Wheat Hot Dog Buns

 Homemade hot dog buns are soft, fluffy and so easy to make, needing only one rise and no shaping!

Moving on from soup, I finally have a more or less seasonal post for you all! While I did not grow up
on homemade bread and buns, I do have fond memories of grilled hot dogs eaten sitting on our sailboat as a child, whether the hot dogs were in buns or chopped into Kraft Dinner was simply a matter of the heat outside. However, I felt then (and still do now) that a lot of the storebought buns are either malleable sponges (yes, I'm looking at you, Wonder Bread) or gritty, dry whole wheat logs posing as a healthier option. 

I set out to make a quick (1 1/2 hour) recipe for hot dog buns that is soft without being spongey and with enough whole wheat for flavour and texture without turning your mouth into the Sahara. After a few trial runs, I developed these buns (that are a perfect length for the "big franks" or sausages) that not only require just a single rise, but that need essentially no shaping either. The soy milk feeds the yeast and allows the bread to rise into magnificent buns, while the oil and agave (or honey) keeps them tender even after freezing them. Toasted, the richness of the whole wheat comes through and makes for a perfect accompaniment to your next grill out, or making sub sandwiches too! Unfortunately, you will need a scale to make this accurately, and if you're not feeding an army (or have limited freezer space amongst all that ice cream!) the recipe halves well as well.

Wheat Hot Dog Buns
Makes 16
1 lb 5 oz flour
1 lb 2 oz whole wheat bread flour
2 ½ tbsp instant yeast
1 tsp baking powder
½ tbsp salt
2 oz sugar
1 oz agave or honey
¼ cup canola oil
3 ⅓ c warmed plain soy milk

1. Line two 9x13” pans and one 9” square pan with parchment and sprinkle with cornmeal.
2. In a large bowl (I used my 7qt stand mixer), combine all the ingredients. Mix well to make a smooth, supple dough, about 8 minutes on low speed or kneading 10-12 minutes by hand.
3. Turn out the dough onto a cornmeal-coated surface and roll out into a long rectangle, about 9’ x 35”.
4. Cut into 16 pieces and place in the pans, 6 for each 9x13" and 4 in the 9" square.
5. Cover and let rise 30-40 minutes.
6. Heat oven to 350F.
7. Bake buns for 23-25 minutes. Immediately cover with a tea towel for 15 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
8. If desired, trim to the length of your chosen filler and eat the ends as rolls!