40-Minute Homemade Hot Dog Buns Recipe (No Rise & Dairy-Free)

This recipe for 40-minute, no rise, homemade hot dog buns is adapted from my beloved dairy-free homemade hamburger buns recipe. It’s an elongated version that’s changed just a wee bit, and tested egg-free! The recipe can also be found in my flagship book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook.

I know – ketchup on hot dogs is considered wrong to many hot dog devotees, but my niece needs her ketchup! I originally shared this recipe back in 2013, but have given the post and recipe an update!

These Homemade Hot Dog Buns are Ready in 40 Minutes

I love how these homemade wheat hot dog buns are not too dense, not too fluffy, and taste bakery fresh. And I don’t have to wait for the dough to rise, so the whole process can be finished in under an hour. I use white-wheat flour because it is softer than traditional whole wheat flour, but both are a whole grain.

Recipe Options & Tips for Perfect Homemade Hot Dog Buns

Sweetener: If needed, you can reduce the sweetener to 2 or 3 tablespoons without drastically affecting the results. You can use almost any sweetener, granular or liquid. Most work well. I just prefer to use honey.

Rising Option: If you prefer fluffier, traditionally risen buns, you can reduce the yeast to 1 tablespoon, cover the dough after step 4, and let it rise for 1 hour. Then let the unbaked hot dog buns rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour in step 5, or until doubled in size.

Make Sure Your Yeast is Active: The leading (and pretty much only) cause of under-risen buns is inactive yeast. Make sure you test it as noted in the recipe before committing all of your ingredients. If you bought a bag of active yeast, you can store it in the freezer to preserve it. However, if you use frozen yeast, it might not bubble or foam in the first step, even if it is still active. But it will give you good results. If you are sure your yeast is active, you can skip the 5 minute proofing, which makes this recipe even faster!

Choosing Your Dairy-Free Hot Dogs

Not all hot dogs are dairy free, and meat hot dogs do not fall under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA). This means (meat) hot dog producers do not need to label or disclose top allergens. So if you see a potentially dairy ingredient, and the company has not voluntarily included allergen information, contact them to confirm the ingredient sources.

Some popular dairy-free hot dog makers include:

Applegate Farms (my niece loves their Great Organic Beef Hot Dogs)
Coleman Natural
Hebrew National (MAM’s favorite)
Hempler’s Franks

Plant-based hot dogs do fall under the FALCPA, and most are vegan (naturally dairy-free ingredients). But of course, check with the company on their processes if you are dealing with a severe or highly sensitive food allergy. Do not rely on ‘may contain‘ statements.

A few popular vegan brands that make hot dogs include:

Field Roast (contain wheat)
Loma Linda (contain soy and wheat) – good shelf-stable option
Moving Mountains (no top allergens)
Tofurky (contain soy and wheat)

Special Diet Notes: Homemade Wheat Hot Dog Buns

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, optionally egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, optionally vegan, and vegetarian. I haven’t yet tested this recipe gluten-free; that could get a little tricky!

40-Minute Wheat Hot Dog Buns (No Rise)

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

40 mins

Once you try this recipe, you'll never go back to store bought! It's so easy to make your own, and they come out fluffy and fresh tasting.

Author: Alisa Fleming

Recipe type: Bread

Cuisine: American

Serves: 12 hot dog buns

Ingredients

1 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water (about 105ºF)
2 tablespoons active dry yeast (reduce to 1½ tablespoons above 4,000 feet)
⅓ cup oil
¼ cup honey or sweetener of choice
1 egg OR 1 egg replacer (we've tested with 1½ teaspoons Ener-G Egg replacer + 2 tablespoons warm water)
2 cups all-purpose or white bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1½ to 2 cups white-wheat or whole wheat flour (can sub more all-purpose flour)

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Put the warm water in a large bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes to proof and ensure the yeast is active. It should bubble or foam. If it doesn't your yeast might be inactive. Start again with fresh yeast.
Add the oil, sweetener, and egg or egg replacer to the yeast mixture and whisk to combine. Add the all-purpose or bread flour and salt and stir to combine. Gradually stir in the wheat flour, as needed, until soft dough forms. Bring the dough together with your hands when it becomes too thick to stir. It should be slightly tacky, but should not stick to your hands.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, and shape each into 5- to 6-inch long logs. Place them on your prepared baking sheet about 3 inches apart.
Lightly cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest while your oven preheats (about 15 minutes).
Preheat your oven to 425ºF.
Gently remove the plastic wrap and bake the buns for 14 to 15 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Remove the buns to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Notes

Freezing Option: These homemade hot dog buns freeze well! I recommend pre-slicing them, but this is optional. If pre-sliced, you can simply reheat them in the toaster. Individually wrap the buns in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.