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These soft, pillowy gluten-free hot dog buns are a game changer to hold frankfurters or cooked sausages without falling apart or tasting like cardboard.
There’s no doubt that hot dogs are the ultimate crowd-pleasing snack! Making these gluten-free hot dog buns on the same day will guarantee them to be soft and easy to fill.
While testing these buns, my testers commented how they couldn’t believe they were gluten-free and some even said that they preferred them over the gluten buns! I suppose this depends on what store-bought hot dog buns are available in your country. For some reason, in Austria, even the gluten ones fall apart! After working many years in the booster club (tuckshop) at my children’s school here, I experienced hundreds of crumbling hot dog buns!
Ingredients used to make gluten-free hot dog buns
Homemade Gluten-Free Bread Flour
This recipe for gluten-free hot dog buns is similar to my gluten-free sandwich bread recipe which has been tested extensively using my homemade gluten-free bread flour blend. This bread flour recipe explains thoroughly what ingredients are needed and how they work in the blend. Using store-bought gluten-free bread flour will give a similar result, but some brands may differ, requiring either slightly more liquid or flour to get that soft dough before moulding and baking.
Tapioca Starch
Tapioca starch is not the same as tapioca flour. The latter is known as cassava flour and is more fibrous compared to tapioca starch. Most Asian stores sell this starch as it is used extensively in many Asian dishes, especially desserts and snacks. This starch gives the hot dog bun that soft, springy feel.
Xanthan Gum
The addition of xanthan gum gives more binding strength and makes the buns fluffy and soft. Whether your store-bought blend has xanthan gum in it or not, I would still add the amount indicated in the recipe card for perfect results.
Working the dough
The dough needs to come together after 5 minutes of kneading. It helps to have a stand mixer with a whisk and dough hook attachment.
If you have a large food processor, the dough will blend well on a low setting or by pulsing.
Using a wooden spoon will give you at least a good ten-minute workout. Perhaps share the mixing with someone else if you feel this is too laborious.
Getting that hot dog shape
Besides rolling the dough into log shapes measuring 13 cm x 5 cm, using a silicon hot dog bun mould tray gives it that authentic “hot dog bun” look.
Baking the hot dog buns in a baguette baking tray works well too. Make sure to grease and dust the tray with some flour before placing the shaped dough in it.
Glazing the hot dog buns
Prior to baking, use the egg yolk, yoghurt & milk or water mixture to brush the tops of each hot dog bun to get that golden finish once baked.
Sprinkle some sesame seeds, poppy seeds or leave the tops plain.
Prefer a paler look? Leave the egg-glazing step out.
After baking, brushing the tops with some melted butter gives the buns a nice sheen and flavour.
HEALTH TIP
Hot dogs were probably the last thing I would feed my children, but nowadays there are plenty of healthier (& gluten-free!) frankfurters that use either turkey meat (less fatty), less nitrate and salt or even vegan frankfurters. Adding healthy condiments such as homemade salsa, raw chopped red onions, pickles, yoghurt mayonnaise and/or sauerkraut will take these hot dogs up the healthier scale.
When washing your hands to remove any sticky dough residue, use COLD WATER as hot water cakes it on your hands even more!
Gluten-Free Hot Dog Buns
Equipment
Ingredients
GLUTEN-FREE HOT DOG BUNS
Yeast Mixture
- 150 ml warm water
- 4 tbsp honey or rice syrup
- 1½ tbsp dried active yeast
Dry Ingredients
- 400 g gluten-free store-bought or homemade gluten-free bread flour
- 100 g tapioca starch
- 1½ tsp xanthan gum
- 3 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 1½ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 125 ml water
- 125 ml milk
- 40 g unsalted butter, melted & cooled
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg white save the egg yolk to glaze*
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
GLAZE
- 1 egg yolk*
- 1 tbsp water
- pinch of salt
FINISHING GLAZE
- ½ tbsp butter, melted
EXTRA
- Tapioca starch, for dusting
- Sesame seeds, optional
Instructions
Preparing the hot dog bun dough
- Mix the yeast mixture in a bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 10 minutes.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Place the wet ingredients in a stand mixer bowl.
- Using the whisk attachment, whisk the wet ingredients at a medium-high speed for 2 minutes.
- Add the yeast mixture and whisk for 1 minute.
- While the mixer is whisking at a low speed, add half of the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl. Change the whisk to the dough hook attachment.
- Continue at a low speed and gradually add the remaining dry ingredients.
- Increase to medium speed and knead for 5 minutes. The dough should start to leave the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Dust the kitchen countertop with tapioca starch and tip the dough out onto the dusted surface.
- With floured hands, roll equal size balls (you could weigh them to be accurate or eyeball the size), adding more tapioca starch if the dough is too sticky.
- Roll each ball into log shapes roughly measuring the length of each hot dog bun mould. Each mould on my tray measured 13 cm x 5 cm.
- Once all the moulds are filled, dust some tapioca starch over the tops and using your fingers, gently press down and mould the dough to fill the sides. Pinch any cracks that may appear on the top and smooth them out with your fingers. Dust more tapioca starch if the dough sticks to your fingers.
- Cover the tray with lightly oiled plastic wrap or a damp tea towel.
- Set aside to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
- After the 30 mins rise, remove the covering and generously brush the tops with the egg glaze. If you prefer your buns to be less golden, skip this step.
- If you like your hot dog buns to be topped with sesame seeds, sprinkle some on once the buns have been glazed.
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F.
- Bake the bread for 15 minutes.
- While the buns are cooling in the tray, brush the tops lightly with the melted butter. Leave to cool for at least 5 minutes.
- Gently remove the buns from the tray and if serving immediately, slice one side of the bun lengthways and fill each bun with a hot dog and your chosen condiments.
- Cover any remaining unfilled hot dog buns with a teatowel if serving on the same day as baking, otherwise, store them in an airtight container.
Notes
- Keeps for 2 days in a sealed container.
- Best eaten on the same day of baking.
- Excellent to freeze.
To make 6 hot dog buns only, please note:
If you plan to only make 6 hot dog buns, simply reduce the portion size to 6 in the recipe card and follow the adjusted ingredient measurements. For the egg white measurement, I would recommend weighing the egg white, then dividing the weight in half as only half an egg white would be needed in the reduced recipe.
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