Chinese Hot Dog Buns

4.95 from 100 votes

An Asian bakery classic and the food of my childhood, these homemade Chinese Hot Dog Buns recipe is better than what you get in any Chinese bakery. Really!

Prep Time2 40

Cook Time20

Total Time3

Course: Chinese bakery

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: buns

Calories: 360kcal

Author: Sarah

Ingredients

2/3 cup heavy cream (at room temperature)
1 cup milk (plus 1 tablespoon, at room temperature)
1 large egg (at room temperature)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup cake flour
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon oil
12 hot dogs
Egg wash: whisk together 1 egg with 1 teaspoon water
Simple syrup: 2 teaspoons (8g) of sugar dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In the bowl of a mixer, add the heavy cream, milk, egg, sugar, cake flour, bread flour, yeast, and salt (add it in that order). Using the dough hook attachment, turn on the mixer to “stir.” Let it go for 15 minutes, occasionally stopping the mixer to push the dough together.
After 15 minutes, the dough is ready for proofing. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm spot for 60-90 minutes, until the dough doubles in size.
In the meantime, heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the hot dogs, and allow them to crisp slightly and get some color on them. Set aside on a plate to cool.
After the hour of proofing, put the dough back in the mixer and stir for another 5 minutes to get rid of air bubbles. Dump the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut into 12 equal pieces.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Take each piece of dough and roll it into a 10-12 inch rope, keeping the middle thicker than the ends. Roll the rope around a hot dog, tucking in the ends. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet (keep the buns 2-3 inches apart). Repeat until all the buns are assembled.
Cover the baking sheet with a kitchen towel and allow the buns to rise in a warm place for another hour. The buns should close to double in size. Brush with egg wash, and bake the buns for 14-15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.
Remove from the oven and immediately brush the buns with sugar water. This last step gives them that signature Chinese bakery shine.

Video

Notes

If you don't have cake flour and/or bread flour, feel free to substitute all purpose flour for both.

If kneading by hand, mix the dough ingredients together with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together, and then knead it by hand using floured hands. Extend the kneading time by 5 minutes for the first knead.

Nutrition

Chinese Hot Dog Buns by The Woks of Life. 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