Hot Dog Buns

The other day we had some sausages for grilling but no buns. Oh, the horror! Never one to shy away from a challenge, I decided to make my own buns instead of buying from the store. Now my only problem is that I never want to eat a store-bought hot dog bun again!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 egg
  
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  
• 1 package (.25 ounce) instant or rapid-rise yeast

Directions

Heat the milk, water, and butter in the microwave or a small saucepan until warm (around 110-120 degrees). In a stand mixer, mix together salt, 1 1/2 cups flour, and yeast. Mix in milk mixture and egg until thoroughly combined. Put dough hook on mixer and turn on medium speed. Slowly add the remaining flour except for 1/2 cup. When the dough has been kneaded together, feel the dough - it should be moist but not too sticky. If very sticky, add remaining 1/2 cup flour. Knead dough on medium-high speed for 5-10 minutes, or until you can pull a piece of dough out and stretch it into a tight membrane like a drumhead - you should be able to pull it very thin, so you can see lights and shadows through it. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll out each piece with your hands on a lightly floured surface until you make a log about 8-10 inches long. Place each log on a lubricated sheet pan tightly packed in a 2x6 formation:

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Cover with a lightly moistened towel or a piece of plastic wrap sprayed with no-stick spray. Let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes to an hour. Remove towel/plastic and bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for a few minutes before separating and splitting for the hot dogs.