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Split top buns on a cutting board
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5 from 13 votes

New England Hot Dog Buns

New England-style split-top buns are the East Coast's contribution to serving some of your favorite hot dogs or Maine lobster rolls in a delicious and unique way. They have a delicate texture and an airy, fluffy center that will make you drool with anticipation as soon as they come out of the oven. If you’ve never seen hot dog rolls like these before, I guarantee these split-top hot dog buns will be your new favorite!
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
Rest12 hours
Total Time13 hours 3 minutes
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10 buns
Calories: 238kcal
Author: Sabine

Ingredients

  • 3 cups bread flour, spooned and leveled
  • ¼ cup milk powder
  • 1 tablespoon potato flour or starch*
  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¾ teaspoon instant yeast
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup full-fat milk
  • 5 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with a hook attachment, add the flour, milk powder, potato flour, sugar, salt, yeast, eggs, water, and milk, and knead on low speed until it comes together about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through. Let rest for 20-30 minutes.
  • Knead on low speed and gradually add the butter until it is completely incorporated. Once all of the butter is incorporated, increase the speed to high and knead for about 4-6 minutes until the dough is smooth, releases from the sides of the bowl, and passes the windowpane test. It's a very soft, smooth, and satiny dough that is slightly tacky to the touch.
  • Lightly spray a straight-sided container with oil and transfer the dough to the container; lightly oil the top of the dough as well. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes until it has grown by about 10%. Then put it in the refrigerator and let rest overnight, about 8-12 hours. It will at least double in this time.
  • Take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
  • In the meantime, lightly spray the hot dog bun pan with oil and set it aside.
  • Remove the dough from the container with a dough scraper and place it on a very lightly oiled work surface. Roughly shape the dough into a square and divide it into 10 equal pieces.
  • Apply a little oil to your fingers, take one piece of dough, roll it into a ball, and deflate it while you roll it up. Then stretch up the dough on the side farthest away from you and fold over the center. Then rotate the dough by about 45°, stretch the dough farthest away from you and fold it over the previous fold and over the center. Repeat this 6-8 times. You will notice that the dough builds up tension and becomes firmer with every fold. The goal is to have a round ball with all the seams on one side.
  • Then place the dough ball seam side down, gently cup it with one hand, and form a C-shape with your hand. Move the dough with your hand in a circular motion and gently press it against the work surface to build tension, stretch the surface of the dough, and close the seams at the bottom. If the dough is a bit sticky, oil your hands very lightly. Avoid using flour on the work surface to allow the dough to anchor to the surface as it moves. Do this gently without tearing the surface of the dough, and don't overwork the dough. Once the seams at the bottom are closed, gently roll the dough ball back and forth 1-2 times to create an oval-shaped ball of dough. Repeat with all pieces of dough and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
  • Then, starting with the first piece of dough, roll each oval ball into a 5-inch (13cm) long strand by rolling the dough back and forth with the palm of your hand while applying some pressure to the work surface.
  • Arrange the dough pieces in the prepared pan and let them rest at room temperature for about 45-60 minutes until they have doubled.
  • In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) for 15-20 minutes.
  • Brush the buns with egg wash and bake for 18-20 minutes until they are deep golden brown.
  • Remove from the oven, brush with melted butter, and cover with a clean and dry kitchen towel for 20 minutes. Then uncover and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. After cooling, cut into 10 individual hot dog rolls and split them on top by cutting vertically into the center of the bun. Don’t cut all the way through. Then toast them with butter on both sides just before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Video

Notes

Notes
  • In different climates and environments, flours can absorb water differently. This means you may need to hydrate your dough more or less depending on humidity, temperature, altitude - all of which vary by climate and environment.
  • If you find that you need to knead the dough a little longer to pass the windowpane test, let it rest a few minutes in between so that the dough doesn’t overheat while kneading. Otherwise, the yeast could cripple.
  • The overnight rise in the refrigerator enhances flavor and texture, and the dough is easier to shape after it has chilled.
  • When shaping the dough, put a little oil on your hands and work surface instead of flour. This ensures that you don't work more flour into the dough for super delicious light and fluffy split-top hot dog rolls.
*Or use 2 tablespoon (11g) instant potato flakes.

Nutrition

Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 323mg | Potassium: 132mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 269IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg