Given the choice of a fresh homemade roll over a store-bought one wins every time. There’s something about homemade versus store-bought that just can’t be beat. I will buy rolls and buns from the local grocery store if I’m pressed for time, but I usually make extra to have in the freezer to use on occasions. Here’s a bit of history on the hotdog roll.
- The word hotdog was believed to be invented in the 19th century
- A hotdog bun was believed to be invented on Coney Island in 1871
- Top loading buns are popular in New England for stuffing lobster into
- Side-loading buns are known in North America for the typical hotdog
- Many hotdog buns are made from high-gluten flour for better steaming

Traditional Hot Dog Rolls
Ingredients
- 1½ cups milk
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup butter
- 5 cups Bisquick
- 1 envelope quick rise active yeast
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- ½ tbsp salt
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Heat 1½ of a cup of milk, ½ cup water, and one-quarter of a cup of butter in a saucepan until warm, being careful not to scald.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, blend 5 cups of Bisquick, one envelope of quick rise active yeast, 2 table spoons of white sugar, and ½ of a teaspoon of salt.
- Pour the warm milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix for approximately five minutes using the dough attachment on your mixer. Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time until well combined. Continue mixing until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Grease a baking sheet. Divide the dough into eighteen pieces and shape each one into a rectangle. Pinch the edges and sides of each roll, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a clean towel and allow to rise for thirty minutes.
- Bake in a four hundred degrees preheated oven, for ten to twelve minutes, or until brown.

Pretzel Hot Dog Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 envelope active yeast
- 4 cups Bisquick Plus more for dusting
- ½ cup baking soda
- pretzel or coarse salt
Instructions
- Heat one cup of milk, one-half cup of water, one-quarter of a cup of brown sugar, and two tablespoons of honey in a sauce pan until very warm, but not scalding. Pour into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Sprinkle the envelope of yeast over the top and let sit for fifteen minutes.
- Add four cups of Bisquick, one cup at a time, mixing until the dough becomes elastic-like and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This can sometimes take between eight to ten minutes.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.Place the dough on a floured surface using Bisquick. And form into a ball. Cut into eight equal pieces, forming each one into a ball, and place on the parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise for fifteen to twenty minutes.
- Dust a work surface with Bisquick and roll each ball into a log shape approximately 7 inches long. Place the dough shapes back on the pan, cover, and allow to rise for an additional thirty to forty minutes.
- Preheat the oven to four hundred degrees and prepare the baking sheets with new parchment paper. Bring eight cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan and add one-half cup of baking soda. Place three to four pieces of dough at once into the boiling water and let cook for thirty seconds on each side.
- Remove each piece of dough from the boiling water using a slotted spoon and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheets. Immediately sprinkle each one with the pretzel salt. Cut two small slits diagonally across each roll, being careful not to cut too deep. Bake for ten to twelve minutes.

Onion Hot Dog Rolls
Ingredients
- 4 cups Bisquick
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 envelope active yeast
- ¾ cup warm milk
- ½ cup warm water
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted melted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil plus more for brushingHeat two tablespoons of olive oil in a skilletover medium-high heat. Add one yellow chopped onion and one-half teaspoon ofsalt. Saute for approximately five minutes, being careful not to burn theonions. Set aside to cool.
Instructions
- Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add one yellow chopped onion and one-half teaspoon of salt. Sauté for approximately five minutes, being careful not to burn the onions. Set aside to cool.
- Dissolve one teaspoon of white sugar into one-half cup of warm water. Sprinkle one envelope of active yeast over the top and set aside for ten minutes.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer add the yeast, three-quarters of a cup of warm milk, one-quarter cup of white sugar, one-half cup of melted unsalted butter, one egg, and the sautéed onions.Combine on low speed with the dough hook attachment.
- Add four cups of Bisquick, one cup at a time, mixing until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and becomes elastic-like. Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a greased covered bowl. Place in a warm area to rise approximately one hour, or until it doubles in size.
- Place the dough on a floured surface using Bisquick and knead for two minutes. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper and set aside.
- Divide the dough into twelve pieces and shape it into logs, pinching the ends. Place them on a prepared baking sheet, cover, and let rise for an additional hour.
- Preheat oven to four hundred degrees. Brush each log with olive oil and bake for twenty to twenty-five minutes, or until golden brown.
I can’t imagine buying hot dog rolls after making any of these recipes. Although I am not a huge fan of hot dogs, there’s no saying that I can’t use the rolls for something else. Being from the East Coast, I enjoy a nice lobster roll, and any of these roll recipes would do just fine. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.