You don’t have to be an accomplished baker to make these simple homemade hot dog buns—your mixer does all the work! The dough is super-easy to work with and yields incredibly tender yet sturdy buns that will hold up to all your favorite toppings, no matter how much you want to pile on. If you want to jazz these buns up a bit, sprinkle them with poppy seeds before baking.
How to Make It
Stir together 1/4 cup water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small bowl. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Combine warm milk and 2 beaten eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Stir in yeast mixture. With mixer running on medium-low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt. Increase speed to medium, and beat until dough is very sticky, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, until well incorporated, about 4 minutes. Stop mixer, and add butter. Beat on medium speed until dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from sides of bowl, about 8 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl if needed. Transfer dough to a bowl lightly greased with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature until doubled in volume, 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Turn dough out onto a clean work surface. Divide dough into 12 (3-ounce) portions. Pat 1 dough portion into a 5- x 3-inch rectangle. Fold the 2 short sides in so they meet in the middle, and gently press. Using your hands and starting at 1 long side, roll dough into a log, gently rolling and pressing into a 5-inch-long log. Repeat with remaining dough portions. Place dough logs parallel to each other, 1 inch apart, on 2 parchment paper–lined baking sheets; gently flatten tops of each. Cover buns loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Whisk together remaining egg and remaining 1 teaspoon water. Brush buns on 1 baking sheet with half of egg wash. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, if desired. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and internal temperature registers 190°F, 14 to 18 minutes. Transfer buns to a wire rack, and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Repeat with remaining baking sheet of buns, remaining egg wash, and, if desired, poppy seeds. Store buns at room temperature in a ziplock plastic bag for up to 3 days.