Gluten-Free Hot Dog Buns, So Soft And Won't Fall Apart!

Have you ever bought gluten-free hot dog buns for a BBQ, only for them to be dry, taste like cardboard and disintegrate when you touch them? Yep... Me too! That's why I created this awesome gluten-free hot dog buns recipe.

It is inspired by my gluten-free burger brioche buns, in that the dough has been enriched with butter and eggs. There are no psyllium husks in this recipe. The magic is achieved by using gluten-free flours that absorb a lot of water, which creates a strong oven spring that the eggs can structurally support, giving us a beautiful airy crumb. The butter brings malleability to the dough so it can easily be shaped.

I think you're going to love trying this recipe for your next BBQ, and trust me, your guests or picky toddler won't know they're eating gluten-free hot dog buns!

With warmer sunnier weather finally arriving, it's time to get outside and fire up the grill! Impress your guests and family with some freshly baked gluten-free hot dog buns. You can also offer (and make-ahead) some of my favorite desserts to go with this meal, like a gluten-free cherry pie, or gluten-free dairy-free chocolate cupcakes!

Ingredients

Like with all gluten-free baking, the choice of flour matters. In this recipe, I've used a DIY gluten-free bread flour mix specifically formulated to absorb a lot of water. This lets us get a good oven spring while making the dough shapeable into hot dog buns.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

I'll split the instructions between making the gluten-free dough, which will need to be refrigerated, and then shaping/baking the hot dog buns.

Making the Dough

The hardest part of this recipe really is just gathering and weighing the ingredients. Once that's done, you're at the finish line!

Put all the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes, until the dough is homogeneous. If it looks like you're making frosting, don't panic, you're doing it correctly! Cover and refrigerate the dough for 4-24 hours before shaping, and that will allow the gluten-free flours to absorb moisture, and for the butter to harden, which will make the dough easily shapeable.

Shaping and Baking

Now it's time to shape those gluten-free hot dog buns! Turn the dough onto a lightly gluten-free floured surface (any 1:1 mix is fine) and split the dough into 10 equal balls, weighing about 75 grams each.

My molds are 5 inch x 2 inch, and I find that's the perfect size for a hot dog. You don't need molds for the recipe, you can also bake them on a baking sheet, but if you're curious this is the mold I use (non-affiliate).

After the buns are shaped, cover them loosely with greased plastic wrap and let rest for an hour. They may puff up slightly, but they certainly won't double and that's okay! Then, brush with egg wash and bake for 22 minutes in a 350F oven. Let cool 30 minutes before enjoying the buns still slightly warm. And voila!

Note that while there is not a big rise during the counter resting phase, you can see how much the dough rises in the oven (from picture 7 to 8). That's because the dough is well hydrated, and along with the carbon dioxide created by the yeast, the water vapors expand into the hydrocolloids and egg proteins which give structure and support to the rise.

Hint: these hot dog buns are meant to be enjoyed slightly warm. Don't cut into them immediately out of the oven because they're still in the water evaporation phase. Cutting too early may make the bread gummy. Instead, wait 30 minutes. If you wait too long, microwave the buns ~5-10 seconds so they are slightly warm, for the best experience.

Substitutions

The allergens for this recipe are: eggs, milk. The eggs play a huge role here and I do not recommend replacing them. Instead, check out my gluten-free vegan sourdough bread!

• Dairy-Free - milk is in two places in this recipe: the buttermilk powder, and the butter. You can swap out the butter for your vegan butter of choice, preferably high in saturated fats so it hardens in the dough. For the buttermilk powder, simply omit, and instead of water, use a vegan milk of choice mixed with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar to curdle.
• Oat-Free - oat flour is in the gluten-free bread flour used. It was chosen because it absorbs a lot of water and can be substituted for another highly water absorbing flour, my first suggestion being ivory teff. Check here for other compatible flours, but keep in mind you may get slightly different taste/texture results.

Variations

You could use this gluten-free hot dog bun recipe to make sandwich rolls instead! You can roll the bun in varying seasonings:

• Sesame seeds
• Poppy seeds
• Caraway seeds

Equipment

I strongly recommend using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for making the dough. I would not attempt the recipe without it. It's a big investment, but a total game changer in the kitchen!

Then, you'll need a baking tray lined with parchment paper. I use a mesh mold because it speeds up my process at my bakery, but you don't need to. Here's the mold I use (non-affiliate), which you can also use to shape sandwich rolls, éclairs and lady fingers.

Storage

I store my gluten-free hot dog buns in a reusable bread bag on the counter. They'll last up to three days. When using the buns beyond the 30 minutes out of the oven that I recommend earlier in the post, microwave them ~5-10 seconds just to freshen/moisten the dough, for the best experience. They're really good slightly warm!

If you have leftovers after 3 days, wrap them in plastic and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month. When ready to use, thaw to room temperature, and microwave a few seconds before enjoying.

FAQ

Related

Looking for other bread recipes? Try these!

Gluten-Free Hot Dog Buns

This gluten-free hot dog buns recipe makes the perfect addition to any BBQ; it's soft and airy, but sturdy enough it won't fall apart!

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: BBQ, gluten-free

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes minutes

Refrigeration Time: 5 hours hours

Servings: 10

Calories: 214kcal

Author: Naelle @ GlutenFreeDIYers

Cost: 8

Equipment

• 1 Stand Mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
• 1 Baking Tray or hot dog mesh mold
• 1 kitchen scale

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Dry Ingredients

• 309 grams Naëlle's gluten-free bread flour please click through, this blend MUST be used
• 2 grams baking powder
• 6 grams salt
• 24 grams buttermilk powder
• 30 grams sugar
• 5 grams instant yeast

Liquid Ingredients

• 90 grams butter room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 210 grams water

For Shaping

• 30 grams any 1:1 gluten-free flour use the minimal amount necessary
• 1 egg beaten, for eggwash

Instructions

Making the Dough

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, measure all the dry ingredients.
• Mix a few seconds to combine.
• Add the liquid ingredients, and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes, until the dough looks like buttercream.
• Transfer the dough to a plastic container with a lid (or seal the container with plastic wrap) and refrigerate at least 4 hours, and up to 24 hours.

Shaping the Dough

• Turn the dough onto a lightly gluten-free floured surface, and split into 10 equal portions weighing 75 grams each.
• Using as little gluten-free flour as possible, shape the dough into a 5 x 2 inch cylinder. The dough will be slightly sticky, and should quickly be shaped (not kneaded).
• Place the shaped buns into a mesh mold, or space them evenly on a baking tray.
• Cover them with an oiled plastic wrap, and let the dough rest/rise for one hour. Note that the dough will not double, only puff up slightly. The recipe is designed for a big oven spring.

Baking the Buns

• Nearing the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 350 °F (177 °C)
• Brush the buns liberally with egg wash.
• Place in the middle of the preheated oven, and bake 22 minutes.
• The hot dog buns are ready when an inserted thermometer reads 210 °F (99 °C) or if baking at high altitude, it will be slightly lower (temperature at which water boils at given altitude).
• Cool on a rack for 30 minutes before cutting and serving warm. Enjoy!
• If serving the hot dog buns when fully cool, microwave ~5-10 seconds to freshen up the dough.

Nutrition

Serving: 75grams | Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 28.4g | Protein: 4.9g | Fat: 9.3g | Saturated Fat: 5.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 53.7mg | Sodium: 371.4mg | Potassium: 204.5mg | Fiber: 2.6g | Sugar: 4.7g | Vitamin A: 276.6IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 59.2mg | Iron: 1mg