Best New England Style Buttermilk Hot Dog Buns Lobster Rolls Recipes

NEW ENGLAND STYLE HOT DOG ROLLS/BUNS (FOR LOBSTER ROLLS ETC.)

Steps:

• Combine the yeast and sugar with 1/4 cup of the warm water in a large bowl, or in the bowl of an electric mixer. Let stand for 5-10 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy. This allows the yeast to "bloom.".
• Add the salt and flour.
• Lightly beat 2 of the eggs with the milk and add this mixture to the bowl.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter, and add this as well.
• Have the remaining 1/4 cup warm water ready.
• If you are mixing by hand, add some of the water and begin to mix, adding the water as needed.
• If using an electric mixer, attach the dough hook and jog the machine (turn it on and off) until the dough begins to form. This prevents the flour from jumping out of the mixing bowl.
• Add the remaining warm water as needed. The dough usually takes the full amount.
• When a soft dough has formed, knead for 5 minutes by machine, or about 8 minutes by hand.
• This is a soft bread and does not require as much kneading as chewier types. The finished dough should be soft but dense, and should not be sticky.
• Shape the dough into a ball and lightly oil it with the salad oil. Place it in a large bowl.
• Cover with plastic wrap or a slightly damp towel, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in bulk.
• Punch the dough down and move to a work surface. Lightly dust the work surface with flour.
• Shape the dough into a square.
• Using a knife, cut the dough into 13 equal pieces. This is best done by cutting 12 pieces and using scraps to make the thirteenth. If there is not enough dough for the thirteenth piece steal a little pinch off the others.
• With the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, lightly grease a baking sheet that is at least 15" long.
• Shape the dough into uniform 7" long tubular pieces, (or buy a New England Hot Dog Roll pan from the site above). It is important that all the pieces be the same length.
• Place the tube in a line, side by side, down the center of the baking sheet, leaving a 1/2" gap between them.
• Put the pan in a warm place, and let rise a second time.
• Prepare a thick egg wash by mixing the remaining egg with 2 tablespoons water.
• After 15-20 minutes, the tubes of dough will have risen enough that they will be touching.
• Generously brush the tubes with egg wash, return the pan to the warm spot, and let the dough rise until almost doubled in size, 10-15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Place the buns in the oven, and bake for about 30 minutes, until deep golden brown.
• Let the buns cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes, then run a spatula under them to make sure they are not sticking to the pan.
• Using 1 or 2 spatulas, carefully lift the baked dough in one piece onto a rack to cool. It is crucial that you NOT let the buns break or tear apart.
• After 1 hour, when the baked dough is completely cooled, move it in one piece to a cutting board.
• Using a serrated knife, slice down the center of each tube. You will lose half a tube on each end (which is why you need 13 tubes to make 12 buns). The place where the tubes met is now the center of each bun.
• They will open naturally when it comes time to stuff them, but you can make a small incision to ensure that this happens.
• Wrap the buns in plastic wrap until ready to use. If you do not intend to use all 12 buns, freeze the extras, and defrost when needed.
• Note:.
• To infuse the dough with the delicate flavor of saffron, chop 1 teaspoon saffron threads and add to 1/4 cup water in a small pan.
• Bring the mixture to a boil over med-high heat, then remove from the heat.
• Let cool to lukewarm, and substitute for the 1/4 cup water added for mixing.
• Since the dough will be golden to start with, look for a dark brown top before removing from the oven.

CONNECTICUT-STYLE LOBSTER ROLLS WITH BUTTER

Steps:

• Fill a large steamer or pot with about 2 inches of water. Add 1 tablespoon sea salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Put 2 lobsters (about 1 1/2 pounds each) in the steamer basket or directly in the pot; cover and steam until the shells turn bright red, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the lobsters and rinse under cold water until slightly cool. Remove the meat from the shells and roughly chop. Melt 1 stick unsalted butter in a saucepan with the juice of 1 lemon and 1/3 teaspoon paprika. Remove from the heat; stir in the lobster meat and season with salt. Divide among 4 split-top hot dog buns. Serve warm.

NEW ENGLAND HOT DOG BUNS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with a hook attachment, add the flour, milk powder, potato flour, sugar, salt, yeast, eggs, water, and milk, and knead on low speed until it comes together about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through. Let rest for 20-30 minutes.
• Knead on low speed and gradually add the butter until it is completely incorporated. Once all of the butter is incorporated, increase the speed to high and knead for about 4-6 minutes until the dough is smooth, releases from the sides of the bowl, and passes the windowpane test. It's a very soft, smooth, and satiny dough that is slightly tacky to the touch.
• Lightly spray a straight-sided container with oil and transfer the dough to the container; lightly oil the top of the dough as well. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes until it has grown by about 10%. Then put it in the refrigerator and let rest overnight, about 8-12 hours. It will at least double in this time.
• Take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, lightly spray the hot dog bun pan with oil and set it aside.
• Remove the dough from the container with a dough scraper and place it on a very lightly oiled work surface. Roughly shape the dough into a square and divide it into 10 equal pieces.
• Apply a little oil to your fingers, take one piece of dough, roll it into a ball, and deflate it while you roll it up. Then stretch up the dough on the side farthest away from you and fold over the center. Then rotate the dough by about 45°, stretch the dough farthest away from you and fold it over the previous fold and over the center. Repeat this 6-8 times. You will notice that the dough builds up tension and becomes firmer with every fold. The goal is to have a round ball with all the seams on one side.
• Then place the dough ball seam side down, gently cup it with one hand, and form a C-shape with your hand. Move the dough with your hand in a circular motion and gently press it against the work surface to build tension, stretch the surface of the dough, and close the seams at the bottom. If the dough is a bit sticky, oil your hands very lightly. Avoid using flour on the work surface to allow the dough to anchor to the surface as it moves. Do this gently without tearing the surface of the dough, and don't overwork the dough. Once the seams at the bottom are closed, gently roll the dough ball back and forth 1-2 times to create an oval-shaped ball of dough. Repeat with all pieces of dough and let rest for 5-10 minutes.
• Then, starting with the first piece of dough, roll each oval ball into a 5-inch (13cm) long strand by rolling the dough back and forth with the palm of your hand while applying some pressure to the work surface.
• Arrange the dough pieces in the prepared pan and let them rest at room temperature for about 45-60 minutes until they have doubled.
• In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) for 15-20 minutes.
• Brush the buns with egg wash and bake for 18-20 minutes until they are deep golden brown.
• Remove from the oven, brush with melted butter, and cover with a clean and dry kitchen towel for 20 minutes. Then uncover and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. After cooling, cut into 10 individual hot dog rolls and split them on top by cutting vertically into the center of the bun. Don't cut all the way through. Then toast them with butter on both sides just before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

NEW ENGLAND STYLE BUTTERMILK HOT DOG BUN'S (LOBSTER ROLLS)

Steps:

• Combine the yeast and sugar with 1/4 cup of the warm water in a large bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy. (This allows the yeast to "bloom.").
• Add the salt and flour. Lightly beat 2 of the eggs with the milk and add this mixture to the bowl. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter and add this as well. Have the remaining 1/4 cup warm water ready. If you are mixing by hand, add some of the water and begin to mix, adding the water as needed. If using an electric mixer, attach the dough hook and jog the machine (turn it on and off) until the dough begins to form. This prevents the flour from jumping out of the mixing bowl. Add the remaining warm water as needed; the dough usually takes the full amount. When a soft dough has formed, knead for 5 minutes by machine or about 8 minutes by hand. This is a soft bread and does not require as much kneading as chewier types The finished dough should be soft but dense and should NOT be sticky.
• Shape the dough into a ball and lightly oil it with the salad oil. Place it in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a slightly damp towel and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until doubled in bulk.
• Punch the dough down and move to a work surface. Lightly dust the work surface with flour. Shape the dough into a square. Using a knife, cut the dough into 12 equal pieces.
• With the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, lightly grease a baking sheet that is at least 15 inches long. Shape the dough into uniform 7-inch-long tubular pieces. It is important that all the pieces be the same length. Place the tube in a line, side by side, down the center of the baking sheet, leaving a 1/2-inch gap between them. Put the pan in a warm place and let rise a second time.
• Prepare a thick egg wash by mixing the remaining egg with 2 tablespoons water. After 15 to 20 minutes, the tubes of dough will have risen enough that they will be touching.
• Generously brush the tubes with egg wash, return the pan to the warm spot and let the dough rise until almost doubled in size, 10 to 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the buns in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes until deep golden brown.
• Let the buns cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes, then run a spatula under them to make sure they are not sticking to the pan. Using 1 or 2 spatulas, carefully lift the baked dough in one piece onto a rack to cool. It is crucial that you not let the buns break or tear apart. After an hour, when the baked dough is completely cooled, move it in one piece to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice down the center of each tube. You will lose half a tube on each end (which is why you need 13 tubes to make 12 buns). The place where the tubes met is now the center of each bun. They will open naturally when it comes time to stuff them, but you can make a small incision to ensure that this happens.
• Wrap the buns in plastic wrap until ready to use. If you do not intend to use all 12 buns, freeze the extras and defrost when needed.
• COOK'S NOTE: To infuse the dough with the delicate flavor of saffron, chop 1 teaspoon saffron threads and add to 1/4 cup water in a small pan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then remove from the heat. Let cool to lukewarm and substitute for the 1/4 cup water added for mixing. Since the dough will be golden to start with, look for a dark brown top before removing from the oven.