Overnight Sourdough Hot Dog Buns (Super Soft & Easy)
INGREDIENTS
For the Sweet Levain
- 15 g sourdough starter
- 15 g honey
- 40 g flour (bread or all-purpose)
- 30 g water
For the Tangzhong
- 45 g all-purpose flour
- 210 g milk
For the Main Dough
- 80 g sweet starter (from above; regular starter works, too)
- 55 g milk
- 35 g honey
- 55 g avocado oil (or melted, unsalted butter)
- 375 g all-purpose flour
- 7 g salt
- All of the tangzhong
For Brushing
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
Instructions
Morning of Day 1: Prepare Sweet Levain
- In the morning, combine 15 g sourdough starter, 15 g honey, 40 g flour, and 30 g water in a jar. Let ferment 8-10 hours until peaked.Tip: Sweet starter reduces tanginess in your buns!
Evening of Day 1: Make Tangzhong & Dough
- Make the tangzhong: Mix 45 g all-purpose flour and 210 g milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until thickened and reaches 150°F (65°C). For me, it usually takes 3-5 rounds to finish. Cool to below 100°F (38°C).Tip: the tangzhong is absolutely essential to getting the airy, squishy buns. Do not skip this, or the recipe won't be the same!
- Mix Dough: Combine 80 g sweet starter (that you made in the morning), 55 g milk, 35 g honey, 55 g avocado oil, 375 g all-purpose flour, 7 g salt, and All of the tangzhong. Mix 4-5 minutes in stand mixer on low speed (or knead by hand).Optional but helpful: After a 20-30 minute rest, mix again for 2 minutes until smooth.
- Overnight Fermentation: Place in a bowl (lightly oil or butter if desired), cover, and let rise 8-12 hours at room temperature until doubled or tripled in size.Note: we tested this recipe at a kitchen temperature of 70-73°F (21-23°C). If your house is much warmer, the dough will ferment faster and vice versa.
Morning of Day 2: Shape & Bake
- Shape Buns: Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Be very sparing with the flour; otherwise, sealing the dough will be difficult. Using a bench scraper, divide dough into 10 equal pieces (about 80g each). Using a rolling pin, roll each into a rectangle, thin the top edge with your thumb, roll up, and pinch seams closed. Reference the photo in this recipe card for visual help.
- Place In Pan: Place shaped buns in hot dog bun pan (or sheet tray), and cover with plastic wrap or damp tea towel.Tip: If using a sheet tray, line it with parchment paper and place buns close enough to touch for classic pull-apart sides!
- Second Rise: Let rise 2-3 hours until puffy and airy [up to 5 hours is fine in a 73°F (23°C) home].
- Bake: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush the top of the buns with half of the 4 tbsp unsalted butter. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 200-210°F (93-99°C). Brush with the rest of the butter immediately after baking. Enjoy some incredible, next level hot dogs!Tip: buttering these before and after baking is also key to getting a soft, squishable crust. Don't skip it!
Notes
This recipe timeline assumes mixing your dough around 7-8pm and baking the next day around 11am-1pm. If you prefer a daytime fermentation, follow this timeline instead:
- Make sweet levain before bed.
- In the morning, mix your dough.
- Let bulk ferment on the counter until double or triple in size.
- Shape, place in pan, and do the second rise. If the timing is too late in the day, you can put the shaped buns in the fridge, overnight. The next day, bring them out to room temperature and let them finish the second rise.
- Bake and enjoy.
