Artificial Food Coloring Free Soft Hot Dog Buns
Store-bought hot dog buns are one of those sneaky sources of artificial dyes — some brands use added colorings to achieve that uniform golden look, and the ingredient lists can be surprisingly long for something that should just be bread. These homemade buns are made with nothing but pantry staples: milk, yeast, sugar, flour, salt, egg, and butter. That's it. The color you see on the finished buns comes entirely from the milk wash and the oven, giving them a naturally beautiful golden-brown crust with zero synthetic shortcuts. Beyond being clean and simple, these buns are genuinely soft and pillowy in a way that most packaged versions can't compete with. The butter gets worked into the dough gradually, which creates a tender, slightly rich crumb that holds up to a hot dog without going soggy or falling apart. The second proof lets them puff up just enough so they bake into that classic pull-apart shape, lightly touching at the sides for that satisfying bakery-style look. Once you've made a batch, going back to the bagged kind is going to feel like a real step down.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the dough
- 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
- 2 tbsp whole milk, for brushing
Instructions
- 1
Combine the warmed 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 — this confirms the yeast is active.
- 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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