My Sourdough Discard Hotdog Buns are soft, light, buttery, and ready in about 90 minutes — exactly what you want when grilling season hits and you need buns that are actually worth eating. These come together with simple pantry ingredients, a handful of sourdough discard, and a stand mixer doing most of the work.
My family grills out constantly in the summer, and these are a staple. They're inspired by my sourdough discard burger buns with just a few small tweaks to suit a hotdog shape — if you've made those, you already know how good this dough is. And if you're on a sourdough discard bread kick, my sourdough discard ciabatta rolls are another great one to have in the rotation.
Quick Look: Sourdough Discard Hotdog Buns
⏱️ Ready In: About 1 hour 30 minutes
🔥 Bake Time: 15–17 minutes
🍽️ Makes: 10 buns
✨ Calories: 259 per bun
🥄 Main Ingredients: Sourdough discard, all-purpose flour, butter, active dry yeast
🌿 Dietary Info: Dairy-free option available
🌭 Why You'll Love It: Light, buttery same-day buns made with discard you'd otherwise toss — ready in under two hours and a hundred times better than anything from the store.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Same-day ready. No overnight rise, no long fermentation required (unless you want to — see the variations section). From mixing bowl to table in about 90 minutes.
- Uses sourdough discard. Instead of tossing it, you're folding it into a buttery enriched dough where it adds subtle flavor and keeps the crumb soft. Same discard-first philosophy behind my sourdough discard bagels and sourdough discard garlic knots.
- A hundred times better than store-bought. Soft, pillowy, slightly shiny from the egg wash, with a flavor that actually complements the hotdog instead of competing with it.
- Totally customizable. Sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, flaky salt — the egg wash gives you a perfect surface for toppings.
- Dairy-free friendly. Simple swaps make these completely dairy-free without losing anything in the texture or flavor. See the substitutions section.
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Sourdough Discard Hotdog Buns
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients
- Easy Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Sourdough Discard Hotdog Buns
- Storage
- Expert Tips
- What Makes This Recipe Special?
- Sourdough Discard Hotdog Buns FAQs
- Troubleshooting Guide
- More Sourdough Discard Breads to Consider
- Same-Day Sourdough Discard Hotdog Buns
Ingredients
- warm water: Activates the yeast. Aim for 100–110°F — warm to the touch but not hot. Too hot and you'll kill the yeast; too cold and it won't activate.
- active dry yeast: The primary leavener here. Proofed in warm water and sugar first so you know it's alive before committing to the rest of the dough.
- sugar: Feeds the yeast during proofing and adds a very subtle sweetness to the finished bun.
- sourdough discard: Room temperature. Active starter works too — the main thing is that it's not cold when it goes into the dough. It adds flavor and keeps the crumb extra tender.
- whole milk, room temperature: Enriches the dough for a soft, pillowy crumb. A high-fat non-dairy milk works as a direct swap.
- egg yolk, room temperature: Adds richness to the dough and helps with color and structure.
- unsalted butter, softened and cubed: Makes these buns light and buttery rather than dense and bready. Softened so it incorporates smoothly into the dough.
- all-purpose flour: The structure base. Weighed for accuracy — the windowpane test will tell you when the gluten is developed enough, but starting with the right flour amount matters.
- salt: Flavor. Don't skip it.
- egg wash (1 egg + 1 tablespoon water): Optional but highly recommended — it's what gives you that glossy, golden exterior. Also the base for any toppings you want to add before baking.
See recipe card for quantities.
Easy Substitutions & Variations
- Dairy-free: Swap the whole milk for a full-fat non-dairy milk (oat milk works great here) and the butter for a plant-based alternative. Both substitutions work well and the buns come out just as soft.
- Sesame: After applying the egg wash, sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds before baking. Classic and great.
- Everything bagel: Brush with egg wash, then coat generously with everything bagel seasoning. For full everything bagel bread energy, my sourdough discard bagels are the deep dive.
- Flaky salt: A pinch of flaky sea salt scattered over the egg-washed buns just before baking is simple and perfect.
- Garlic butter: One reader swapped the butter in the dough for garlic butter and reported back that it did not disappoint — highly recommend trying it.
- Overnight fermentation: Mix the dough, let it do its first rise in the fridge overnight, then shape and bake the next day. You can even leave the baker's yeast out entirely and do a longer 24–48 hour fermentation for a more pronounced sourdough flavor. Same long-ferment approach I use with my soft sourdough sandwich bread.
- Refrigerate dough balls: Shape the buns, refrigerate them, and pull them out an hour or so before baking to come to room temperature and puff up. Great for getting ahead when you're planning a cookout.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Hotdog Buns
Step 1: Mix warm water, sugar, and baker's yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let rest until it begins to bubble and bloom. (this picture was taken after adding milk, butter, and sourdough discard to the bowl)
Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl. Knead on low speed until the dough can pass the windowpane test.
This is a relatively wet/sticky dough, but that is what gives it the soft texture.
Do not be tempted to add more flour!
Step 3: Cover with cling wrap or a clean damp tea towel and let rest for roughly an hour or until it has doubled in size.
Step 4: Once doubled, turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
Step 5: Portion dough into 10 equal balls (each 100g).
Step 6: Flatten each ball out until it is roughly 6 inches long (the size of a typical hotdog bun).
Step 7: Roll it longways until it looks like a log.
Step 8: Line the unbaked buns on a prepared cookie sheet or buttered hotdog pan (pictured) and allow it to rest until puffy. While resting, preheat the oven to 400F.
Once the oven is preheated and the buns have risen, brush with an egg wash (optional, but recommended) and bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Use the middle or upper rack to prevent burned bottoms.
Hint: When taking the risen dough out of the bowl it was proofed in, wet your fingers to prevent the dough from sticking to you!
Storage
Store at room temperature for 5-7 days. Can be frozen for up to 6 months!
Expert Tips
- Bake on the middle or upper rack. The bottom rack runs hotter and will burn the bottoms before the tops finish browning. Rotate halfway through for even color across all 10 buns.
- Weigh your dough portions. 100g per bun is what gets you consistent sizing. Eyeballing it works, but you'll end up with some buns way bigger than others — ask me how I know (see the comments).
- Proof the yeast first, every time. It takes 5 minutes and tells you whether your yeast is alive before you've committed flour, butter, and eggs to the bowl. If it doesn't bubble, start over.
- The windowpane test is your doneness signal. Don't go by time alone — knead until a small piece of dough stretches thin enough to see light through without tearing. That's when the gluten is properly developed.
- Wet your fingers when handling risen dough. This prevents sticking without adding extra flour, which can make the dough tough.
What Makes This Recipe Special?
Most homemade hotdog buns are either too dense, too bready, or too much work for a weeknight cookout. These are none of those things. The sourdough discard keeps the crumb tender without requiring any extra rise time, and the enriched dough — butter, egg yolk, milk — gives you a bun that's genuinely soft and slightly rich without being heavy.
The same enriched dough philosophy runs through all of my discard bread recipes, including my sourdough discard burger buns, same-day sourdough crescent rolls, and sourdough discard garlic butter dinner rolls — the formula is reliable, the results are consistent, and it comes together faster than you'd think.
Sourdough Discard Hotdog Buns FAQs
Yes — swap the milk for a full-fat non-dairy milk and the butter for a plant-based alternative. Both swaps work without losing anything in texture or flavor.
Yes — active starter works just as well. The main thing is that it's at room temperature when it goes into the dough so it incorporates smoothly and doesn't cool down the yeast activation.
Yes. Shape the buns, refrigerate them, and pull them out about an hour before you want to bake so they can come back to room temperature and puff up before going in the oven.
Absolutely — and the results are worth it. Mix the dough, let it do its first rise in the fridge overnight, then shape and bake the next day. You can even leave out the baker's yeast entirely for a longer 24–48 hour fermentation for a more pronounced sourdough flavor.
Almost always a portioning issue — a very active starter can add more lift than expected, and eyeballed portions will vary. Weigh each piece to around 100g for consistent sizing every time.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Yeast didn’t bloom | Water too hot or yeast expired | Water should be 100–110°F; check yeast date |
| Dense buns | Under-kneaded dough | Knead until dough passes the windowpane test |
| Burnt bottoms | Baked on bottom rack | Use the middle or upper rack; rotate halfway |
| Uneven bun sizes | Portioning by eye | Weigh each piece to 123–125 g |
| Dough too sticky to handle | Hands too dry | Wet your fingers before handling risen dough |
More Sourdough Discard Breads to Consider
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Same-Day Sourdough Discard Hotdog Buns
Equipment
- Stand Mixer (optional but recommended)
- Kitchen Scale (HIGHLY RECOMMEND)
- Sheet pan
- Parchment Paper
- Dough knife (for portioning -- you can use a regular knife too)
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 7g
- 4 tablespoons sugar 55g
- ⅓ cup sourdough discard room temperature, 100g
- ¼ cup whole milk room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened and cubed, 28g
- 4 ¼ cups AP flour 510g
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
Make the dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, mix warm water, sugar, and baker's yeast. Let rest until it begins to bubble and bloom.
- Add milk, butter, sourdough discard, egg, flour, and salt to the mixing bowl. Knead on low speed until the dough can pass the windowpane test.
- Cover with cling wrap or a clean damp tea towel and let rest for roughly an hour or until it has doubled in size. Once doubled, turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
Shape the sourdough hotdog buns
- Portion dough into 10 equal balls (each around 100g in weight). Flatten the balls out until they are a 4x6 inch rectangle (the 6-inch part is the most important as it will be the length of the buns). Roll the flattened dough longways so that you are left with a 6-inch long log. Line the buns up on a prepared baking sheet and let rise for 30 minutes or until puffy. While the buns are resting, preheat your oven to 400F.
Bake
- Coat in an egg wash and bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes at 400F or until the buns are golden. Use the middle or upper rack to prevent burned bottoms. Rotate the pan halfway through to get an even browning on the tops.
Notes
- For the most reliable results, use a kitchen scale.
- Hint: When taking the risen dough out of the bowl it was proofed in, wet your fingers to prevent the dough from sticking to you!
- Bake these in the middle or top rack of your oven to prevent overly brown/burnt bottoms!
- Store at room temperature for 5-7 days. Can be frozen for up to 6 months!
Audrey Grubb says
Made these again recently and can confirm that they are still *chef's kiss*! If you try this recipe, please leave a rating and review!
Trish says
First, these tasted great! They were fluffy and tasty, with a shiny exterior. I did the egg wash and added sesame seeds. So thanks for the recipe. Only thing I’d say, I don’t know if I have like a hulk size starter, and yes, I used discard, but I got HUGE hot dog buns. I probably could’ve made a dozen instead of 8 (This was probably, my bad, since I didn’t weigh them). I told my dad about this, he said, “well, I guess you better make hamburgers instead”. LOL!
Audrey Grubb says
Oh my gosh! I need to make this again and see if I run into this. Sometimes super active starters can make them puffier, but you're right! Weighing them would probably help a ton! I love my kitchen scale so much 🙂 Really glad you enjoyed the recipe nonetheless!
Nicole says
Can you refrigerate the dough balls and bake later in the day?
Audrey says
Hi, Nicole! Yes, you can refrigerate them, just make sure you give yourself an hour or so for them to come to room temperature before shaping, and so they have enough time to puff up a bit before baking.
Donna George says
Can the dough be fermented overnight in the refrigerator to develop flavor?
Audrey says
Yes, absolutely! You could even leave the baker's yeast out if you wanted to do a longer, 24-48-hour fermentation.
Natalie says
Made these for my family for Memorial Day & WOW! These were absolutely PERFECT! So light, fluffy, and moist! I used active starter instead of discard and swapped the butter for garlic butter - and it did not disappoint! This will definitely be my go to recipe moving forward! So easy to throw together in a pinch and absolutely to die for!!! 😍😍
Audrey says
Garlic butter!! I love the way you think and I'm so happy you enojoyed this recipe!