These soft, squishy gluten free hot dog buns are better than anything you can buy at the grocery store. Fire up the grill!
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What makes these gluten free hot dog buns special/why make instead of buy?
If you got here by searching for “gluten free hot dog buns near me,” that means you're looking to buy buns. But wait! Give me 2 minutes to try to convince you that it's better (and easy!) to make them yourself.
There are plenty of companies that make packaged gf hot dog buns these days. Schar, Canyon Bakehouse and Udi's all sell gluten free hot dog buns.
But even the best among them, which I would say is probably Schar, simply don't hold up to scrutiny. They fall apart, and they're far from squishy.
Not everyone has time or the inclination to make homemade hot dog buns every time, of course. But this recipe makes a classic, squish bun that has a very light, browned crust and is perfectly fluffy inside. Make it at least once, so you know that the packaged kinds need to improve their product.
You may still buy packaged buns from time to time. I may, as well! But I know that they're not good enough, and I don't believe it has to be that way. Let's pressure them to make them at least as good as gluten free packaged breads, which are really quite good.
Tips for making the perfect gluten free hot dog buns
How to shape these gf hot dog buns
This bread dough is pretty highly enriched, with milk, melted butter, and an egg. When it's ready for shaping, it should be tacky to the touch, but not especially wet.
The dough should rest for at least 2 hours before you handle it. This will allow the flours to absorb the moisture in the other ingredients, making the dough easier to work with.
When you begin to shape a divided one-sixth of the dough into the shape that will become a hot dog bun, you should begin with clean, dry hands and no additional flour. If the dough is too sticky to shape like that, try letting it rest for longer and working with it a bit cold.
How to get a nice, even rise on your gf buns
The moment you add additional flour to the dough, you are likely to add pleats to the dough that will separate as the dough rises and bakes. If you shape the dough without additional flour, you can pinch together any pleats or breaks in the dough, and they should disappear.
The shaping is finished on a very lightly floured surface, with a tiny bit of extra tapioca starch/flour, just to smooth the top. That gives the dough a nice smooth cloak to rise into.
Keep in mind that overproofing is not ever the result of having let your raw yeast dough rise too long. It's the result of letting the dough rise too much.
In cold, dry weather, the dough will take longer to rise. In warm, humid weather, it will rise more rapidly. Patience is key!
Gluten free hot dog buns: Ingredients and substitution suggestions
Gluten free dairy free hot dog buns
If you can't have dairy, try replacing the melted butter with melted vegan butter. Melt and Miyoko's Kitchen brands are my favorite.
In place of dairy milk, any unsweetened nondairy milk should work. My favorite is unsweetened almond milk, since it still has some fat, and that adds welcome richness.
Gluten free egg free hot dog buns
There is only one egg in this recipe, so I think you could replace it with one “chia egg.” Place 1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds and 1 tablespoon lukewarm water in a small bowl, then mix and allow to sit until it gels.
The role of tapioca starch/flour in this gf bread recipe
There is a fair amount of tapioca starch/flour in this recipe. It's in addition to whatever tapioca starch you'll find in your all purpose gluten free flour (as most good GF flour blends will contain it).
If you can't have or can't find tapioca starch, you can try replacing it with superfine sweet white rice flour (also called glutinous rice flour). It has a similar, although not exact, sticky, stretchy quality.
About the instant yeast in this yeast bread recipe
You must use some form of commercial yeast for this recipe. I always bake with instant yeast (which is also called bread maker or rapid rise yeast).
If you prefer to use active dry yeast, you'll need to use more, and to “prove” the yeast in some of the milk in the recipe before you add it to the rest of the mixture. The general rule of thumb is to use 25% more active dry yeast than instant yeast, by weight.
How to store your gluten free hot dog buns
These hot dog buns, like all fresh bread, are best the day that they're made. But it's not always practical to make the bread dough, shape, let rise, and bake them all on the same day you plan to serve them. Good news, though! They freeze incredibly well.
I don't recommend freezing raw yeast bread dough, particularly shaped breads, for two reasons. It's always possible that the yeast won't survive the freezing. Plus, shaped breads really rely on a controlled rise so they don't lose their shape. But there are two ways to make the buns ahead of time:
If you want to parbake your buns
If you'd like your gluten free hot dog buns to be fresh-baked but you can't devote the time to the whole process on the day you plan to serve them, try parbaking them first. Go through the whole recipe up through step 11 below just as it's written.
In Step 12, preheat your oven to 300°F instead of 350°F. Then, coat the rolls in oil just as instructed in step 13, and place them in the preheated oven. Bake them until they are just set but not browned at all (about 15 minutes). Let them cool completely, wrap each individually in freezer-safe wrap, and freeze fully. They should last that way for up to 2 months.
The day you plan to serve them, let them defrost at room temperature. When you’re ready to enjoy them, preheat the oven to 350°F, sprinkle the rolls with some lukewarm water, then bake until just browned (about 10 minutes). Fresh buns!
If you don't want to parbake them
If you don't care about having them fresh-baked, just bake them according to the recipe instructions, then let them cool completely. Wrap each individually in freezer-safe wrap, and freeze fully. They should last that way for up to 2 months.
When you're ready to enjoy the, let them defrost completely at room temperature, and serve. You can also toast them lightly to make them taste fresh-baked.
How to make soft, tender gluten free hot dog buns
Classic Gluten Free Hot Dog Buns
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (315 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; click thru for details)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- ⅝ cup (75 g) tapioca starch/flour plus more for sprinkling
- 1 tablespoon (9 g) instant yeast
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ⅛ cups (9 fluid ounces) warm milk (about 95°F)
- 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
- 6 gluten free hot dogs for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Grease a rectangular baking pan very lightly (or use a nonstick baking pan). The ideal pan is rectangular and about 5-inches wide. (See Recipe Notes.)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, place the flour, xanthan gum, tapioca starch/flour, instant yeast, and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the salt, and whisk again to combine.
- Add the milk, egg, and melted butter. Using the paddle attachment, beat vigorously. The mixture will come together in a clump and clear the sides of the bowl. Keep beating until it begins to look whipped, and sticks to the side of the mixing bowl again (about 5 minutes total).
- Transfer the mixture to a lightly oiled bucket or bowl with a tight-fitting lid. The container should be large enough for the dough to nearly double (although it most definitely won’t double).
- Set the container aside for at least 2 hours at room temperature, and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Do not let the dough rest/rise for too long, or your rolls will rise much more irregularly after shaping.
- If you’ve let the dough rest for in the refrigerator, remove the dough from the refrigerator, and allow it to warm until it’s no longer cold to the touch before working with it.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal portions with a sharp knife or metal bench scraper. Working with one piece at a time, knead the dough in your clean, dry hands, without adding any additional flour of any kind, pinching any seams that separate.
- Begin working the dough into a cylindrical shape, just in your hands, and then place on a *very* lightly floured surface to finish shaping into a cylinder about 4.5 inches long. Spread a tiny bit of additional tapioca flour on the outside of the cylinder to smooth the surface.
- Place the shaped pieces of dough, a bit more than 1-inch apart, in the prepared pan, taking care not to crowd them.
- Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap, place in a warm, draft-free location, and allow to rise until about 150% of their original size.
- This rise can take anywhere from 45 minutes to hours, depending upon the ambient temperature in your kitchen. Overproofing is not very likely, and can be detected when the surface of your raw buns begins to look cratered and uneven.
- When the rolls are nearing the end of their rise, preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Remove the plastic wrap and drizzle the shaped and risen rolls very lightly with olive oil. Using clean, dry hands or a pastry brush, spread the oil evenly over the top and sides of the risen rolls.
- Place the baking pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the rolls are lightly golden brown all over and firm to the touch.
- An instant read thermometer inserted into the center of each roll should read about 190°F.
- Remove the pan from the oven, and with the rolls still in the hot pan, cover it loosely with a tea towel and allow the rolls to cool for about 10 minutes. This will help keep the rolls, and even the crust, relatively soft.
- Slice each bun along one long side, toward the center, about 2/3 of the way through the bun, to create a space for a hot dog. Place a cooked hot dog in each bun, along with any toppings, and serve.
Notes
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Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Carla says
This looks fantastic and I’m about to make many for a large crowd because it appears like a sure hit/reliable. My question is about the granulated sugar. Can I replace with granulated monkfruit or other substitute? Thank you so much.
Nicole Hunn says
You can try reducing the sugar by half, Carla, but I wouldn’t replace it with a sugar alternative, no. Be sure to measure by weight, use the recommended flour blend, and you’ll do great. It is a sure hit. :)
Darleen Riggles says
Two Questions.. wouldn’t a 5X9 bread pan work for the HD Rolls and have you ever tried using sourdough instead of yeast. I have celiac and most the time have issues with my stomach. However, I started doing more sourdough and it seems to make my stomach feel much better and keeps everything working fine. Is there a certain way or formula we can use to make a non-sourdough recipe into a sourdough recipe. I’m sure there are others out there that even though they eat GF still will have issues whenever they eat.
Thank You
Darleen
Nicole Hunn says
Sourdough recipes are completely different, Darleen. There is no conversion formula, as recipes are themselves unique formulas. If you’d like a whole bunch of gluten free sourdough recipes, I’m afraid you’ll have to purchase my cookbook about gluten free bread, Gluten Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread. On the blog, I have one wild yeast sourdough recipe and one recipe for a sourdough loaf.
Noel says
Hi Again…
Thanks for the reply. I tried to reply, but it wasn’t working. I used Better Batter and everything else was the same as recipe calls for except the substitutions I mentioned.
So, you are saying that the pan was the cause for not enough oven spring?
As I mentioned in the other comment, What about the buns not browning?
I made the Tom’s Bread recipe the same day and that browns beautifully every time. Most other recipes using Better Batter brown as well usually, except some bread rolls.
Any thoughts how I can fix the lack of browning?
Thanks so much!
Nicole Hunn says
The nondairy substitutes you used could inhibit browning, Noel.
Noel Martinez says
Hi…
Thanks for the recipe. I tried it, subbed superfine sweet rice flour for the tapioca starch, as you suggested, macadamia nut milk, & I used Earth Balance buttery sticks (can’t find the brands you suggested).
I let the dough rest at room temp for 2 hours and it was very sticky, so I had to use lightly oiled hands (canola cooking spray), to shape them, then rolled in super light amount of tapioca starch to smooth the outside (only had a tiny bit left). They proofed well in my B&T Proofer, set to 100°… Took about 20-25 minutes. Used a Light olive oil coating.
I used a new England style hot dog pan (the only rectangle pan I have, with a 6″ width, just a half an inch more than the biscotti pan).
After baking 20 minutes they had not risen much more in the oven, may even have deflated slightly. They didn’t appear over proofed as you explained. Flavor was great, and texture inside was actually pretty good… Soft after cooling covered with tea towel. Could maybe be fluffier inside & risen a little taller.
My biggest concern is that they barely got any color. My oven is correct. Checked with thermometer, etc.
Any thoughts? And how I can get more color on the outside? They are pretty pale… Just barely any color, but they baked to firm and internal temp was correct.
Overall a big step up from the store bought and a couple other recipes I tried. Thanks.
Nicole Hunn says
Noel, this recipe is not designed to be made in a New England hot dog pan. As I explain in the post, I have a separate recipe for that. In addition, you didn’t mention which all purpose gluten free flour blend you used, but with all the substitutions you made, I suspect it wasn’t one of my recommended blends. All those are your issues.
Yoshino says
I LOVED it so so so MUCH.
it was the best homemade bread ever.
Thank you for your work.
Nicole Hunn says
You’re so welcome, Yoshino. We should all have squishy hot dog buns!
Dianne Slattery says
So you don’t recommend using Bob’s Red Mill one to one either? I’ve been using it for your Artisan Bread,cCookies and pastry. Love them!!
Nicole Hunn says
I’m glad you’ve been happy with your results, but no, I don’t recommend it for anything. The rice flour is gritty, and the blend is of very inconsistent quality. I can only make recommendations based on my experience, Dianne.
Marcy says
Can you leave the xanthan gum out? I seem to have an adverse reaction to it. What happens to the baked goods without it?
Thanks in advance for your response! : )
Nicole Hunn says
No, you can’t leave xanthan gum out, Marcy. The recipe would completely fall apart.
Jane Lack says
This was my first GF bread baking attempt. I didn’t have tapioca starch, I didn’t have enough xantham gum and I had Bobs Red Mills Flour….
I had to add lots more flour – almost like I’d forgotten a whole cup of it – the mix was so so wet initially – like batter
But despite ALL that, they weren’t awful. They spread a bit far and I overbaked them (im good at that) but I still don’t mind the flavour – quite scone like. So I will regroup and try again another day with the RIGHT stuff.
Nicole Hunn says
Since you already know what happened, Jane, there’s not a whole lot for me to say. But I will add that the worst offense was Bob’s Red Mill’s blend. It simply won’t work in any of my recipes—but doubly so with bread.
Laurie Crowsey says
I made these today, they are delicious! Thank you!
Nicole Hunn says
I’m so glad, Laurie. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know. I love knowing that I can make these so quickly, especially in grilling season!
Doris Yonker says
Those hot dog buns look better than the best non-GF buns I can buy! Amazing.
Nicole Hunn says
Thank you, Doris! I think you’ll love them.
menachem says
Can you make Hamburger buns from this dough?
Nicole Hunn says
Funny you should ask, Menachem. I just tried that last night, and although it worked, they were too puffy. I much prefer my recipe for hamburger buns.
June says
I don’t have a mixer with a paddle. Do dough hooks work or just regular beaters?
Nicole Hunn says
I would actually recommend using a food processor (just pulse so you don’t overwork the dough). I don’t recommend a hand mixer at all.
Jen says
Hi Nicole, I just tried to make these and was really looking forward to them. I followed the recipe as written subbing the chia egg and Bobs Red mill all purpose since I didn’t have any Better Batter. The dough never solidified. Just wondering what went wrong or if I can fix it. Thanks for your thoughts. Thanks for all of the great recipes!
Nicole Hunn says
You cannot use Bob’s Red Mill flour blends in my recipes, Jen. I’m afraid it just won’t work. They’re not well-balanced blends, and they’re also of inconsistent quality. That’s what went wrong!
David says
I did find this pan on Amazon for $19.94…
Hope it helps those trying to find it…
Nicole Hunn says
I hadn’t found it on Amazon, David (I was just searching by dimensions, not by name since I had forgotten the name!), so thank you for sharing that!
David Bolton says
Could these be frozen, either before or after baking?
Thanks for all the great recipes
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, David, I don’t recommend freezing them unbaked, no. But I have successfully frozen them and then defrosted later, and they’re good as new. Here’s how I recommend defrosting: defrost at room temperature, sprinkle with a bit of water, then refresh in a 300°F toaster oven or regular oven until warmed through.
Suzi Campion says
Hi Nicole, first of all thank you for all you do for all of us gluten free people! So appreciated. A question about that pan you recommend. Is is 4.5 to 5 inches wide but what is the length of the pan? Do you recommend a brand. Thank you for your answer.
best
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Suzi,
Good question! The length of the pan actually doesn’t matter, since the width is what keeps the rolls from rising long. And then you fit as many rolls as you can, and then move on to another pan if necessary. The rectangular pan you see in the photos and video on this post is a USA Pans “biscotti pan” that’s 12-inches x 5-inches x 2-inches. It’s not sold on Amazon, I don’t think, but you can find it elsewhere. I don’t want to be too proscriptive, though, since you could even use a wider pan and just fill the space with some heavy-duty aluminum foil. Even a large loaf pan might work, although you’ll have a little more trouble getting the shaped rolls in there, and spreading the oil on them after they’ve risen. Hope that helps!