and have zero complaints. I highly recommend.

Water โ€“ Warm filtered water can activate the yeast.

Milkย โ€“ Whole milk makes the buns more enriched with a sweeter flavor, but you can use another 3/4 cup of water instead.

Eggย โ€“ I go back and forth with the egg, but I think it makes a difference with the supple texture. If there is an egg allergy, you can absolutely leave it out.

Butter โ€“ Melted butter.

๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿณ How to Make Sourdough Discard Hotdog Buns

  • In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt then set aside.
  • In a stand mixer, pour water, yeast, and one tsp of honey in the bowl and mix together. Let the yeast sit and bloom for 5 minutes.
  • While the yeast is blooming, melt butter over medium low heat and whisk in the milk and honey. When the butter has totally melted, turn the heat off and let the milk cool down a bit.
  • When the yeast is bubbly, set the stand mixer speed to low and pour in half of the flour mixture and all of the milk mixture. When that is mostly combined, add in the second half of the flour mixture, sourdough discard and egg. Knead on low speed (or by hand) for 5-7 minutes.
  • Cover with a damp bowl cover or tea towel and let rest for 3 hours.
  • After its rested and doubled in size, punch the dough down and transfer it to a clean workspace. Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 10-12 equal sized pieces. Roll those pieces into a small ball and let them rest for 20 minutes.
  • After 20 minutes, roll the dough into a small log shape (the length of a hotdog, approx. 6 inches). Place the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, it’s okay it the buns are touching, I actually prefer it that way, so the sides remain soft while baking.
  • Cover and let the dough rest for an additional 30 minutes.
  • Preheat your oven 375 degrees, brush the tops with egg wash, and bake the buns for 25 minutes or until golden brown on the top.
  • When the buns are done baking, let them cool for 5 minutes before pulling them apart and serve with your favorite dog and toppings!

๐Ÿช„ Tips and Tricks

  • I say 10 – 12 hotdog buns because it just comes down to a preference in size. If you want smaller hotdog buns where both meat and bread are about the same size, make 12. But if you want slightly larger, fluffier hotdog buns, make 10.
  • I like hotdog buns that have softer sides, this makes it more of a bun than a sandwich roll. I let my buns rise and bake close together, so they are touching.
  • Every oven is different, so if you see that the buns are getting too brown and the temperature needs adjusting then do that! 
  • If you don’t want to use the egg wash to get the golden-brown top, let the buns bake without it, and when they are done spread melted butter on top instead.

๐Ÿ—’ Variations

This is a variation of my hamburger buns that y’all went crazy for! I made slight adjustments with the mixing and baking time, but if you liked that – you’ll love this. I also included a link to my fool proof sandwich bread recipe as well!


๐Ÿ—’ Substitutions

I go back and forth with the egg, but I think it makes a difference with the supple texture. But if there is an egg allergy, you can absolutely leave it out.

If there is a dairy allergy, you can leave out the milk and substitute it for 3/4 cup filtered water instead.

If you don’t prefer a hotdog bun with the golden-brown top that comes from the egg wash, you can leave it out and brush the finished hotdog bun with melted butter instead.

  • Leave out the egg entirely.
  • Milk – Water.
  • Egg wash – melted butter.


๐Ÿ—’ Best served with

  • Hot dogs on the fourth of July.
  • Sausage + peppers.
  • Lobster roll.
  • Summer sandwich.

๐Ÿ‘ How to Store Leftovers

You can store your leftover hotdog buns in a Ziplock bag or airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days, or you can freeze the leftover buns in a Ziplock bag for up to 3 months. When you want to thaw them out, leave them on the counter overnight in the bag.

๐Ÿค” Common Questions

Can I use active starter?

If you want to use active starter and do a long fermentation, take away the yeast and add one cup of active starter, mix the dough together and let it sit on the counter overnight.

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Sourdough Discard Hotdog Buns

Print recipe
These soft, delicious hot dog buns are made with sourdough discard and take just a few hours to make from start to finish.
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:25 minutes
Rising time:3 hours
Total Time:3 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 ยฝ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ยฝ cup warm water
  • 2 tsp active yeast
  • ยพ cup warm milk
  • 4 tbs melted butter
  • 2 tbs honey
  • 2 eggs 1 for egg wash
  • ยพ cup sourdough discard

Instructions

  • In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt then set aside.
  • In a stand mixer, pour water, yeast, and one tsp of honey in the bowl and mix together. Let the yeast sit and bloom for 5 minutes.
  • While the yeast is blooming, melt butter over medium low heat and whisk in the milk and honey. When the butter has totally melted, turn the heat off and let the milk cool down a bit.
  • When the yeast is bubbly, set the stand mixer speed to low and pour in half of the flour mixture and all the milk mixture. When that is mostly combined, add in the second half of the flour mixture, sourdough discard and egg. Knead on low speed (or by hand) for 5-7 minutes.
  • Cover with a damp bowl cover or tea towel and let rest for 2 1/2 hours.
  • After it's rested and doubled in size, punch the dough down and transfer it to a clean workspace. Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 10-12 equal sized pieces. Roll those pieces into a small ball and let them rest for 20 minutes.
  • After 20 minutes, roll the dough into a small log shape (the length of a hotdog, approx. 6 inches). Place the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, it's okay it the buns are touching, I actually prefer it that way, so the sides remain soft while baking.
  • Cover and let the dough rest for an additional 30 minutes.
  • Preheat your oven 375 degrees, brush the tops with egg wash, and bake the buns for 25 minutes or until golden brown on the top.
  • When the buns are done baking, let them cool for 5 minutes before pulling them apart and serve with your favorite dog and toppings!

Notes

I prefer the final result of my hot dog buns to have soft sides, and to achieve that the buns need to bake close together.ย 
Every oven is different, so if you see that the buns are getting too brown and the temperature needs adjusting then do that!ย ย 

Nutrition

Calories: 193kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 206mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: discard, Hotdog buns, Sourdough
Servings: 12
Calories: 193kcal

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2 Comments

  1. Just found out we have a family gathering tomorrow and Iโ€™ve been asked(told lol) to bring buns. ๐Ÿ˜Ž๐Ÿ˜Ž
    Well, IM BRINGINโ€™ โ€˜em all right! (And Iโ€™m gonna keep one back and put it in my purse so I get one! ๐Ÿ˜‚)