Dough knife (for portioning -- you can use a regular knife too)
Ingredients
1cupwarm water
2 ¼teaspoonsactive dry yeast 12g
4tablespoonssugar 55g
⅓cupsourdough discard room temperature, 100g
¼cupwhole milk room temperature
1egg yolk room temperature
2tablespoonsunsalted butter softened and cubed, 28g
4 ¼cupsAP flour 510g
2teaspoonssalt
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 8 equal balls (each 123-125g 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!