Weekend baking: Hot Dog Flower Buns
Weekend baking is a mixture of tradition and treat. It was one of my favourite things while growing up and a practice I continue today. Breads, buns, cakes, pones, pastries, tarts, and cookies are all part of the delightful assortment one can look forward to. Teatime, snack time, breakfast and every time in between seems perfect for a baked treat.
I do not bake every weekend but when I do, I use the time to experiment, try something new or simply to tick an item from my ‘things to make’ list. This week I want to share with you a recipe for Hot Dog Flower Buns that you can pull apart to eat alone or to share with someone.
The recipe is not new. I shared it with you in May last year when I wrote about Chinese-style Hot Dog Buns and that was the first time ever that I ate a hot dog with the bread accompanying it. It was a big deal for me because I deconstruct sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs when eating them - I eat the fillings separately and nibble on the bread because I only eat bread occasionally, when my
mind calls for it.
This past weekend I felt like eating a good savoury bread and returned to the Chinese-style Hot Dog Buns because there is another way, using the same recipe, to shape and style the buns - like a flower. When baked, the buns are beautiful, appealing and appetizing. You see it and want to have one or two. I swear, you make these, and
everyone will gravitate towards them. It’s beautiful food.
It’s called hot dog flower buns because the hot dog after being rolled in the rich bun dough is cut equally into 6 pieces and arranged in a circle with one piece in the middle and the others closely around it, forming the shape