Sunday, April 28, 2013

Mini Hot Dog Buns

I made this recipe a while back, around Christmas time when my dad bought this huge bag of mini sausages. My siblings and I are not really a big fan of sausages, but we like the mini hot dog buns found in Chinese bakeries.  If you don't know what a Chinese hot dog bun tastes like, just imagine the bun being a little sweeter than normal. 

So after making them, it was a big hit with my family and friends. I got requested to make these again and to provide them with the recipe. So I thought, I might as well make a post for it. So here it is! I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
  • 1 tbsp of active dry yeast (1 package)
  • 3 tbsp of sugar
  • 1 cup of warm milk ( about 38- 40 degrees Celsius) 
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup of vegetable oil
  • 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, and more for dusting or kneading
  • 70 - 80 mini sausages, depending on the amount of dough you use for each
  • egg wash (egg with water and a little bit of sugar)
Directions:
    The first thing you do is put the yeast into a small bowl. Then you add in 1/4 cup of the warm milk and sprinkle the sugar on top evenly. Stir the mixture so that it would react faster and let it stand for 5 minutes. After the five minutes it should have doubled it size and foamed and bubbled. If it didn't, discard it and use a new package of yeast. 



    After your yeast has been activated, stir in the egg, oil and the the rest of the milk.  


    In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, put the flour and the remaining sugar in and just mix it until it is blended, about 5 seconds. 


    With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in the warm milk mixture and let it mix until it the dough comes together and forms a rough ball. If the ball feels to sticky or wet, then add a little more flour. But don't add to much or else the dough will become hard! Let it mix for a few more seconds, or until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. 



    Shape the dough so that it becomes a smooth round ball and place it in a large oiled bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour.


    If it looks like this after an hour, then it is done! If not just wait a little longer, it could be that the temperature you kept it in is not warm enough. 



    When your dough is down, punch down on it so that it releases the air bubbles. Then transfer it to a lightly floured surface so that you can shape it into buns if you want! But what I like to do is keep it in the bowl and pull about a marshmallow size of dough for each hot dog. Then I prepare two cookie sheets with aluminium foil.



    To make the actual hot dogs I take the dough, either by rolling it into a log and cutting it up into pieces or I use my hands and pull a marshmallow sized dough for each hot dog. The dough should be about the circumference of the sausage. Then wrap it around each hot dog and pinch the two ends together. Have the seam end facing the bottom of the pan. Continue this until all of the dough is used.



    Let the hot dogs rise again on the pans for about 30 minutes until an hour, or when it has doubled it size. 

    Hehe don't you think they are so cute! :D

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Then make the egg wash, by beating the egg with a little bit of water and sugar. Brush the egg wash over the buns and bake them for 20 minutes or until they turn golden brown. 



    And there your done! :D