High Protein Yeasted Hot Dog Buns (Hot Dogs Baked In)
Same day high protein hot dog buns with the hot dog baked directly into the bun. Made with nonfat Greek yogurt and active dry yeast, about 15g of protein each and no bun shaping. Built for a 10 well USA Pan New England Hot Dog Bun Pan.
Servings: 10 Hotdogs
Calories: 260kcal
Equipment
- USA Pan New England Hot Dog Bun Pan (10 wells)
- - Stand mixer with dough hook or Hands
- kitchen scale
- Small bowl for blooming yeast
- bench scraper
- Paper Towel Pastry brush
- Instant read thermometer
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS
- 325 g bread flour 2 and 2/3 cups
- 7 g active dry yeast 2 and 1/4 teaspoons, one standard packet
- 30 g warm water 105 to 110 degrees F (2 tablespoons)
- 16 g granulated sugar divided (1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon)
- 212 g nonfat Greek yogurt room temperature (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
- 37 g unsalted butter softened (2 and 1/2 tablespoons)
- 5 g fine sea salt scant 1 teaspoon
- 1 large egg room temperature
To Assemble
- 10 hot dogs patted dry
- Butter or oil for greasing the pan
Egg Wash/Finish
- 1 large egg
- 15 g water 1 tablespoon
- 28 g unsalted butter melted, for brushing after baking (2 tablespoons)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the warm water, active dry yeast, and 1g of the sugar. Stir gently and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy. If the mixture does not foam, your yeast is no longer active and you should start with a fresh packet before continuing.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the bread flour, salt, and remaining 15g of sugar until evenly combined.
- If the Greek yogurt is coming straight from the fridge, microwave it for about 30 seconds and stir well before using. You want it warm to the touch but not hot. Add the warmed Greek yogurt, egg, and bloomed yeast mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix briefly on low speed to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, about 1 minute.
- With the mixer running on low, add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time, waiting for each addition to be fully incorporated before adding the next. This slow addition prevents the dough from becoming greasy and allows the flour to absorb the fat properly.
- Once all the butter is incorporated, increase the mixer to medium speed and knead for 6 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be tacky but not sticky.
- Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise at room temperature for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.
- While the dough rises, grease all 10 wells of the pan well, even if it is nonstick. Pat each hot dog dry and set aside.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and weigh the total dough. Divide into 10 equal pieces of approximately 65 grams each using a bench scraper.
- Roll each piece across the counter into a log roughly the length of a hot dog. Start in the middle and pull outward as you roll back and forth. Let the pieces rest 5 to 6 minutes so the gluten relaxes.
- Pat a piece of dough flat into an oval. Lay a hot dog in the center and press the sides of the dough all the way down to the bottom of the dog so it wraps around, leaving the bottom part of the hotdog open (which will be the top after baking and flipping). Place it dog side down into a well of the pan, smooth dough on the bottom. Repeat with the remaining dogs and dough.
- Cover loosely and proof for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until noticeably puffy. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F during the last 20 minutes of proofing.
- Whisk the egg with the water until smooth. Gently brush the tops with the egg wash with a piece of paper towel or pastry brush.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, until deep golden brown. The buns are done when the bread reads 190 to 195 degrees F internal and the hot dogs are heated through.
- Let the pan rest for five minutes
- Flip the buns out of the tray.
- Brush the hot buns immediately with melted butter.
- Let the buns cool about 15 minutes before separating them, since they bake as one connected slab and need to set before you pull them apart cleanly.
Notes
Active Dry Yeast vs Instant Yeast
This recipe is written for active dry yeast, which must be bloomed in warm water (105 to 110 degrees F) before using. If substituting instant yeast, use 6g and skip the blooming step entirely. Add it directly to the dry ingredients and proceed with the recipe. Instant yeast will activate at room temperature and does not require a specific liquid temperature in this recipe since the yogurt and egg are the primary liquids.
Do Not Overfill the Wells
The hot dog is already taking up most of the well, so about 65 grams of dough per well is plenty. Too much dough and it mushrooms up over the ridges and merges with its neighbor during the proof and bake.
Wrap, Do Not Lid
Press the dough all the way down the sides of each hot dog so it seals to the bottom of the dog. If the dough just sits on top, you get a lid instead of a bun with the dog baked into it.
The Hot Dog Matters
The dog is baked in, so pick one you like. A good beef dog around 9 grams of protein per link brings each finished bun to roughly 15 grams of protein.
Yogurt Options
Nonfat Greek yogurt gives you the highest protein per bun. Fage 0%, Kirkland Organic Nonfat, Stonyfield Organic Nonfat, and Siggi's nonfat plain skyr all work well and substitute at the same weight. If pulling the yogurt straight from the fridge, microwave it for about 30 seconds and stir well before using.
Storage
Store cooled buns in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a 300 degree F oven until the bread is soft and the dog is hot through. To freeze, wrap individually and freeze for up to one month. Reheat from frozen in a low oven until warmed all the way through.
