Hot dog buns made with Japanese milk bread is the bread you must try! You will love the Japanese milk bread’s chewy “mochi mochi” texture yet they are deliciously soft like a cloud. This is thanks to the Japanese “Yudane” method. Let’s make hot dog buns with the same method we would make Japanese milk bread!
Hot Dog Buns in Japanese
“Koppepan” is the equivalent bread to hot dog buns in Japan. Japanese loves Koppepan. It is served at schools to provide a lunch called “Kyushoku”. When some Japanese people hear the word “Koppepan” they feel nostalgic like I do. Japanese hot dog buns are often used to make Yakisoba Pan and Egg sandwiches unlike Lobster or shrimp filling.
Why Use Japanese Milk Bread?
Japanese milk bread is deliciously soft yet it has a chewy mochi like texture. This is because Japanese milk bread is made using the “Yudane method”. Therefore unlike store bought hot dog buns, these Japanese hot dog buns are soft yet a structured bread. And that’s why the homemade dog bun is worth your effort and time.
What is the “Yudane” method?
‘Yudane” is a mochi-like dough that is made by adding hot water to a portion of the flour of the recipe and knead, then rest overnight. The starch in the flour is gelatinised by water and heat. Adding gelatinised dough to the bread dough creates a soft yet chewy textured bread. Read more about the “Yudane method” in my Shokupan “Japanese Milk Bread” post.
Pros of Using theYudane method
- Creates a soft yet chewy texture in the hot dog bun
- Increases sweetness
- It slows the ageing of the dog bun and thus retains moisture longer
- Contains more moisture than ordinary store bought hot dog buns
What Do You Need + Bakers Percentages
- Yudane – Bread flour (20%) Hot water (16%)
- Bread flour (80%)
- Instant dry yeast ( 1%)
- Milk (32%)
- Egg (20%)
- Sugar (8%)
- Salt (2%)
- Unsalted butter (10%)
How to Shape Hot Dog Buns?
The dough after rising weighed about 16oz (460g). So I divided the dough into 8 equal balls because I wanted to make small dog buns. Rest the dough for 10-15 minutes. Squash one ball to a flat round shape with your hand. Roll it into an oval shape about 6 inches (15cm). Fold in 1/3 of the long edge to the centre and do the same the other edge. Fold it in half and seal. Roll it gently to shape neatly.
New England Hot Dog Pan
Alternatively, you can use the New England Hot Dog Pan. This New England Hot Dog Pan is quite big so you would need about 480g (4 cups) of flour. This is when the baker’s percentage becomes useful. The flour percentage is 100% and calculate other ingredients from it. For example, you need 20% of 480g = 96g and 16% of 480G of hot water = 76.8g to make Yudane.
Ideas of What To Stuff In Your Bun
Apart from a classic sausage, here are some Japanese ideas.
- Yakisoba – Yakisoba Pan (Yakisoba stuffed hot dog buns) is a popular Japanese convenience store bread.
- Eggs – Just like Japaneses egg sandwiches
- Tonkatsu – Just like Katsu Sando. Use the buns instead of slices of Japanese milk bread.
- Chicken Katsu
- Korokke Japanese potato croquette
FAQ
A : Yes you can replace 3/4 of the amount of butter with oil
A: Yudane method will make hot dog buns soft and also they keep moist longer than the usual store-bought hot dog buns.
A: They will keep for a few days. Because of Yudane, it will retain the moisture and will not dry out quickly. If you would like to keep them longer, you can individually wrap with cling wrap then in a freezer zip lock bag. It will keep about a month. Defrost them naturally.
A: I use my bread machine to knead. I set it to about 20 minutes. I sometimes use it for proofing (1 hour) too.
A: Yes you can. You will need x3 of instant dry yeast.
A: That’s ok, I don’t have one either. You can still make the New England style hot dog buns. I have a 11 x 7 x 1.5 inch (28 x 18 x 3cm) mold. Divide the dough into 5 instead of 8, roll out and shape the same as shaping Koppepan and baked in the mould.
A: You will get the best result if you measure each ingredient with a scale. However, if you don’t have a scale, you can use the following.
For Yudane, you need 1/3 cup of bread four, 8 tsp hot water. For the Bread dough, 1 1/3 cups bread flour, 3/4 tsp instant dry yeast, 1/3 cup milk, 1 large egg, 1.5 tbsp sugar, 1.5 tbsp butter and 1 tsp salt. And make sure, you spoon the flour to cups and level it with the back of a knife to be as accurate as you can.
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Hot Dog Buns with Japanese Milk Bread
Ingredients
Yudane
- 50 g Bread Flour *1
- 40 ml boiling hot water *2
Bread dough
- 80 ml Milk *3
- 20 g sugar
- 1 large egg *4
- 2.5 g instant dry yeast *5
- 200 g Bread flour *6
- 25 g unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 5 g salt
Instructions
- Make yudane the night before. Place bread flour in a bowl and add boiling hot water and mix well. *7 When the yudane has cooled down wrap with cling wrap or keep it in an airtight container to refrigerate overnight.
- Place the room temperature milk into a bread machine. *8
- Add beaten egg, sugar, instant dry yeast, to the bowl then add the yudane as you tear it into small pieces.
- Add the bread flour and salt.
- Set the bread cycle for a 20 minute knead.
- Add the room temperature butter into the bread machine at about 10 minutes into the cycle.
- Roll the dough round and place the dough into a greased bowl. Wrap with cling wrap. Let it rise for about 45 min to 1 hour at about 86°F(30°C) or until it doubles in size.
- Test if the dough has risen by dusting your finger with flour and poke the dough. If the dough doesn't bounce back and the hole you poked stays there, it is ready.
- Punch the dough down and cut the dough into 8 equal parts with scraper and roll them. *9
- Cover the rolled doughs with a wet cloth and let it stand for 20 minutes.
- Flatten a rolled dough with your palm and roll out the dough to about 6 inches (15cm) long oval with a rolling pin.
- Rotate the dough 90° and fold in 1/3 top edge to the centre. Then fold in the other edge also. Fold them in half and seal it. Roll to shape neatly with your hands.
- Do the same shaping for the rest of the rolled dough.
- Place the shaped dough onto a baking tray, cover it with a wet cloth and let the dough rise for a second time until the dough double in size. *10
- Start to preheat the oven to 392°F(200°C) .
- Gently brush milk on each dough.
- Bake the dough for about 10 minutes in a preheated oven.
- Remove the bread from the baking tray and cool it down on a wire rack.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Yui says
I just tried the recipe and sadly the dough was a nightmare. I needed to add double the amount of flour to make it workable. I followed the recipe ingredient amounts and I honestly don’t know what I did wrong. The Yudane was also very sticky and soft/liquidly after getting it out of the fridge (had it in there over night, around 12 hours).
EJ says
Make these for chili dogs. They were super easy to make and super delicious! No more store bought buns! Yay me!
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
YAY EJ 😀
Ruqayya says
Hi shihoko,
I had forgotten to make the yudane the night before,
Would it have changed the bread dough?
Karen Tan says
Hi, I am a fan of your milk bread and am thinking of using the bread base with luncheon meat, instead of hot dogs. I was expecting this recipe here to be similar to the Shokupan recipe, but it’s different in quantity for many ingredients, like sugar, milk etc, and this recipe even has an egg. Could you explain why there is a difference, and why can’t the original Shokupan recipe be used to make hot dog/luncheon meat buns? Your answer is much appreciated. Thank you 🙂
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Karen, there is no particular reason. I just changed a bit since many commented the Shokupan dough is quit wet dough. You can use shokupan recipe and shape hotdog bans shape.
Carmen says
If I want to shape it into round buns, do I need to change anything in this recipe? Thank you!
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Carmen No, just change the shape 😀
Sharon A says
Tried a few recipes for hot dog buns and my boys say this is the best they had. Thank you for sharing!
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Sharon, that’s fantastic, Thank you for letting me know 😀 I am glad your boys loved the hot dog buns with Japanese milk bread! yay.
Eli says
This is my favourite bread!
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Thank you Eli 😀
Csikesz Péter says
Thank you!
That I’ll make tomorrow.
Peter
Frank says
I’m not a great cook but this recipe was simple to follow. The best hot dog buns I’ve ever tried!!
uik says
I’m very pleased to have found this site. This is really a nice site. Thank you for sharing hot dog buns recipe.
Lucía Ramírez-Palmer says
Can I leave out the sugar. Ir is too much for a diabetic.
Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles says
Hi Lucía yes you can.