Chinese hot dog buns are exactly what they sound like, a hot dog spiraled inside a tender bun and baked until golden. Picture pigs in a blanket done the Chinese bakery way, except the dough is buttery, pillowy, and a little sweet instead of flaky. The slight sweetness paired with the salty hot dog is the whole reason these are popular in bakery cases across China.
I grew up buying these at the Chinese bakery, and they were one of my favorite after-school snacks. I originally developed this recipe when I didn’t live near a Chinese bakery and wanted to recreate those soft, slightly sweet buns at home. Once I nailed the milk bread dough, I stopped missing the bakery version entirely.
The dough uses the same milk bread method I use when I make my milk bread rolls, so a stand mixer does most of the work. I knead the dough until it passes the windowpane test, let it rise, wrap each hot dog in a strip of dough, and bake the buns until golden brown. So good you guys! I recommend making a batch over a weekend and you will have a snack, a quick lunch, or something to treat when your friends stop by. Enjoy it!
Ingredients
These are all the ingredients I use to make this delicious soft Chinese hot dog buns at home:
Bread flour: I prefer bread flour over all-purpose flour because its higher protein content creates a stronger, more elastic dough that holds its shape around the hot dogs while baking.
Instant yeast, sugar, and salt: I use sugar to give the buns a subtle sweetness, while salt enhances the flavor and helps strengthen the dough.
Milk: I prefer evaporated milk because it gives the buns a richer flavor and a soft, tender texture.
Egg and softened butter: I add the butter after the flour and liquid have come together so the gluten can form first, then the fat works in for a soft plush texture.
Hot dogs: These are the filling, and I use enough whole hot dogs to match a full batch of dough. I brush the shaped buns with a little more evaporated milk before baking so they bake up glossy and golden.
How to Make
1. Mix the dough: Combine the flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt, milk, and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir with chopsticks or a spatula until the liquid is absorbed and a shaggy dough forms.
2. Knead: Attach the dough hook and switch the mixer on, gradually increasing to speed 4. Knead for 10 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl now and then.
3. Add the butter: Add the softened butter and knead at speed 4 for another 5 to 10 minutes. After 5 minutes, pinch a small piece of dough between your fingers, which should stretch into a thin, semi-transparent film without tearing. Knead a little longer if it is not there yet.
4. First rise: Oil a large bowl, then grease your hands, lift the dough out, and tuck it into a round ball. Set it in the oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise until doubled, anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes depending on your kitchen temperature.
5. Shape the dough: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust your work surface with flour. Transfer the risen dough and flatten it into an 8 by 10 inch rectangle.
6. Cut: Along the 10 inch side, cut the dough into 10 equal strips, one per hot dog.
7. Wrap the hot dogs: Working one at a time, pinch the end of a dough strip onto one end of a hot dog, then wind the strip around the hot dog in a spiral to the other end. Place it seam side down on the baking sheet and repeat with the rest.
8. Second rise: Cover the buns and let them rise until 1.5 times their size, about 30 minutes. While they rise, preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
9. Brush: Brush the risen buns with evaporated milk.
10. Time to cook: Then bake at 350°F (176°C) for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.
11. Serve: Let them cool slightly before serving, warm or at room temperature.
Cooking Tips
Weigh your flour: I use a kitchen scale for the flour instead of cups. Milk bread dough is sensitive to the flour-to-liquid ratio, and weighing keeps the dough at the wet and stretchy consistency that gives me the softest crumb.
Trust the windowpane test: The stretch into a film test is the one signal I never skip. If the dough tears before it goes thin and translucent, the buns come out denser, so I knead a few minutes more rather than rush to shaping.
Let the room set the rise time: I do not watch the clock for the first rise, I watch the dough. In a warm kitchen it can double in 45 minutes, and in a cold one it takes closer to 90, so I wait for the size to double no matter what the timer says.
Wind the strips snug but not tight: When I spiral the dough around each hot dog, I keep it snug enough to stay put but loose enough to have room to puff. Wrapping too tight makes the dough split as it rises and bakes.
Watch the color at the end: Ovens run differently, so I start checking at 15 minutes and pull the buns the moment the tops go golden brown. A minute or two too long dries out the tender crumb I worked for.
Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to serve these is warm from the oven as an afternoon snack, just like I ate them while walking home as a kid. The buns are sweet and soft, which pairs nicely with the salty hot dog and I particularly like them plain, though a squeeze of ketchup or a swipe of mayonnaise is also a great option if that’s how you and your loved ones prefer them.
If you enjoy Chinese bakery treats, be sure to check out my other recipes, including soft Chinese egg cakes and fluffy Chinese coconut buns. They’re all fun to make at home and perfect for sharing with family and friends.
Frequently Ask Questions
Can I make the dough by hand instead of with a stand mixer?
Yes! Some of my readers have successfully made this dough by hand. However, the dough is quite wet and sticky, so I recommend using a bench scraper to help with kneading. It takes more time and effort to develop the gluten, so this method is better suited for someone with experience making bread. If you’re new to bread making, I highly recommend using a stand mixer.
Why did my buns come out dense instead of fluffy?
The most common reason is under-kneaded dough or a rise that was cut short. I make sure the dough passes the windowpane test before shaping, and I let both rises finish fully, since a rushed proof gives you a tighter and heavier crumb.
Can I use regular milk instead of evaporated milk?
Yes! You can substitute whole milk for evaporated milk in equal amounts. The buns may be slightly less rich, and the dough might be a little softer and stickier because whole milk contains more water. I recommend kneading the dough thoroughly before deciding whether it needs any extra flour, since adding too much can make the buns less fluffy.
How do I store leftover Chinese hot dog buns?
I recommend freezing leftover buns to keep them soft and fluffy. Once completely cooled, wrap them individually and freeze for up to 2 months. You can also store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but the bread will gradually dry out and become stale. To serve, reheat the buns in the oven until soft and warmed through.
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Chinese Hot Dog Buns
Ingredients
Dough
- 300 g (2 cups + 2 tablespoons) bread flour (*Footnote 1)
- 6 g (2 teaspoons) instant yeast
- 30 g (2 tablespoons) sugar
- 6 g (1 teaspoon) salt
- 200 ml (3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon) evaporated milk (or regular whole milk)
- 1 egg
- 56 g (4 tablespoons) butter , softened
Buns
- 10 hot dogs
- 1 tablespoon evaporated milk (or regular whole milk)
Instructions
Prepare the dough
- Combine the flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt, milk, and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer (*Footnote 2). Mix together with a pair of chopsticks or spatula, until the liquid is fully absorbed and a shaggy dough forms. Attach the dough hook and turn the mixer on, gradually increase to setting 4. Knead for 10 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the softened butter. Knead at speed 4 for another 5 to 10 minutes. After 5 minutes, pinch a small section of the dough using both of your hands, it should form a thin, semi-transparent film without tearing. Knead a bit longer if needed.
- Prepare a large bowl and spray with a thin layer of oil.
- Once the dough has finished kneading, grease your hands with some oil, lift the dough from the mixing bowl and tuck it a few times to make a round ball, then place into the large oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest until the size doubles. It can take anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes depending on the room temperature.
Assemble the hot dog buns
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust your work surface with flour. Once the dough is fully risen, transfer it onto the work surface. Flatten it out into a 8”x 10” (20 cm x 25 cm) rectangle. Along the 10” (25 cm) side, divide the dough into 10 equal strips.
- Work on the hot dogs one at a time. Take a strip of dough and pinch it onto one side of a hot dog, then wrap the dough around the hot dog like a spiral until it reaches the other end of the dog. Place the wrapped hot dog on the lined baking tray, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining hot dogs.
- Cover the buns and let rise until 1.5 times in size, about 30 minutes. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Once the buns have risen, gently brush them with the evaporated milk.
Cook the store the buns
- Bake at 350°F (176°C) for 15 to 20 minutes, until the buns are golden brown. Let the buns cool slightly before serving. You can serve the buns hot or at room temperature.
- For leftover buns, transfer them to a large ziplock bag once they have cooled completely. Store in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, or in the freezer for 1 to 2 months.
- To reheat, you can warm the refrigerated buns in the microwave or in the oven. For frozen buns, you can either thaw them then heat them in the oven, or heat them in the oven directly at 300°F (148°C). If heating frozen buns, the bun will heat up faster than the hot dog part. One thing you can do is take the buns out once the bread part is heated, remove the hot dog from the bun (it can be done easily), and pop it back in the oven for a few more minutes. Assemble it again once both parts are heated through.
Notes
- I highly recommend using the gram measurement for this recipe.
- A stand mixer is highly recommended since the dough is very wet. It’s possible to make it by hand if you’re experienced, and you will need a dough scraper to knead the dough.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to hear how it turned out for you! Please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating ⭐️ and share your thoughts in the comments further down the page. It really helps others discover the recipe too.
Thea
I made this recipe today and our whole family loved it😍 thank you always for such easy simple directions.
Maggie Zhu
So happy to hear you like this one! It’s a treat for me when I was a kid and still one of my favorite snack 🙂
Thanks for leaving a positive review.
Ashley Wu
Is it possible to use soy milk instead of evaporated milk? Im excited to try this recipe!
Maggie Zhu
I’ve read that you can make your own evaporated milk by this method: Pour 2/3 more milk than called for in the recipe into a saucepan. Bring the milk to a simmer and gently reduce it until the desired amount is reached. Allow the mixture to cool before using.
I’m reluctant to use the milk to replace the evaporated milk directly because this dough is quite wet, and milk contains way more water than evaporated milk. You will need to make quite some adjustment to reach the desired dough texture if using the milk directly.
Suzin
Can these be frozen, before baking?
Maggie Zhu
I haven’t tried it and I highly recommend baking them directly. The freezing process might disturb the yeast and they might not rise properly after thawed.