Soft Homemade Brioche Hot Dog Buns Made with the Bread Machine Dough Cycle and Perfect for Brats, Sausages, Freezing and More!
“Soft, rich and sturdy enough for a loaded brat or sausage, these homemade brioche hot dog buns are worth the extra rise time, and they freeze beautifully too!” – Mona, Far From The Farm blog.
There is something incredibly satisfying about pulling a tray of Bread Machine Brioche Hot Dog Buns from the oven. I have really come to love making homemade breads. The smell, the lack of all those extra preservatives and additives you find in so many packaged breads, and of course that unparalleled fresh-baked flavor.
Bread has become my very favorite thing to bake at home.
Hi! If you’ve been following me for long you’ll already know this, but for those who are new, welcome to Far From The Farm. I’m Mona, the Brit behind the recipes, learning life and food in the States while sharing our debt-free journey and what’s on the menu in our home today!
Living in America has certainly introduced me to the serious business of hot dogs, brats and sausages served straight from the grill. But sometimes those really fluffy store-bought hot dog buns just aren’t substantial enough for what you’re putting inside them.
A good brat deserves a bun capable of making it all the way through dinner!
These homemade brioche hot dog buns are soft and fluffy, but they have a little more substance to them. That makes them wonderful for larger sausages and brats, particularly once you start piling on your favorite toppings.
They’re an enriched dough, so this isn’t my fastest homemade hot dog bun recipe. The eggs, butter and sweetened condensed milk help give these buns that lovely rich texture and flavor, but I also give the shaped buns a full hour to rise before baking.
If you need homemade buns on the table more quickly, try THIS quicker stand mixer hot dog bun recipe instead. I’ll link that one here for you.
When you do have the extra time, though, these are certainly worth waiting for. And the bread machine does most of the hard work.
And of course I just have to mention again, that using a bread machine has genuinely changed the way I cook at home, and I think it could help you out too!
My little bread machine does so much for me, dough for sweet rolls, soft dinner rolls, pizza nights, everyday sandwich loaves, quick cakes, even small batches of jam.
It takes on all the fiddly steps and frees me up to carry on with everything else at home. It keeps things consistent and budget friendly, and honestly it has made homemade baking feel achievable even on my busiest days. I’ll share the one I use later on in this post.
Here I use the dough cycle rather than baking the buns inside the machine. It mixes, kneads and takes the dough through its first rise for me, then I tip everything out, divide it into 16 portions and shape the buns by hand.
That gives me the convenience of my bread machine while still producing properly shaped individual hot dog buns that can go straight onto a baking sheet.
They are also fantastic for batch baking.
This recipe makes 16 brioche hot dog buns, and I like to slice the cooled buns before individually wrapping and freezing them. Then I can pull out exactly as many as we need rather than buying another package every time sausages or hot dogs are on the menu.
They thaw remarkably easily at room temperature, and they’re particularly lovely given a quick toast before serving.
As a military family working through Baby Step 2 of our debt-free journey, we’re making more things at home these days and stretching what we already have as far as possible. Every little saving counts, especially when something homemade can also be tucked into the freezer ready for another meal.
And just a reminder that if you’re struggling and you need help with managing your budget or starting your own debt free journey then here’s some FREE resources below you may find helpful!
living frugally and fully
free tips and resources to make the most of what you have
As always, these photos are from my real kitchen here in our sweet military base home. No AI recipe images or staged lighting or spotless marble counters. Just real life and real food made in a small space. Proof that you can feed your family well without needing a dream kitchen or fancy tools!
So grab your bread machine and head into the kitchen to make these easy Bread Machine Brioche Hot Dog Buns!
Recipe Disclaimer
All Far From The Farm recipes are shared as a guide based on what works in my home kitchen. Results may vary depending on your ingredients, equipment, and cooking setup, so always use your own judgement. Please check all ingredients for allergies, intolerances, or dietary needs before making any recipe. Far From The Farm is not responsible for any reactions or outcomes from the use of these recipes. Nutritional information is an estimate only.
Mona – Far From The Farm
Sneak Peak!
Sometimes you need to see the end product before you commit to making it, right?! So here’s a quick glimpse of how it turned out for me today!
Equipment
- Bread machine capable of handling up to 2 lb of dough ( I’m using the Cuisinart Compact Bread Machine in the video/images for this article)
- Measuring jug
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Spoon
- Plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel
- Bench scraper
- Rolling pin
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
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Ingredients
Makes 16 brioche hot dog buns
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 3 tbsp white sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 3 eggs
- 4 tbsp cold salted butter, cubed
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
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Step-By-Step Instructions
Step One: Activate the Yeast
Remove the bread machine pan from the machine before adding anything to it.
Mix the warm water, sweetened condensed milk, white sugar and active dry yeast in the bread machine pan, give everything a quick stir, then cover and leave it for 5 to 10 minutes.
The yeast should become visibly frothy and bubbly. If nothing happens after 10 minutes, don’t continue with the rest of the ingredients. Start again with fresh yeast.
Step Two: Add the Eggs and Butter
Add the eggs and cold cubed salted butter directly to the activated yeast mixture.
There is no need to mix them in by hand. The bread machine will take care of that once the Dough Cycle begins.
Step Three: Add the Flour and Salt
Add the all purpose flour over the wet ingredients without mixing.
Make a small well in the top of the flour, add the salt into the well, then lightly cover it with some of the surrounding flour.
Step Four: Run the Bread Machine Dough Cycle
Place the pan securely back inside your bread machine.
Select the Dough Cycle and press start. My dough cycle usually takes around 1 hour 30 minutes, but use the complete Dough Cycle on your own machine if its timing differs.
The machine will mix, knead and complete the first rise for you.
Step Five: Divide the Dough into 16 Pieces
Once the Dough Cycle is complete, tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.
Divide it into 16 approximately equal pieces using a bench scraper.
If you want especially uniform buns, you can weigh the finished dough and divide its total weight by 16, then weigh each portion. You don’t need to do this for the recipe to work, but it is useful if you want your finished buns particularly even in size.
Step Six: Shape the Brioche Hot Dog Buns
Take one portion of dough and roll it underneath your hand into a short sausage shape, about 6-7 inches long should be perfect for the average brat.
Use a rolling pin to gently flatten and lengthen it. Bring the long sides back together, then pinch the seam firmly until it is completely sealed.
Place the shaped bun onto a parchment-lined baking sheet with the seam side facing down.
Repeat with the remaining dough, leaving a small amount of space between each bun because they will expand considerably during the second rise.
Step Seven: Cover and Rise for 1 Hour
Loosely cover the shaped buns with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and leave them to rise for 1 hour, until visibly puffy.
Because this is a rich, enriched dough, I give these buns a longer second rise than my quicker hot dog bun recipe.
Toward the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 375°F.
Step Eight: Bake Until Golden
Once the buns have risen, remove the covering and place the baking sheet into the preheated oven.
Bake at 375°F for 12 to 14 minutes, until the buns are fluffy, golden and fully baked.
There is no need for an egg wash with this recipe. The eggs and butter already enriching the dough help the buns develop their beautiful golden finish naturally as they bake.
Step Nine: Cool the Buns
Remove the buns from the baking sheet promptly so the bottoms don’t continue cooking against the hot metal.
Transfer them to a cooling rack and cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel while they cool. This helps preserve that lovely soft exterior rather than allowing the crust to become unnecessarily firm.
Allow the buns to cool completely before slicing or freezing.
Step Ten: Slice, Wrap and Freeze
Once completely cool, slice the buns lengthways just as you would expect with store-bought hot dog buns, taking care not to cut completely through the opposite side if you prefer a hinged bun.
Wrap each bun individually in plastic wrap, then place the wrapped buns inside a labeled freezer bag.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
When you need them, remove however many buns you want and leave them at room temperature for around 1 hour, or until completely thawed.
They’re delicious used as they are, but I particularly like them given a quick toast before filling.
Important Note on Dough Size!
Don’t panic if you look inside your bread machine and see an enormous amount of dough!
This is a rich brioche dough and it rises a lot during the Dough Cycle. In my compact Cuisinart bread machine, as shown in my photos, it almost reaches the top of the pan, and that is totally normal.
This full recipe makes 16 buns and is intended for a bread machine capable of handling up to 2 lb of dough.
If your bread machine is on the smaller side, its stated capacity isn’t large enough, or you simply prefer handling less dough, make half the recipe and run the Dough Cycle as usual.
Never exceed the maximum dough or flour capacity stated by the manufacturer of your particular bread machine.
Notes
- Yeast: This recipe uses 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast. Proof it in the warm water, sweetened condensed milk and sugar for 5 to 10 minutes before continuing. If it doesn’t become frothy, start again with fresh yeast.
- Bread Machine Capacity: The full recipe makes a large enriched dough for 16 buns. Use a machine capable of handling up to 2 lb of dough, or halve the recipe for a smaller machine.
- Dough Cycle: Use the complete Dough Cycle, not a regular bread-baking cycle. Mine takes approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, but machines vary.
- Second Rise: Allow the shaped buns to rise for approximately 1 hour, until visibly puffy. A cooler kitchen may slow yeast activity, so use the appearance of the dough as well as the clock.
- No Egg Wash Needed: I don’t use an egg wash. The enriched dough naturally becomes beautifully golden during baking.
- Bun Size: Dividing the dough into 16 portions makes substantial hot dog buns that work particularly well with brats and sausages. Weigh the portions if you want especially uniform buns.
- Freezing: Cool completely and pre-slice before individually wrapping. Freeze inside a labeled freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- Thawing: Thaw the individually wrapped buns at room temperature for approximately 1 hour. Serve once completely thawed or lightly toast before filling.
Ultimate Troubleshooting Guide: Bread Machine Brioche Hot Dog Buns
This is an enriched yeast dough, so there are several points where the dough can tell you something isn’t quite right. Here are the problems you’re most likely to encounter while making homemade brioche hot dog buns and, importantly, what you can do about them:
After 5 to 10 minutes, the yeast mixture should show obvious signs of activity. If it remains completely flat, the yeast may be old or inactive, or the liquid may have been too hot or too cold.
The Fix: Don’t add the remaining ingredients and hope for the best. Discard the mixture and start again with fresh active dry yeast. Make sure your water is comfortably warm rather than hot before adding the yeast.
Very active yeast can create quite a substantial layer of foam during proofing, particularly when it has access to both sugar and the sweetened condensed milk.
The Fix: Some enthusiastic foaming is fine. Continue with the recipe as long as the mixture smells normally yeasty and hasn’t overflowed your bread-machine pan.
Brioche-style enriched dough is naturally softer than many basic bread doughs, so don’t expect it to feel like a particularly dry or stiff dough.
The Fix: Allow the bread machine time to mix and knead before deciding something is wrong. When shaping, use a lightly floured work surface and lightly flour your hands if necessary. Avoid repeatedly adding handfuls of flour, which can make the finished buns dry and dense.
There is a difference between soft, tacky enriched dough and a mixture that remains more like thick batter and never develops structure during kneading.
The Fix: First make sure all ingredients were measured correctly. If the machine has been kneading for several minutes and the mixture is genuinely too wet to form dough, add all purpose flour 1 tbsp at a time, allowing it to incorporate before deciding if another tablespoon is necessary.
If dry flour remains around the pan and the mixture cannot come together, the flour-to-liquid balance may be off because of measuring differences.
The Fix: Give the machine several minutes to work first. If the dough genuinely cannot incorporate the dry flour, add warm water 1 tsp at a time until the dough comes together. Small adjustments are much safer than pouring in additional liquid.
A soft enriched dough may briefly stick to the sides as the machine mixes and kneads it.
The Fix: Watch what happens over several minutes rather than judging it immediately. If the dough repeatedly pulls away and continues developing, leave it alone. Only adjust with a little flour if it remains excessively wet and structureless.
Cold cubed butter takes time to become incorporated into an enriched dough.
The Fix: Don’t immediately stop the machine or start adding flour. Allow the Dough Cycle to continue kneading. The machine should gradually work those pieces of butter into the dough.
Inactive yeast is one possible cause, which is exactly why this recipe proofs the active dry yeast before the other ingredients are added. A cold environment can also slow yeast activity.
The Fix: If your yeast was clearly frothy before you continued, allow the complete Dough Cycle to finish before judging the rise. If there is still virtually no rise at the end, move the dough somewhere comfortably warm and give it additional time. If the yeast never activated properly in the first place, unfortunately the dough is unlikely to recover normally.
For this recipe, that may be completely normal.
The full batch makes 16 buns and produces a large amount of enriched dough. In my compact Cuisinart bread machine, it rises almost to the top of the pan during the Dough Cycle.
The Fix: If your machine is rated to handle this quantity and the dough is behaving like mine in the photographs, don’t panic. If dough is actually pushing into the lid, overflowing, or exceeding your manufacturer’s stated capacity, stop the machine safely and use a smaller batch next time. Halving this recipe is the better option for smaller machines.
This is a substantial batch, and a machine that is too small may struggle with the quantity.
The Fix: Check the manufacturer’s capacity for your machine. Don’t repeatedly run a machine that is audibly or physically struggling with too much dough. Make a half batch instead.
Soft enriched dough can cling slightly to the pan and paddle.
The Fix: Tip the pan gently over your lightly floured surface and encourage the dough out rather than aggressively pulling and tearing it. Be mindful of the kneading paddle if it remains attached to the pan.
Gluten can become tight after the dough has been divided and handled, causing a shaped piece to spring back instead of staying elongated.
The Fix: Set the stubborn piece aside for 5 to 10 minutes while you work on some of the others. That short rest allows the gluten to relax, making the dough easier to roll and shape.
Eyeballing 16 portions inevitably creates some variation.
The Fix: For particularly uniform buns, weigh the complete dough after the Dough Cycle, divide that number by 16, then weigh each individual portion before shaping.
The initial dough portions need enough length to accommodate a hot dog, brat or sausage after baking.
The Fix: Gently lengthen each portion during shaping with your hands and rolling pin. Remember that the dough will become puffier during proofing and baking, so concentrate on establishing the elongated shape rather than making it extremely thin.
Loose shaping or insufficient surface tension can encourage buns to spread more than you want.
The Fix: Flatten and shape each portion consistently, bring the sides together and pinch the seam completely closed. Place that seam firmly against the parchment so the smooth side remains uppermost during proofing.
A seam that hasn’t been firmly sealed can pull apart as the dough expands.
The Fix: Pinch the entire seam securely before placing the bun onto the tray. If the dough is heavily coated in flour and won’t stick to itself, brush away the excess flour from the seam area before pinching.
These buns expand considerably during their one-hour second rise and again in the oven.
The Fix: Leave a small but definite gap between the shaped buns. If they touch slightly after baking, that isn’t a disaster it’s actually the way that you get that neat little tear-away bread roll effect. Allow them to cool enough to handle and gently separate them.
Yeast doesn’t work according to an exact stopwatch. A cool room can considerably slow the second rise.
The Fix: If the buns have begun rising but aren’t visibly puffy enough, give them additional time somewhere comfortably warm and draft-free. Judge the dough by its appearance as well as the one-hour guideline.
You physically can, but underproofed buns are more likely to bake up dense and tight rather than beautifully soft and fluffy.
The Fix: If the dough is still noticeably compact, give it more proofing time before baking rather than trying to make the oven compensate for an incomplete rise.
Overproofed dough can become extremely swollen and fragile and may struggle to hold its structure when moved or baked.
The Fix: Bake once the buns are clearly puffy rather than waiting for them to become enormous. If they appear very delicate and fully expanded, handle the tray gently and get them into the preheated oven rather than extending the rise further.
Overproofing, rough handling, or loss of gas from poorly structured dough can cause risen buns to collapse.
The Fix: Handle fully proofed buns gently and don’t press or reshape them immediately before baking. Make sure the oven is already at 375°F so the tray can go straight in when the buns are ready.
Dense buns can result from inactive yeast, insufficient kneading, too much additional flour, an incomplete first rise or an underproofed second rise.
The Fix: Proof your active dry yeast as directed, allow the bread machine to complete its Dough Cycle, resist adding unnecessary flour, and don’t bake the shaped buns until they are visibly puffy.
Too much flour or excessive baking can turn a soft enriched bun dry.
The Fix: Measure the flour carefully, use only enough extra flour to make shaping manageable, and begin checking the buns at 12 minutes. Remove them once they’re golden and fully baked rather than leaving them in simply because the maximum 14 minutes hasn’t passed.
A longer bake than necessary or leaving the buns uncovered as they cool can produce a firmer exterior.
The Fix: Transfer the baked buns promptly to a cooling rack and loosely cover them with a clean kitchen towel while they cool. That’s the method I use to preserve their softness.
The hot baking sheet continues transferring heat to the bottoms even after it leaves the oven.
The Fix: Remove the buns from the baking sheet promptly and transfer them to a cooling rack. If your oven consistently over-browns baked goods underneath, also check your rack position and actual oven temperature.
Ovens vary, and the exact browning time can differ.
The Fix: If the buns aren’t yet golden or fully baked at 14 minutes, give them a little additional oven time while watching closely. Don’t increase the temperature simply to force faster browning.
An oven running hot or a rack positioned too close to the upper heating element can brown the tops before the centers finish baking.
The Fix: Check your oven temperature if this happens regularly. If the tops are already sufficiently brown but the buns need a little longer to bake, loosely cover the tray with foil for the remaining time.
Color alone doesn’t guarantee that an enriched bun has finished baking through the center.
The Fix: Give the buns additional baking time if the centers aren’t cooked. If you’re uncertain, checking one of the center buns is more useful than judging only by the darkest bun at the edge of the tray.
A small amount of softening is normal as freshly baked enriched bread cools, but significant wrinkling can indicate the structure wasn’t completely set before the buns left the oven.
The Fix: Make sure they’re fully baked before removing the tray. Cool them on a rack rather than leaving them against the hot baking sheet.
Cracking can happen when the shaped dough hasn’t proofed sufficiently or when the seam isn’t properly sealed and expansion finds a weak point.
The Fix: Allow the buns to become visibly puffy before baking and pinch each seam thoroughly during shaping.
Uneven portion sizes, hot spots in the oven and different positions on the baking sheet can all affect browning.
The Fix: Divide the dough as evenly as possible. If your oven has pronounced hot spots, rotate the baking sheet during the latter part of baking without repeatedly opening the oven door.
Freezer burn occurs when bread is exposed to dry freezer air.
The Fix: Cool the buns completely, wrap each bun individually in plastic wrap, then place them together inside a freezer bag and remove as much excess air as practical before sealing.
Condensation can collect around frozen bread as it thaws.
The Fix: Allow the buns to thaw completely. If the surface feels slightly damp afterward, unwrap them and allow that moisture to dissipate, or give the cut sides a quick toast before serving.
Storage
One of my favorite things about making a batch of 16 brioche hot dog buns is being able to put some away for later. Just make sure the buns are completely cool before storing them, especially if you’re freezing them.
How to Store Homemade Brioche Hot Dog Buns at Room Temperature
Once completely cool, store the buns in an airtight container or food-storage bag at room temperature.
Because these are homemade buns without the preservatives used in many commercially packaged breads, I wouldn’t expect them to sit around for ages like a supermarket package can. For the best softness and freshness, use your room-temperature buns within 2 to 3 days.
Keep them somewhere cool and dry rather than beside the stove or in direct sunlight.
Can You Refrigerate Brioche Hot Dog Buns?
You can, but the refrigerator isn’t my first choice for keeping homemade bread at its best because refrigeration can make bread seem stale more quickly.
If you know you won’t use the buns within a couple of days, freezing is the better option.
That way you’re preserving part of the batch while it’s still fresh rather than waiting until the buns are already beginning to lose their lovely softness.
How to Freeze Homemade Brioche Hot Dog Buns
This is how I freeze mine:
- Allow the buns to cool completely.
- Pre-slice each bun lengthways.
- Wrap each bun individually in plastic wrap.
- Place the individually wrapped buns inside a labeled freezer bag.
- Remove excess air and seal.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Pre-slicing is such a small thing, but it makes the frozen buns much more convenient. They’re ready to use just like the pre-sliced hot dog buns you buy from the store.
Individual wrapping also means you can take out exactly what you need for dinner without thawing all 16 buns.
How to Thaw Frozen Brioche Hot Dog Buns
Remove the number of buns you need and leave them at room temperature for approximately 1 hour, or until completely thawed.
I keep them wrapped while they initially thaw so they don’t dry out.
Once thawed, they’re ready to fill. Or give them a quick toast first, which is particularly good when you’re serving them with a juicy brat or heavily topped sausage.
Can You Toast Brioche Hot Dog Buns After Freezing?
Yes! Once completely thawed, open the bun and lightly toast the cut sides until they’re just golden. Toasting gives the inside a little extra structure and is a great option for wetter toppings that might otherwise soak into the bread.
Serving Ideas
These brioche hot dog buns are substantial enough for far more than a plain hot dog and ketchup. That slightly richer enriched dough is particularly useful when dinner involves a bigger sausage or plenty of toppings. Try them with:
- Classic grilled hot dogs with ketchup, mustard, relish or onions
- Bratwurst with mustard and sauerkraut
- Beer brats with sautéed onions
- Italian sausages with peppers and onions
- Smoked sausages
- Chili dogs with shredded cheese and diced onions
- Barbecue sausages
- Polish sausages or kielbasa
- Sausage sandwiches with caramelized onions
- Loaded hot dogs with several toppings
- Backyard cookouts and barbecues
- Fourth of July meals
- Memorial Day or Labor Day cookouts
- Game-day food
- Casual family dinners
- Summer parties and potlucks
They’re also useful when you’re feeding a crowd because one batch gives you 16 buns without needing to make several separate rounds of dough.
And don’t overlook leftovers. A bun given a quick toast can make a very nice little sandwich roll when there aren’t any sausages on the menu.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
- Makes 16 homemade hot dog buns
- Bread machine handles the mixing, kneading and first rise
- Uses the convenient Dough Cycle
- Soft and fluffy inside
- Richer than a basic hot dog bun
- More substantial than very light store-bought buns
- Particularly good for brats and larger sausages
- Strong enough for plenty of toppings
- Made with simple baking staples
- Uses active dry yeast
- No special hot dog bun pan required
- No stand mixer required
- No hand kneading required
- No egg wash required
- Naturally develops a beautiful golden color
- Easy hand-shaping method
- Can be divided by weight for particularly uniform buns
- Makes a useful big batch
- Easy to halve for smaller bread machines
- Can be made ahead
- Freezes beautifully
- Can be pre-sliced before freezing
- Individually wrapped buns make it easy to thaw only what you need
- Thaws at room temperature
- Delicious lightly toasted
- Great for hot dogs
- Fantastic for brats
- Useful for cookouts, barbecues and game days
- Gives you the flavor and smell of freshly baked homemade bread!
FAQs: Ultimate Guide to Bread Machine Brioche Hot Dog Buns!
All your bread machine brioche hot dog bun questions answered!…
Yes. You can make and bake the buns ahead, cool them completely and store them airtight at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. For longer storage, I prefer freezing them while they’re still fresh. They can be frozen for up to 3 months and thawed as needed.
Yes. Cool the buns completely, slice them, wrap each bun individually in plastic wrap and place them together in a labeled freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Individual wrapping means you can thaw only the number you need.
Yes, and I specifically recommend doing that if your bread machine is too small for the full batch. The complete recipe produces a large enriched dough and makes 16 buns. Halve all of the ingredients and use your machine’s Dough Cycle as usual.
Use a bread machine capable of handling up to 2 lb of dough for the full recipe. This dough rises considerably during the Dough Cycle and almost reaches the top of my compact Cuisinart bread-machine pan. If your manufacturer’s instructions indicate a smaller capacity, make half the recipe instead.
Bread flour has a higher protein content than all purpose flour and can produce a slightly chewier, more structured result. This recipe was made with all purpose flour, so that is what I recommend when you want to reproduce my buns as closely as possible. More information available here!
This recipe was tested using active dry yeast, which I proof for 5 to 10 minutes before adding the remaining ingredients. Instant and bread-machine yeasts behave somewhat differently and don’t ordinarily require the same proofing step, so for the recipe exactly as written, use active dry yeast.
The recipe was tested using cold salted butter. If you need to use unsalted butter, remember that you’re changing one of the sources of salt in the dough. For the closest result to my tested recipe, salted butter is my preference.
I wouldn’t simply omit it. Sweetened condensed milk contributes both dairy and sweetness, so removing it without adjusting anything else changes the balance of the dough. This recipe was tested with 1/4 cup canned sweetened condensed milk, and that’s what I recommend for the intended result.
No. Evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk are both concentrated canned milk products, but sweetened condensed milk contains a substantial amount of added sugar. Don’t substitute evaporated milk 1:1 and expect the recipe to behave or taste exactly the same.
The ingredient combination could theoretically be adapted to conventional kneading, but this particular recipe and method were developed around the bread machine Dough Cycle. If you make it as written, the machine handles mixing, kneading and the first rise. I wouldn’t give you made-up stand-mixer or hand-kneading timings for a method I haven’t given you as part of this tested recipe.
No. I shape these by hand and bake them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flattening each portion, bringing the sides together, firmly sealing the seam and baking seam-side down creates the elongated bun shape without requiring a dedicated hot dog bun pan.
No, but you certainly can. For everyday buns, dividing the dough visually into 16 portions works perfectly well. If appearance or consistency is particularly important, weigh the entire finished dough, divide that weight by 16 and portion accordingly.
The full recipe makes 16 substantial brioche hot dog buns. They’re particularly well suited to brats and larger sausages, but you can use them anywhere you would ordinarily use a hot dog bun.
You can divide the dough into more than 16 portions if you want smaller buns, but their final dimensions and baking time will change. Because my tested version makes 16 buns and bakes at 375°F for 12 to 14 minutes, watch smaller buns carefully and use their appearance and doneness rather than assuming they’ll require the full baking time.
You can portion the dough into fewer pieces for larger buns, but larger pieces may require additional baking time. For the tested size and timing in this recipe, divide the dough into 16 portions.
Yes. In fact, brats are one of the reasons I particularly like this style of bun. Very fluffy packaged hot dog buns can sometimes start falling apart around a substantial sausage and its toppings. These enriched homemade buns are still soft and fluffy, but have more substance to them.
Brioche-style bread is richer and slightly sweeter than a very basic lean bread, but these are intended to function as savory hot dog and sausage buns rather than dessert bread. And they are not as sweet as Hawaiian Rolls. The white sugar and sweetened condensed milk contribute to the enriched dough, while the eggs and butter add richness.
Not this recipe. I don’t add an egg wash because the eggs and butter already in the enriched dough allow the buns to become naturally golden as they bake.
For the best quality, keep completely cooled buns airtight at room temperature and use within approximately 2 to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months.
I do. Pre-slicing makes them much more convenient once frozen because they’re ready to thaw and fill just like store-bought hot dog buns. Make sure they’re completely cool before slicing and wrapping.
My individually wrapped buns generally need around 1 hour at room temperature to thaw. The exact time can vary with the temperature of your kitchen and the size of the buns, so make sure the center is completely thawed before serving.
Yes, and they’re really lovely toasted. Once the bun is sliced, lightly toast the cut surfaces before adding your sausage and toppings. This is particularly useful for juicy sausages or wetter toppings because the toasted surface provides a little extra structure.
Brioche-style buns are made from an enriched dough, meaning the dough contains richer ingredients such as eggs and butter alongside the usual bread ingredients. The result is a richer, softer bun with more flavor than a very basic lean bread dough. This recipe also uses sweetened condensed milk as part of that enrichment.
The soft but more substantial brioche bread bun gives you a sturdier base for brats, chili, onions, sauerkraut, peppers, sauces and other toppings than an extremely light bun that may begin breaking apart as you eat.
Yes. Bake them the day before, cool completely and store airtight at room temperature. If you’re preparing considerably further ahead, freeze the buns instead and thaw the quantity you need before your cookout.
Not as one batch in the bread machine. This standard recipe already produces a large amount of dough and almost reaches the top of my compact Cuisinart pan. Putting a doubled quantity into the machine could exceed its safe capacity. If you need 32 buns, make two separate batches rather than doubling everything inside one bread-machine pan.
For this tested method, I complete the Dough Cycle, shape the buns, give them their one-hour second rise and bake them the same day. An overnight refrigerated proof changes fermentation time and dough handling, so I wouldn’t present it as interchangeable with the method I’ve tested here.
A few seconds (no more than 10) in the microwave helps to warm up slightly stale hot dog buns and refresh them, giving them a little softer of a finish.
Easy Bread Machine Brioche Hot Dog Buns You Can Freeze!
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add the warm water, sweetened condensed milk, sugar and yeast in to the bread machine pan, and stir. Cover and leave for 5 to 10 minutes until frothy. If it doesn't froth, start again with fresh yeast.
- Add the eggs and cold cubed salted butter directly to the yeast mixture.
- Add the flour on top without mixing. Make a small well in the flour, add the salt and lightly cover with surrounding flour.
- Return the pan to the bread machine and run the complete Dough Cycle, approximately 1 hour 30 minutes in my machine.
- Tip the finished dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 16 equal pieces.
- Roll each piece into a sausage shape, about 6-7 inches long should be perfect for the average brat. Flatten and lengthen with a rolling pin, bring the long sides together and pinch the seam closed. Place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between each bun.
- Cover and leave to rise for 1 hour until visibly puffy. Preheat the oven to 375°F toward the end of the rise.
- Bake at 375°F for 12 to 14 minutes, until fluffy, golden and fully baked. No egg wash is needed.
- Transfer the buns promptly to a cooling rack and loosely cover with a clean kitchen towel. Cool completely before slicing.
- Slice the cooled buns, wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in a labeled freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for approximately 1 hour.
Video
Notes
- Dough Size: This makes a large enriched dough that almost reaches the top of my compact Cuisinart pan. Use a bread machine capable of handling up to 2 lb of dough, or halve the recipe.
- Yeast: Use active dry yeast and make sure it becomes frothy before continuing.
- Second Rise: Allow approximately 1 hour, or until the shaped buns are visibly puffy.
- No Egg Wash: The enriched dough naturally develops a lovely golden color.
- Storage: Store completely cooled buns airtight at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
- Freezing: Pre-slice, individually wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw for about 1 hour at room temperature.
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Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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The Takeaway
These easy Bread Machine Brioche Hot Dog Buns are soft, rich and sturdy enough for hot dogs, brats and loaded sausages. The bread machine handles most of the work, and with 16 buns in a batch plus easy freezer storage, they’re well worth the extra rise time!
What to Try Next?!
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If you make these Bread Machine Brioche Hot Dog Buns, I’d love to hear how they turned out! Please leave a star rating and comment below, and don’t forget to save or share the recipe so you can find it again.
Why You’ll Love Using a Bread Machine In Your Kitchen!
If you’re new here, you’ll quickly learn that I am such a fan of using a bread machine for dough. It has been one of the biggest helps in my kitchen, especially during busy or overwhelming seasons.
My parents gifted me this little Compact Cuisinart Bread Machine recently when I moved from the UK to the States after getting married, and it has worked like a little powerhouse ever since!
It kneads beautifully. It rises dough evenly. It keeps everything contained in one pan so I am not dealing with flour across every surface of the kitchen.
And on days where the house feels chaotic or I am juggling too much, I can add the ingredients, press the dough button, and let it get on with the work while I focus on everything else.
It takes away so much of the guesswork and makes homemade bread, pizza dough, cinnamon rolls, soft rolls, and sweet bakes feel much simpler.
It has also been a real blessing for our budget. Homemade dough costs pennies compared to store prepared versions and certainly compared to eating out. As a military family on baby step 2 of our debt free journey, little savings like that matter across an entire month.
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Learn bread machine baking with beginner-friendly guides on flour, yeast, ingredients, troubleshooting, dough cycles, tips, and techniques!
If you have ever felt intimidated by bread making, this is your gentle nudge to give it a try. A dough cycle handles all the kneading for you.
You get soft, reliable, fluffy dough without standing over a counter for ages or worrying if things rose the way they should. It makes homemade cooking feel doable, even on days that are far from calm.
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