These hot dog flower buns are a Chinese bakery favorite, both in Hong Kong and in Chinatowns across the U.S.
They are typically made with soft milkbread dough created using a tangzhong, which is a mixture of flour and milk or water that is cooked to gelatinize some of the flour to hold extra moisture. It has origins in Japan and then was popularized in Taiwan and Hong Kong in the early 2000s.
It's hard to find a softer and fluffier bread than one that begins with a tangzhong. You could make a quick version of these flower buns using canned crescent roll dough, like with pigs in a blanket, but you'd be missing out on this wonderful bread.
These might be a bit of a novelty, but once you've tried them, you could find yourself baking them pretty regularly.
P.S. It's the same dough I use to make these Jam Milk Buns and these Sambal Oelek Buns. You could probably make four each of the buns at the same time.
Ingredients in These Buns:
For the Dough: Bread flour, milk, instant yeast, granulated sugar, salt, an egg, and unsalted butter. This is the same dough you might use to make a loaf of milk bread.
Hot Dogs: You could substitute sausages, but the stronger flavor might overwhelm the mildly sweet flavor of the bread.
For Brushing before Baking: Egg and cream or milk.
Sesame Seeds: I used a combination of raw and toasted sesame seeds, just because I had both and liked the look.
Scallions: Finely chopped, for topping. You can also use chives.
Simple Syrup: For lightly brushing the rolls after baking. It gives the rolls a pretty bakery shine and goes nicely with the savory hot dogs. I actually used a sesame flavored syrup just because I happened to have on hand. The flavor and aroma worked really well.
To Make These Flower Buns:
First, make the dough. It's very easy to put together. Make the tangzhong and let it cool. Also, scald the milk that will go in the dough. Mix all of the dough ingredients together on medium high speed for about ten minutes. The dough will be very smooth and elastic.
You can let the dough rise at room temperature for about two hours, or you can transfer the dough to the refrigerator to rise overnight.
When you are ready to shape the flowers, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll the pieces into rectangles for wrapping the hot dogs. When the hot dogs are wrapped, slice them into six pieces and arrange them with one piece in the center and five pieces around. Let them rise for about an hour, until puffy.
Once the dough rises and bakes in the oven, the dough and hot dog "petals" will adhere to each other and hold together.
Next, brush the flowers with an egg and cream mixture and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
Finally, bake the flowers for about 20 to 25 minutes. Quickly brush them with the simple syrup.
Recipe Variations:
If you like, you can roll some of the scallions up with the hot dogs for more scallion flavor.
Instead of just white sesame seeds, you can mix in some black sesame seeds.
Finally, you can get creative with the shaping, making larger flowers or different flower shapes.
Tip:
If you decide to let the dough rise overnight in the refrigerator, once you remove it from the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 to 45 minutes. The dough will still be cold, but less stiff.
Storage:
If you have leftovers, you can keep them between layers of wax paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat them at 350 degrees F for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Stuffed Buns:
This month, the Bread Bakers are sharing recipes for Stuffed Buns! Our host is Rahda of Magical Ingredients.
- Custard Buns from A Messy Kitchen
- Homemade Nebraska Runzas from Sneha’s Recipe
- Ham and Cheese Stuffed Buns from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Hot Dog Flower Buns from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Nebraska Runzas from Food Lust People Love
- Salted Caramel Apple Wreath from Magical Ingredients (our host)
#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.
Hot Dog Flower Buns
These hot dog flower buns are a Chinese bakery favorite, both in Hong Kong and in Chinatowns across the country.
Ingredients
- 100 grams (1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons) milk
- 20 grams (2 tablespoons) bread flour
- 125 grams (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) milk
- 1 teaspoon instant or active dry yeast
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) granulated sugar, plus a pinch
- 335 grams (2 2/3 cups) bread flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 55 grams (4 tablespoons) room temperature unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
- 12 hot dogs
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon cream
- Sesame seeds
- Finely minced scallions
- Simple Syrup (can be made by simmering equal parts water and sugar by volume and letting it cool).
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, cook the milk and flour over low heat, whisking regularly, until the mixture is pudding like and reaches 149 degrees F. This should take only 2 or 3 minutes, so do not walk away. Remove the mixture from the pan and place it in a bowl to cool.
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it is just simmering around the edges but not boiling. Remove it from the heat and pour it into a small bowl and let it cool to 110 degrees F. Add the yeast and a pinch of sugar and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixture, add the rest of the sugar, flour, salt, the egg, the scalded milk, and the tangzhong. Mix on low with the dough hook until you have a rough, shaggy dough. Begin to add the butter, one piece at a time. Do not add the next piece until the prior piece is fully incorporated.
- Once you have fully incorporated the butter, switch the machine to medium high and knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough is very elastic and smooth. It will be slightly sticky.
- Form the dough into a ball and place it into an oiled bowl or dough rising bucket and let rise in a warm spot in your kitchen, covered, until doubled, about 2 hours.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Once the dough has risen, deflate it and divide it into 12 equal pieces, about 57 grams each by weight. Form each into a ball. Loosely cover the dough balls with a damp tea towel while they are waiting to be shaped.
- Roll each piece of dough into about a 3 inch by 7 inch rectangle. Roll up a hot dog in the dough piece and cut the rolled up hot dog into six equal pieces. Place one piece in the center and the other five around it. Place it on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough and hot dogs, 6 flowers per baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour, until puffy. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- When ready to bake, whisk together the egg wash and brush it on the rolls. Sprinkle the rolls with sesame seeds and the scallions. Bake the rolls, one sheet at a time, for 20 to 25 minutes. After removing them from the oven, immediately lightly brush them with the simple syrup. Cool on a wire rack.
- Can be served warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
299Fat (grams)
13 gSat. Fat (grams)
6 gCarbs (grams)
35 gFiber (grams)
1 gNet carbs
34 gSugar (grams)
5 gProtein (grams)
10 gCholesterol (grams)
65 mgRecipe adapted from Mooncakes and Milk Bread, Sweet and Savory Recipes Inspired by Chinese Bakeries by Kristina Cho. I absolutely recommend this book.
