The BEST Sausage Buns

I have to admit, I'm not much of a hot dog person--but THESE sausage buns?!? Oh man, I could eat 2 of them to myself, in one sitting. Some may argue and call these beauties, pigs in a blanket; some may call them, sausage buns or sausage rolls--whatever you want to call them...just know that you will be doing yourself, plus your friends and family a HUGE favor, by showing up to the party with a tray of these bad boys. Bet you didn't think that these were that easy to make, huh? :)

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE STARTER:

1/2 cup of whole milk

1/4 cup of bread flour

FOR THE DOUGH:
4 cups of bread flour (plus additional for kneading)

1/4 cup of sugar

2 packets of instant active dry yeast or 1 Tablespoon (I prefer Red Star's Premium Instant Yeast w/Dough Enhancers)

1 cup of very warm water (NOT TOO HOT)

1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

1 large egg

2 Tablespoons of canola oil (may sub for any oil)

1 teaspoon of salt

1 1/4 cup grated extra sharp cheddar

6 pieces of cooked bacon chopped (cook bacon until just browned for best results)

16 bun length hot dogs (I prefer Nathan's brand) removed from the packaging and patted COMPLETELY dry

toasted sesame seeds (optional)

FOR EGG WASH:

1 large egg yolk

1 Tablespoon of water

FOR THE HONEY, MAYO, MUSTARD SAUCE:

olive oil mayo

honey mustard

honey

salt (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Make your starter/roux by combining 1/4 cup of bread flour with whole milk. Stir well and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Mix well. Microwave on high, again, for additional 30 seconds. Mix well. If your mixture has not thickened and isn't resembling dense, mashed potatoes at this point, microwave for an additional 15 seconds. Mix well and allow for this mixture to cool down to warm (about 15 minutes).

2. Into your stand mixer, add in 4 cups of bread flour and your sugar. Stir. Add in your yeast, warm water, oil, egg, and then your warm roux. (Make sure to follow that order.)

3. Knead in your mixer for about 30 seconds. Stop mixer and add in your Italian seasoning, grated cheese, chopped bacon, and salt. Knead again. After about 3 minutes, check the dough. If it's too sticky, add in more flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until no longer sticky. Dough should still feel slightly tacky but also should not stick to the sides of the bowl while mixing. (I usually need an additional 1/4 cup, but have gone up to 3/4 cup before.) Knead for 8 full minutes.

4. Place dough on clean work surface and shape into a ball. In the same mixing bowl, spray in some coconut oil spray. Place dough in bowl, spray the top of the dough, once more, and then cover with saran wrap until doubled in size. Should take about 20 minutes if you're using an instant yeast and it's warm where you are.

5. Remove proofed dough from the mixing bowl, place on a clean surface and punch it down a few times to release any air bubbles. Knead the dough for a few minutes or until the dough has been kneaded to it's original shape. Divide the dough in half, and cover the unused dough with a clean cloth.

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES F.

6. Using a rolling pin, shape the dough into a 8x12 inch rectangle. Using a pizza slicer or knife, cut the dough into 8 even sized strips. Take a strip of dough and give it a tight twist, then roll the twisted strip over a hot dog piece. Make sure to tuck in the dough on both ends. Repeat until done.

7. Place wrapped hot dogs on a large baking sheet, fitted with a piece of parchment paper. (You may need two baking sheets if you don't have a large one like mine.) Brush the tops of each bun with the egg wash and finally some toasted sesame seeds. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown. (There is no need for a second rise when making these; they go straight in the oven! I told you they were easy!)

TO MAKE THE DIPPING SAUCE:

Combine mayo, mustard, and honey into a bowl and mix well. I just eyeball this sauce and taste check as I go along. Add in a pinch or two of salt and season with black pepper.

NOTES:

-You can try halving the recipe if you do not want to make 18 sausage buns. I don't do that, because every time I try to cut my bread recipes in half, they never turn out as good. OR you can simply freeze the wrapped hot dogs and bake them later. I have not tried this method, yet, but I don't see why it wouldn't work! Just make sure to bring the wrapped sausage buns to room temp before baking.