Recipe: New England-style hot dog buns

I am a lifelong New Englander, but that is beside the point; there is only one acceptable style of hot dog bun: ours. In case you are unfamiliar with it, a New England-style hot dog bun, also known as a "split-top" bun, is one baked in close quarters with its bun brethren, so that it ends up tall in stature, with flat, crustless sidewalls after being pulled apart from its neighbors. It is sliced open for filling with the dog (or fried clams or lobster meat) from the top, which makes the package easy to eat and to hold, and less prone to splitting apart entirely before it gets where it needs to go. It also provides two flat, virgin surfaces for griddling crisp in melted butter, something that cannot be done with buns that are baked separately.

They sell "hot dog bun" pans for making these at home, but you don't need one, and, in any case, they are ridged and troughed, which produces round-bottomed buns, which are all wrong. And most make 10 buns, which is two too many, given how many hot dogs come in a typical package. All you actually need is something you probably have already: a 13- by 9-inch cake pan, which fits eight 6-inch buns perfectly.

The amount of dough to use per roll depends on the dough in question. For the one I tend to use (my shokupan; paid subscribers see here for a sneak-preview formula from Breaducation), it's about 85g each; with brioche, which expands considerably more during proofing and baking, it's closer to 70g.

Ideally, you'd shape the rolls into perfect cylinders. The best way to do this is to start with a square of dough, preshaped into a snub log preshape:

To make the final shape, after resting you repeat that basic set of motions, along the long axis, like so:

If necessary, gently roll it beneath your palms to even out its diameter and lengthen it to between 5 and 6 inches (13–15cm).

Space the logs evenly apart in 4-by-2 orientation in a greased 13-by-9-inch cake pan, and let proof until they all kiss one another, like so:

New England-style (split-top) hot dog buns

Makes eight 6-inch (15cm) buns

550 to 750g enriched bread dough, bulk-fermented
egg wash (optional)
melted butter (optional)

1. Shape and proof [2h]: Grease a 13 by 9-inch (33x23cm) cake pan and set aside. Flour the top of the dough and then gently invert it onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (70 to 90g each), cutting them as square as possible.
2. Carpet-roll each piece into a semi-taut roll, pinch the seam closed, then set seam-side down, cover, and let rest until relaxed, 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Working on a floured surface and flouring the logs lightly, press each into a 4 by 3-inch (10x8cm) rectangle. Carpet-roll the rectangles lengthwise to form a taut cylinder. Pinch the seam closed, then gently roll into a 5 1/2-inch (14cm) even cylinder.
4. Set the cylinders seam-side down in the pan in a 4-by-2 layout, evenly spaced apart.
5. Cover and proof at 80˚F (27˚C) until the buns are about doubled in volume and fill the pan, about 2 hours.
6. Bake [17–28m]: 20 minutes before the buns are fully-proofed, set an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C).
7. Reduce the oven temperature to 325˚F (160˚C). Uncover the buns, apply an egg wash if desired, then transfer to the oven and bake until deep golden-brown, 25 to 28 minutes.
8. Remove the buns from the pan and transfer to a rack. If rolls are not already egg-washed, brush with melted butter, if desired, then allow to cool to room temperature before serving, about 45 minutes.