Soft, buttery, and sturdy enough to hold together, these Sourdough Discard Hot Dog Buns are easy to make and full of flavor, perfect for impressing friends and family!
Don’t have a sourdough starter yet? Be sure to check out how to make a starter and learn how to feed your sourdough culture.
Ingredients
- Bread Flour: I prefer using bread flour for these buns as it provides structure, but you can substitute with all-purpose flour and still get a delicious result.
- Sourdough Discard: These buns use sourdough discard along with commercial instant yeast (like my extra-soft sourdough dinner rolls). The instant yeast is the primary leavening agent, with the discard providing flavor, so it doesn’t need to be active or fed.
Want a fully sourdough-leavened bun? Try shaping my sourdough burger buns dough into hot dog buns.
- Butter: Use melted, cooled butter — unsalted if possible. If you only have salted, that’s fine too. Just don’t add it while it’s hot, as this can affect the yeast and the fermentation process.
For full ingredient and measurements in cups and grams, check out the recipe card.
How to Make Sourdough Hot Dog Buns
This recipe doubles easily — just click “2x” on the recipe card to adjust.
Step 01. In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients: sourdough starter, egg, butter, and milk.
Step 02. Then add the dry ingredients: instant yeast, salt, sugar, and bread flour. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Tip: A stand mixer can make handling sticky, enriched dough easier. Resist the urge to add extra flour; your dough should be soft and stick slightly to the bowl’s bottom. A wetter dough creates lighter, softer buns, while too much flour results in tougher buns. Watch the video for visual guidance.
Step 03. Knead for 8 minutes with a stand mixer on low speed (dough hook attached) or 10 minutes by hand, until the dough only slightly sticks to the bowl’s bottom.
Step 04. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rise for about 1 hour and a half, or until doubled.
Tip: Temperature affects rising time. If your kitchen runs cold, or you're baking during winter, allow extra time for fermentation. In warm kitchens, fermentation will be quicker. Try using your oven’s proofing function or leaving the bowl inside the oven with the light on for a consistent environment.
Step 05. On a clean surface, divide the dough into 8 large, 10 regular-sized, or 12 smaller portions. Use a bench scraper or sharp knife for clean cuts.
Step 06. Flatten each piece into a rectangle. You can use your hands or a rolling pin.
Tip: If the dough starts sticking to the counter too much, try greasing the surface with a small amount of oil instead of adding more flour. Extra flour can make the buns tougher.
Step 07. Then roll it up tightly, and seal the edges. Don't worry if they're not perfect or all in the same shape.
Step 08. Place the shaped buns in a baking pan, cover, and let rise for about 1 hour, until puffy and light.
Tip: Allowing the dough to ferment properly during both rises is key to achieving fluffy texture. Don't rush it!
Step 09. Before baking, brush each bun with an egg wash. Add your favorite toppings if desired; sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or everything bagel seasoning work great here!
Step 10. Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer buns to a cooling rack for 15 minutes before slicing. You can cut them along the side or across the top, depending on your preference.
You can substitute instant with active dry yeast. Just be sure to dissolve active dry yeast in the milk and sugar before adding it to the dough.
If you’re struggling to handle the dough, try flouring or wetting your hands.
Tips for Perfect Hot Dog Buns
- Measure liquids with care to prevent a wet dough. Sometimes, depending of the brand of flour, altitude and even weather, your dough might feel more sticky. If your dough is too wet to work with, add ¼ cup more of flour and knead until incorporated.
- If you don't know if your dough is at the right consistency or are having trouble shaping it, check out the recipe video on the recipe card.
- Want an ingredient twist? I've developed this recipe having in mind that most people don’t usually have milk powder in their pantry. However, if you do have some on hand, try swapping the whole milk for an equal amount of water and adding ¼ cup (35g) of whole milk powder. That’s how I make my brioche hot dog rolls — they're a big hit at barbecues!
Storing and Freezing
These buns are safe to store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If they lose softness, reheat in a (preheated) 300°F oven for 5 minutes.
In the fridge, buns last up to a week but may dry out faster.
You can freeze this recipe. Freeze the cooled buns for up to 3 months in an airtight bag and reheat at 300°F for 10 minutes straight from the freezer when ready to serve.
Have you tried these Sourdough Discard Hot Dog Buns? Please leave a 🌟 star rating in the recipe card below, I'd love to know how it went!
📖 Recipe
Sourdough Discard Hot Dog Buns
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups milk whole milk works best
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- 3 tbsps butter melted, unsalted
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsps sugar
- 2 ¼ tsps instant yeast
- 1 ¼ tsps sea salt
- 4 cups bread flour
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients: sourdough starter, egg, butter, and milk.
- Add the dry ingredients: instant yeast, salt, sugar, and bread flour. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead for 8 minutes with a stand mixer on low speed (dough hook attached) or 10 minutes by hand, until the dough only slightly sticks to the bowl’s bottom. A stand mixer can make handling sticky, enriched dough easier. Resist the urge to add extra flour; your dough should be soft and stick slightly to the bowl’s bottom. A wetter dough creates lighter, softer buns, while too much flour results in tougher buns.
- Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let the dough rise for about 1 hour and a half, or until doubled.
- On a clean surface, divide the dough into 8 large, 10 regular-sized, or 12 smaller portions. Use a bench scraper or sharp knife for clean cuts.
- Flatten each piece into a rectangle, roll it up tightly, and seal the edges. You can use your hands or a rolling pin. If the dough starts sticking to the counter too much, try greasing the surface with a small amount of oil instead of adding more flour. Extra flour can make the buns tougher.
- Place the shaped buns in a baking pan, cover, and let rise for about 1 hour, until puffy and light.
- Before baking, brush each bun with an egg wash. Add your favorite toppings if desired; sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or everything bagel seasoning work great here!
- Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer buns to a cooling rack for 15 minutes before slicing. You can cut them along the side or across the top, depending on your preference.
Video
Notes
- Milk. I've developed this recipe having in mind that most people don’t usually have milk powder in their pantry. However, if you do have some on hand, try swapping the whole milk for an equal amount of water and adding ¼ cup (35g) of whole milk powder.
- Butter. You can use salted or unsalted butter.
- Instant Yeast. You can substitute instant with active dry yeast. Just be sure to activate active dry yeast in the milk and sugar before adding it to the dough.
Tiffany
These are phenomenal and came out perfect on my first attempt. Your video was super helpful.
Have you made these in advance? I’m going to use this recipe for Easter dinner rolls.
Tatiana Kamakura
Hi Tiffany,
I'm so glad the recipe worked out so well for you! And yes, you can make the dough in advance. After mixing the dough, let it rise at room temperature for about an hour. Then, cover it and place it in the fridge to cold proof overnight. The next day, take the dough out, shape your rolls, let them rise until puffy, and bake as usual. Happy baking, and happy Easter!
Mira
Hi, can your "poolish" starter replace the sourdough discard and, if so, how much of it for this recipe? Many thanks!
Tatiana Kamakura
Hi Mira,
I haven’t tested this specific recipe with a poolish starter, but I do have a detailed post on how to use poolish here: https://milkandpop.com/baking-with-poolish/ 😊
In general, you can replace sourdough discard with poolish, but the results might vary depending on the hydration and fermentation times. Let me know if you try it—I'd love to hear how it turns out!
Wendy
Why use the sourdough discard if you’re just going to use yeast anyway?
Tatiana Kamakura
Hi Wendy!
You can use sourdough discard for flavor, even if you're adding yeast, but if you want a true sourdough without yeast, simply omit the yeast and use active starter instead of discard. Let the dough double before shaping, and allow it to be puffy and light before baking. Adjust fermentation times accordingly since sourdough takes longer! Cheers!
Deana Rogowski
How many hamburger buns can I get out of this recipe? I absolutely love all your recipes so far!!!!!
Tatiana Kamakura
Hi Deana,
I'm so glad you like them! I get between 8 and 10 buns with this recipe, depending on the size you want. If you're making buns, don't forget to flatten the dough balls slightly after shaping. Cheers!
Bettie
I've made these twice now and they are perfect! I weigh the dough and divide by 12. I also roll them to 12cm long. They are perfect "normal" hot dog bun size. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Tatiana Kamakura
So glad you like it, Bettie! Cheers!
Dickie Joseph Laurent Bernatchez
Measure liquids wiht care (your words)
Tatiana Kamakura
Thanks for pointing that out! Happy baking!