If there’s one thing that can make or break a great summer cookout or a cozy family dinner, it’s the bun. We spend so much time picking out the best quality hot dogs and sausages, only to tuck them into dry, crumbly, flavorless store-bought bread. Once you make these incredibly soft and delicious homemade hot dog buns, you will never want to go back to the plastic bags from the grocery store bread aisle!

A huge shoutout to Huttongirlshomestead on Instagram—I saw a reel featuring this amazing recipe on her page and just had to try it. It did not disappoint!

Why Homemade is Better Than Store-Bought

The biggest reason to make your own bread at home is simply knowing exactly what goes into it. Have you ever turned over a package of commercial hot dog buns and read the ingredient list? It’s usually a paragraph long, filled with artificial preservatives, dough conditioners, and unpronounceable additives designed to keep them sitting on a shelf for weeks.

When you bake these from scratch, you are in complete control. You’re using pure, simple pantry staples: flour, water, yeast, a little olive oil, and honey for a touch of natural sweetness. You get a far superior, beautifully glossy bun that you can feel good about feeding to your family, without any of the mystery ingredients.

How to Freeze for Later

This recipe yields a generous batch of about 12 medium-sized buns, which is perfect for meal-prepping! If you don’t use them all at once, they freeze beautifully.

Freezing Instructions: Allow the baked buns to cool completely on a wire rack. Once they are entirely room temperature, place the extras into a large gallon-sized Ziploc bag, squeeze out as much excess air as possible, and pop them in the freezer. When you’re ready for another hot dog night, just pull them out to thaw at room temperature—they’ll be just as soft and fresh as the day you baked them.

Soft Hot Dog & Sausage Buns

Prep time: 15 minutes | Rise time: 1 hour 45 minutes | Bake time: 15 minutes | Yields: 12 medium buns

Ingredients:

• 2 cups warm water
• 2 ¼ tsp yeast (one standard packet)
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 5 cups flour

Instructions:

1. Bloom the yeast: In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and honey. Give it a gentle stir and let it sit for about 5 minutes until the mixture gets bubbly and frothy.
2. Make the dough: Add the olive oil, salt, and flour to the yeast mixture. Mix until the dough starts to come together.
3. Knead: Turn the dough out (or use a stand mixer with a dough hook) and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
4. First Rise: Form the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
5. Shape the buns: Punch down the dough and divide it to shape into buns. This recipe makes 12 medium-sized buns, but you can portion them larger or smaller depending on your preference. Place the shaped buns on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Second Rise: Cover the baking sheet loosely and let the buns rise for another 30 to 45 minutes until puffed up and pillowy.
7. Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Bake the buns for 15 minutes until they are a beautiful golden brown on top.
8. Cool & Store: Let the buns cool completely before slicing. (Don’t forget to freeze any leftovers in a gallon Ziploc bag for later!)

Enjoy these with your favorite sausages, loaded hot dogs, or even as soft sandwich sub rolls!