Potato Flake Sourdough Hot Dog Buns
These potato flake sourdough hot dog buns are soft, flavorful, and perfectly shaped for cookouts, family dinners, or even just a homemade hot dog night. They’ve got that tender, pillowy texture we all love in a bun, thanks to the combination of sourdough fermentation and a touch of potato flakes in the dough.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- Plastic Wrap or Beeswax Wrap
- Bench scraper or sharp knife
- Digital scale (for precise portioning)
- Pastry brush
- Hot dog bun pan, New England-style pan, or parchment-lined baking sheet
- Digital thermometer (optional, but helpful for reading temperature)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup warm milk 180 grams
- 3/4 cup potato flake sourdough starter active
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 450 grams
- 1 tsp Pink Himalayan salt (or table salt) 6 grams
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1/3 cup mild olive oil 60 grams
- 2 tablespoons sugar 25 grams
- 3 tablespoons instant mashed potatoes potato flakes
Instructions
Mix the Wet Ingredients
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add your active starter, olive oil, sugar, room temperature egg, and warm milk (be sure the milk is not warmer than 95℉). Whisk the ingredients together until mixed.
Add the Dry Ingredients
- Next, add your all-purpose flour, instant potatoes, and salt. Use the dough hook attachment to mix the dry ingredients in with your wet ingredients. Mix on low speed for about 2 minutes, or until a shaggy dough forms. Scrape the sides of the bowl if needed.
Let the Dough Rest
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let the dough rest for 5 minutes. This short dough rest helps the flour fully hydrate and leads to better gluten development.
Knead the Dough
- Knead on medium speed for 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl.The dough will be sticky, but you should be able to form it into a ball with minimal residue on your hands. Don’t add extra flour—it’s supposed to be soft.
First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)
- After shaping into a tight ball, transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, turning it to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 6 to 10 hours. The bulk fermentation time may vary depending on your dough temperature and the room environment.
Divide and Shape the Dough
- After the first rise, turn the dough ball out onto a clean work surface.
- Remove the air by shaping into a tight ball. Your dough will still be soft, but don’t be tempted to add more flour.
- Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to divide it into 10 equal pieces (weighing about 87 grams each using a digital scale for precise measurements).
- Flatten each piece of dough into a rectangle slightly longer than the hotdog pan you will be using (or longer than a hotdog if you don't have a hotdog pan).
- Roll from top to bottom, sealing the edge as you go. Pinch the seam and tuck the ends under to create shaped buns.
- Place seam-side down in a hot dog bun pan or on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You can also use a New England-style pan for a different look.
Second Rise
- Cover the buns with plastic wrap. I don't recommend a damp tea towel because this can allow the buns to dry out. Allow them to rise for 4 to 8 hours in a warm spot, or until nicely puffy. This second rise is essential for developing that fluffy texture.
Bake
- Once the buns have doubled in size, preheat your oven to 425°F. Once preheated, place them in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes total: 6 minutes uncovered, then loosely cover with foil to prevent the tops of the buns from over-browning.
Brush with Butter
- Once baked to a perfect golden brown, remove from the oven and brush with melted butter using a pastry brush. This step gives the buns a soft crust and rich flavor, but totally optional.
Notes
-A digital thermometer can help ensure your dough is at the right dough temperature for rising. Buns are done if they have reached 190F in the center.
-To get evenly sized buns, weigh your dough. My buns were about 87 grams each, but the best way to get the weight of what each bun should be is to first weigh your dough ball before dividing, take that number and divide by 10 and you will have the number each bun should weigh.
-Don’t be tempted to add flour during shaping—this dough is meant to be soft.
-Store leftover buns in an airtight container once fully cooled.