Soft, fluffy, and sturdy enough to hold your favorite hot dogs, bratwurst, and sausages, these hot dog buns with freshly milled flour bake up with a tender crumb and rich homemade flavor in every bite. Made with freshly milled hard white wheat, scalded milk, and a touch of fresh lemon juice, they have just the right amount of structure to hold your favorite toppings while staying soft enough for every bite. I love baking a batch to keep in the freezer because they’re perfect for everything from quick weeknight dinners to backyard cookouts. Here is a patriotic hot dog board idea for your summer celebrations, American Flag Hot Dog Board.
Scalding the milk helps create a softer crumb, while freshly milled hard white wheat gives these buns a mild flavor and dependable structure without being dense and heavy. A splash of fresh lemon juice gently acidifies the milk, helping produce tender, easy-to-shape dough that bakes into soft fluffy buns.
If you’re building your collection of freshly milled flour bread recipes, be sure to try Sandwich Bread with Fresh Milled Flour and Hamburger Buns with Fresh Milled Flour. You’ll also find Baking with Freshly Milled Flour, Bread Flour from Freshly Milled Flour, Best Wheat Berries for Bread, and How to Convert Any Recipe to Freshly Milled Flour helpful as you continue baking with freshly milled flour.
Did you know you can convert your favorite recipes to freshly milled flour? Learn how to convert recipes and find more fresh flour guides at The Cottage Mill.
The Cottage Mill | Freshly Milled Flour Guides, Recipes, and More Await!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
For the Dough
For the Egg Wash *optional
Variations & Add-Ins
Recipe Tips
Mill a little extra flour before you begin – Freshly milled flour can vary depending on the wheat variety, humidity, milling fineness, and even the size of your eggs. Milling a little extra before you begin gives you flour on hand if the dough needs a small adjustment.
Freshly milled dough should feel soft and slightly tacky – Resist the urge to add more flour too quickly. Freshly milled flour continues to absorb moisture as the dough rests, so let it fully hydrate before making adjustments.
Scald the milk for a softer crumb – Heating the milk before mixing helps create softer, more tender buns that stay fresh longer. If you use warm water instead, the buns will still turn out well but won’t be quite as soft.
Don’t skip the lemon juice – You won’t taste it in the finished buns. It gently acidifies the milk, helping create a tender crumb and soft buns.
Instant yeast or active dry yeast both work – Instant yeast can be mixed directly with the dry ingredients, while active dry yeast should be proofed in the warm milk before mixing the dough.
Watch the dough, not the clock – Rising times will vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen and the activity of your yeast. Look for dough that’s doubled in size and feels light and airy instead of relying only on the timer.
Shape each bun with gentle tension – Rolling each portion into a smooth log helps the buns rise evenly and maintain their classic hot dog bun shape.
Freshly milled flour browns faster – Keep an eye on the buns during the last few minutes of baking. If they’re browning too quickly, loosely tent them with foil until they’re fully baked.
Instructions
- Mill the flour – Mill the hard white wheat berries on the finest setting. If the flour feels warm, let it cool for about 5 minutes before mixing.
- Prepare the milk – Heat the milk to 180°F (82°C), then let it cool to 105–110°F (41–43°C). Stir in the fresh lemon juice and set aside. If using warm water instead of milk, heat it to the same mixing temperature.
- Prepare the yeast – If using active dry yeast, stir it into the warm milk or water with the sugar and let it sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. If using instant yeast, skip this step and add it with the dry ingredients.
- Mix the dough – In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the milk mixture, eggs, and melted butter. Add the freshly milled flour, salt, sugar (if you didn’t add it with the yeast), and instant yeast (if using). Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Rest the dough – Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30–45 minutes. This hydration rest allows the freshly milled flour to absorb the liquid and softens the bran.
- Knead the dough – Knead for 8–10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. Let the dough fully hydrate before deciding if it needs additional flour.
- First rise – Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Shape the buns – Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Shape each into a smooth log about 5–6 inches long and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between each bun.
- Final rise – Cover loosely and let the buns rise until noticeably puffy and nearly doubled in size.
- Brush with egg wash – If desired, whisk together the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water and lightly brush the tops of the buns before baking for a golden finish. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.
- Bake – Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 15–18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the buns sound hollow when lightly tapped. If they begin browning too quickly, loosely tent them with foil.
- Cool – Let the buns cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Freezing and Storage
- Room Temperature – Store the cooled buns in an airtight container or bread bag for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator – Homemade bread dries out more quickly in the refrigerator, so I recommend freezing any buns you won’t enjoy within a few days.
- Freezer – Once completely cooled, place the buns in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. For added convenience, wrap them individually before freezing so you can thaw only what you need.
- To Reheat – Let frozen buns thaw at room temperature, or warm them in a 300°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes until soft and heated through.
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Hot Dog Buns with Freshly Milled Flour
Prep:20 minutes Cook:15 minutes Rise Time:45 minutes Total:1 hour 20 minutes Equipment
- Grain Mill
- Stand mixer with dough hook (or large mixing bowl)
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Kitchen scale
- Dough scraper
- Baking sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Pastry brush (optional, for egg wash)
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 4½ cups hard white wheat berries freshly milled on the finest setting, 540 grams
- 1 cup whole milk scalded then cooled to 105–110°F, 240 grams
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast or active dry yeast 9 grams
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 15 grams
- 4 tablespoons butter 57 grams, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 4½ tablespoons granulated sugar 56 grams
- 2 teaspoons salt 12 grams
For the Optional Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water 15 grams
Instructions
- Mill the flour – Mill the hard white wheat berries on the finest setting. If the flour feels warm, let it cool for about 5 minutes before mixing.
- Prepare the milk – Heat the milk to 180°F (82°C), then let it cool to 105 to 110°F (41 to 43°C). Stir in the fresh lemon juice and set aside. If using warm water instead of milk, heat it to the same mixing temperature.
- Prepare the yeast – If using active dry yeast, stir it into the warm milk or water with the sugar and let it sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. If using instant yeast, skip this step and add it with the dry ingredients.
- Mix the dough – In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the milk mixture, eggs, and melted butter. Add the freshly milled flour, salt, sugar (if you didn't add it with the yeast), and instant yeast (if using). Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Rest the dough – Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30–45 minutes. This hydration rest allows the freshly milled flour to absorb the liquid and softens the bran.
- Knead the dough – Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. Let the dough fully hydrate before deciding if it needs additional flour.
- First rise – Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
- Shape the buns – Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Shape each into a smooth log about 5 to 6 inches long and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between each bun.
- Final rise – Cover loosely and allow the shaped buns to rise until puffy. If using the full tablespoon of yeast, this will happen fairly quickly.
- Brush with egg wash – If desired, whisk together the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water and lightly brush the tops of the buns before baking for a beautiful golden finish.
- Bake – Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 15–18 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the buns sound hollow when lightly tapped.
- Cool – Transfer the buns to a wire rack and allow them to cool before slicing.
Notes
Emily Rider
Home miller since 1999 with fresh-milled flour & sourdough experience. Sharing from-scratch recipes and traditional kitchen skills, rooted in the seasons and inspired by everyday cottage living and seasonal rhythms.
Just made these gorgeous Hot Dog Buns using Stardust Hard White wheat berries. WOW! Following the recipe to the letter is what made them come out brilliantly. These hot dog buns are so soft and fluffy (just as Emily said they would be!) They have a buttery taste and a soft fluffy crumb. I am newish to home milling so having accurate, step by step directions made all the difference in the world! I have made other types of hot dog buns but not using home milled flour. I can honestly say this recipe is going to be my new go-to. My husband loved them with his hotdogs, and I just lightly toasted mine with a bit of butter and a drizzle of honey. Thank you Emily for great instructions and a fool proof recipe!
Barbara, seeing another one of your reviews pop up truly made my day! I am so happy the hot dog buns turned out beautifully for you and that they had that soft, fluffy crumb. And your toasted bun with butter and honey sounds absolutely delicious!
Being able to share my tried-and-true freshly milled flour recipes here is such a blessing to me, and having you try them, enjoy them, and come back to share your honest experience is something I truly cherish.
Thank you not only for this wonderful review, but for your kindness, generosity, encouragement, and the fresh milled flour friendship we’ve developed along the way. I am so grateful to have you here as part of this little cottage community, Barbara. It means more to me than I could ever adequately put into words.
With love and gratitude from the cottage,
Emily