New England Hot Dog Buns
Ingredients
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast2/3 c warm water (110 degrees F)
6 egg yolks; room temperature
3 eggs; room temperature
½ c vegetable oil
2 T white sugar; divided
1 t salt
4 ½ c bread flour
4 t Bread Fresh Dough Enhancer (optional)(recommended)
2 egg whites
2 pinches salt
Instructions
In a large bowl dissolve yeast in water with 1 t sugar; let bloom for 10 minutes.In a separate bowl combine the yolks, 3 eggs, and oil.
In a separate bowl whisk sugar, salt, bread fresh, and about 3-1/2 cups of flour.
Combine yeast mixture with egg mixture; add it to the flour mixture.
Stir to make a sticky dough.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead with remaining flour until smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes. Try not to use all the flour. The dough should be soft and supple. More so than a regular bread loaf dough. It will make the finished product softer.
Knead using oiled hands if necessary to keep from incorporating too much flour into the dough.
Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn to oil the entire surface of the dough. Cover with oiled plastic wrap.
Place in a warm place until double in size, about 45 minutes.
Roll dough out onto an oiled work surface, deflating gently with the fingertips.
Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel, cut the dough into 3 sections. Cut each section into 3 sections. Cut each section in half. That is a 3x3x2 cutting to equal 18 dough pieces. See Photo
Oil an 11.5 x 17” baking tray and line it with parchment paper, leaving excess parchment on both long ends of the tray to facilitate moving the buns off the tray and onto a cooling rack in one piece when bake time is completed.
Roll out the dough pieces to form 18 logs about 4 ½ to 5” long each. Place the dough logs on the parchment lined baking tray in two lines of 9 logs each spaced evenly.
Beat 2 egg whites from the separation process with 2 pinches of salt; brush onto bread. Save the rest of the egg whites for another use.
Let the bread rise until doubled, about 45 minutes, covered. See Photo
During the last 15 minutes of rise time, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F . Brush the bread with egg wash again.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden.
Remove from oven and using the parchment paper as handles move the bread, in one piece, to a wire rack to cool. See Photo
When cool, slice each log segment in half vertically at the center of the log See Photo. It will create bread sides to accept butter for grilling and a grown together split that will separate when urged. See Photo
There will be a half log residue on each end of the 9 log row. Four half logs of scrap total. Sixteen New England hot dog buns. See Photo