KentsOkay Texas Weiner Giant Sweet Buns of Awesomeness

I wish I were an... Instructables member KentsOkay, could have been Better or Best, being schooled at Party Hahvard U, can make these delishous homemade hot dog buns.

KentsOkay always talks about his native Texas and brags talks a lot of steer. But when it comes to sizing things up, this instructable matters. He's mentioned something about the size of those Texas weiners or was that being one..., now how about a bun to slide that footlong in. Yes, seems there is shrinkage after cooking.

When a regular hot dog bun will not do, you have to make this giant hot dog bun. Why do they come 8 to a pack when there are 10 dogs in a package?

And from Wikileaks, industrial applications of this same recipe may be used to make hamburger buns too. I think they charge different prices for the same product weight. Hmmm...

Perfect to make for the Superbowl or for the couch potato since you need not get up to refuel or empty the tank as often.

Step 1: Fresh Hard Ingredients or Hardly Fresh...

This is really the result of cleaning out the fridge and finding stuff hid in the pantry.

Flour - a few cups? I have a 5 lb bag and I gauge what I make by seeing how much room I have in my mixing bowl

an egg, uncooked - gotta spell things out for people

some cream - quarter cup? , we ran out of milk - hey, I thought everyone else here was lactose intolerant - usually about a cup - for lightness

butter - 1/2 a stick or whatever you have left, melted - you can use any other liquid fat, really for flavor and lightness

yeast, still working on polishing off that giant block from the warehouse club store

Mashed potato flakes - Look to the left. Look to the right. Good chance you will find some or someone but you can also mash up a freshly boiled potato, let it cool if you do

dash of salt

a spoonful of sugar - maybe two or three

a package of hot dogs

mustard

sauerkraut, onions in tomato sauce, and other condiments if you are not from New York City.


New York City is snowed and iced under so we still haven't gone to town to pick up more supplies yet.

Step 2: Proof Is in the Yeasting...

Get a small bowl, mug or cup and fill it with water.

The water should be room temperature or a little warmer to help the yeast grow.

Add a few spoonfuls of sugar as food for the yeast.

Dump in a few spoons of yeast and stir to dissolve everything.

Put aside in a warm or draft-free area.

Wait till it foams up or bubbles a little to know that the yeast is alive.  I happened to catch it when it "bloomed" in the bowl.  Pretty cool.

If your yeast doesn't activate after 10-15 minutes, you need a new batch of yeast.

Step 3: Mix and Match...

I wanted these to be those heartier potato rolls so I used some mashed potato flakes as part of the dough.

Add about two cups of flour to your bowl.

Add about the same amount or a little less of mashed potato flakes.

Dump in your yeast solution.

Dump in your splash of cream, melted butter, dash of salt, and crack in an egg.

Stir around with a fork to congeal the mass.

Add more flour if it is too wet.  You will need to get a sticky ball of dough bits.

Flour your hands and dig in to start kneading.

Press down with your palm, fold over the dough, press and repeat for about 10 minutes.

Take your stress out and the dough should start getting harder to fold and then get elastic.

Cover in a bowl and let rest for its first rising.  Give it about an hour.

Step 4: Hot Buns!

Once the dough has about doubled in size, divide into hardball-sized chunks.

Stretch out in a rope-like shape.

Place on your greased cookie sheet or use a silicone baking liner to keep the buns from sticking to the pan.

Let them rest again for the second rising for about another hour.

Bake in the oven at 300-350 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until browned and cooked through.

I used a silicone baking sheet liner so the buns popped right off. Put on an open cooling rack or elevate to let the steam out from under it.

When cooled, separate by pulling apart and slice lengthwise with a bread knife.

Step 5: Short Tale About a Long Dog...

If you do not have a big one, just small to average, fill up the bun with two normal sized weiners.

Dovetail joint two hot dogs to make one big unit.

If you have weiners with the skins on, you might call on the services of a professional who takes tips.

On one end briskly cut out a wedge shaped piece on each side to form a keystone-like tenon.

On the other dog, the receiving end, cut out a keystone shaped void to fit the tapered dovetail from the other dog.

You can place the dovetail over the second dog to use as a guide to cut the perfect matching joint.

I guess if you really wanted to, run it through your dovetailing jig with the router. May make a mess though.

Join them together and cook by any method. I threw them in the toaster oven.

Step 6: Byte Me...

If your buns of awesomeness turned out to be like baguettes - hard, old, thin, crusty NachoMahma loafs of something, they should still be okay.  These buns should be soft and limp NachoMahma loafs of something...in this case they should still be okay. Making bread takes time and experience.

Go ahead, take your meat and slap it on a bun.

Use condiments.

Enjoy!