Honey Free Classic Hot Dog Buns

Total time2 hr 13 min

Prep time25 min

Cook time18 min

4.7

(23)

Soft, pillowy, and golden-topped, these homemade hot dog buns are the kind of thing that makes a backyard cookout feel genuinely special. The enriched dough — built with whole milk, egg, and butter kneaded in gradually — gives each bun a tender, slightly rich crumb that holds up to toppings without going soggy. Many store-bought buns sneak in honey or honey-derived sweeteners as a dough conditioner, so making your own is the cleanest way to stay clear of that. Here, a small amount of granulated sugar does all the work of feeding the yeast and adding just a touch of sweetness, with zero ambiguity about what's in the dough. The technique of spacing the logs close together on the pan means they rise into each other, creating those classic soft sides that pull apart beautifully at the table. A double brush of melted butter — once before baking and once straight out of the oven — gives the tops that irresistible sheen and flavor. These are genuinely better than anything from a bag, and once you've made them, it's hard to go back.

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Ingredients

8 servings

¾ cup whole milk, warmed to 110°f (43°c)
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp fine salt
1 large egg, room temperature
3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

For brushing

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

1
Combine the warm milk, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl). Stir briefly and let stand for 5–8 minutes, until the surface is foamy and the mixture smells yeasty.
2
Add the flour, salt, and egg to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed with the dough hook (or stir with a wooden spoon) until a shaggy dough forms, about 2 minutes.

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