Sonora Style Buns

In my previous post, I shared a little history and a recipe for Sonora style hotdogs, known as dogos. When chili dogs were introduced to the Mexican state of Sonora, hotdog buns were not available in Mexico, so the restaurant owner was in cahoots with the local baker to create a large and fluffy bun especially for the dogo, becoming part of its essence , and one of its unique features.

Sonora Style Buns (for Dogos) – Pan para dogos

Printable recipe: Sonora Style Buns for Dogos

Ingredients (for 8 buns)

4 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
4 tsp instant dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1 cup water; lukewarm
¼ cup butter; at room temperature, cubed
3 eggs; at room temperature
1 tbsp milk
Oil, to grease the dough

Place flour in a large mixing bowl; take two tablespoons from the flour and transfer to a cup:

To the cup, add one tablespoon of sugar (photo below, left), and then pour in half a cup of lukewarm water (photo below, right):

Mix to dissolve flour and sugar (photo below, left); sprinkle yeast on top, mixing gently (photo below, right):

The mix should start bubbling almost right away (photo below, left). Allow to rest for fifteen minutes, until foamy (photo below, right):

Add the other tablespoon of sugar, and the salt, to the bowl with flour (photo below, left). Mix well, then open a well in the centre, and pour yeast mixture in (photo below, right):

Add half a cup of lukewarm water to the cup where the yeast mix was, to rinse, and add to the bowl (photo below, left). Incorporate liquids and dry ingredients with a spatula or with hands (photo below, right):

Add cubed butter, and continue mixing, breaking up the butter to incorporate into the dough (photo below, left). Break two eggs in a cup, beat lightly, and add to the dough (photo below right):

Continue mixing until a ball may be formed, then transfer to a clean working surface (photo below, left). Knead with hands, to develop gluten and smooth the dough (photo below, centre). Continue for fifteen to twenty minutes, until the dough is soft and elastic, and can be pulled until very thin without breaking (“window test”, photo below, right):

Pull dough from edges to the centre, pinching and smoothing to form a ball. Place back in the bowl, seam facing down, and grease lightly with oil (photo below, left); cover with a clean towel and allow to rest for one and a half to two hours. The dough will rise and become very airy, almost tripling its volume (photo below, centre). Punch the centre to allow air to escape (photo below, right):

Transfer dough back to the working table, and roll into a log:

Divide into eight equal parts:

Working with one piece at a time, pinch dough towards the centre, to form a ball (below, left); flip so the seam is facing down, and roll to round as much as possible (below, centre); roll into a long tapered cylinder, approximately 5 inches (12.5 cm) long (below, right):

Repeat with the rest of the dough, placing buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about one inch (2.5 cm) apart (photo below, left). Place in a warm spot away from drafts, and rest for forty five minutes; the buns will rise to almost touch each other (photo below, right):

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).

Lightly beat the third egg and the milk, and brush the buns, to coat tops and part of the side (photo below, left). The buns are now ready to go to the oven (photo below, right)

Place the baking sheet in the middle of the oven (photo below, left); the buns will rise even more (photo below, centre), and after 20 minutes, will brown nicely (photo below, right):

Remove from oven, and allow to cool down:

When torn apart, the overlapped sides reveal a nice crumb:

These buns are not crunchy, but very soft and pillowy:

Opened on the side like a pocket, these buns are ready to hold a bacon-wrapped hotdog, and all the toppings characteristic of the classic dogo (click here for full story and recipe):

The crumb has a soft bite and complements the flavours and textures of the fixings:

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