Choosing the best hot dog bun depends on taste, texture, and style. Classic and New England-style buns are popular, while whole grain and thicker buns are also options. Homemade buns allow for customization. Flour type affects the bun’s texture and flavor.
Choosing the best hot dog bun is mostly about the taste of the bun versus the hot dog, although the texture and style of the bun can also make a difference. The classic hot dog bun is soft, made with white flour, cut on one side, and does a good job of holding a traditional hot dog and its toppings. A New England-style bun is similar in many ways to a classic bun, but it’s squared and cut along the top, providing a stable place for the hot dog and its toppings, though it sometimes doesn’t hold up as much as a classic bun. Some hot dog buns are made with whole wheat or other whole grains and taste less sweet than that of a white flour bun. There is a style of hot dog bun that is thicker than a classic bun and more closely resembles freshly baked bread that can be covered in sesame seeds, poppy seeds or fennel seeds.
When choosing a hot dog bun, deciding on the style of bun can narrow down your potential options. A classic hot dog bun is sometimes called a side sandwich; it has a cooked crust over almost all of its outer surface and is soft and absorbent, allowing more of the hot dog’s meaty taste to be perceived. The New England-style bun has a crust only on the top and bottom, because it’s cut from a longer loaf, much like a slice of bread, and can sometimes have less room for larger toppings than a side-cut bun. Oven-baked hot dog buns can be cooked individually, but are generally denser than the other styles and provide a chewy texture that can stand up to larger hot dogs and messier ingredients, though sometimes have too much dough for certain tastes. Depending on the recipe, a homemade hot dog bun may be an option if none of the other buns are satisfactory, because the cook can then control the thickness, texture, and browning of the bun.
The type of flour used to make a hot dog bun can affect its final character. Standard white flour tends to form a bun that is spongy, soft, holds up well to a hot dog, and will readily absorb seasonings. Whole grains and whole-wheat flour often produce a bun that has more texture than one made with white flour, but isn’t as sweet. Rarely, some buns can be made with other varieties of flour, such as high gluten flour which makes a bun very chewy or rye flour to make a bun with a distinctive taste and tough texture.
If a readily available hot dog bun isn’t suitable, you can make them at home. The dough is usually leavened and may contain some milk to keep the bread moist, although any recipe may be used to suit the cook’s taste. The advantage of a homemade bun is that it can be easily adjusted to suit any situation, so onions or garlic can be cooked into the bun or, in some cases, the buns themselves can be wrapped around the hot dogs and cooked so they snugly enclose the meat.
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