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| First published: 24/09/2016 |
I had a heavenly hotdog in NY and a fabulous
frankfurter in... Frankfurt and what they both had in common was that the bread
was as good as the filling. The long-life yokes you get in the supermarket marked
‘Hotdog Buns’ aren’t WTC* (Worth The Calories) and I don’t know a bakery
that does fresh hotdog buns.
Invest about 20 minutes relatively easy active time – think of it as therapy. You can be pottering about doing other stuff as they prove and bake and before you know it, you’ll have 9 heavenly hotdog buns ready to receive whatever deliciousness you decide to fill them with. Here's what the taste-testers had to say:
For 9 heavenly hotdog buns, you will need…
...to pre-heat the oven to 190C before baking
Invest about 20 minutes relatively easy active time – think of it as therapy. You can be pottering about doing other stuff as they prove and bake and before you know it, you’ll have 9 heavenly hotdog buns ready to receive whatever deliciousness you decide to fill them with. Here's what the taste-testers had to say:
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...to pre-heat the oven to 190C before baking
450g strong white flour (bread flour)
1 x 7g sachet of dry active yeast 1½ teaspoons of fine table salt
25g caster sugar
1 egg at room temperature, beaten
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
100mls warm milk (approx. 38°C)
150mls warm water, (approx. 38°C). Note, you may not need to use it all
a little beaten egg
Method
Combine
the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl and add the egg and olive oil.
Mix well. Next, add the warm milk. Continue mixing while you add as much of the
warm water as necessary until the dough comes together in a ball (you may
not need all the water). Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead
for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Alternatively place all the
ingredients in a stand mixer and mix with a dough hook until smooth and elastic
(about 10 minutes).
Cover with
lightly oiled cling film and leave until doubled in size. (I sometimes leave it
to develop overnight in the fridge for a bigger flavour but in a warm,
draught-free spot, it should take about an hour.) Next, turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured work surface and knead gently to deflate. Divide it into 9 even pieces – I weigh each piece, which is usually approximately 90g.
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| Flatten into an oblong, roll into a sausage, pinch along the seam and tuck in the ends |
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| Let sleeping dogs lie ... until doubled in size |
When ready to bake, pre-heat
the oven and about a minute or two before baking, place a roasting dish on the
bottom shelf of the oven and add a cupful of hot water. (The steam will help
the hotdog buns rise and help create a shiny crust.)
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| I never go out without a touch of gloss... |
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| 10 minutes later ... a tan worthy of the 'Strictly' makeup department !!! |
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| The doggone dogs are all gone! |
So, do you fry, grill, steam or simmer your hotdogs? Do you keep the topping simple with fried onion, ketchup and mustard or do you pimp your dog with exotic or unusual ingredients? Do you have a vegetarian alternative? Let me know by leaving a comment below. Pin It
