Fransk Hotdog (“French” Hot Dog)

Summertime BBQs and hot dogs

Summer means grilling season, and therefore, it’s the perfect time to share one of our favorite ways to eat hot dogs! While regular hot dogs are delicious for sure, they’re pretty messy. We much prefer a classic Danish dish, a fransk hotdog – easy to eat on the go, portable, lots of bread, plenty of toppings. Basically, you start with a soft bun, carve out the center, filling with your toppings, and stick a hot dog inside. Sounds weird, but it’s amazing! And if you’re not sure what to serve them with, you could always go for a light pasta salad like this one.

Why is it called a fransk hotdog?

The history of this dish is unclear, specifically why it’s called a “french” or fransk hotdog when it is mostly popular in Denmark. However, this method of eating a hot dog is also popular in other European countries, including Austria, so perhaps it stems from another country. One thing we want to make very clear, though, is how much Danes love hot dogs. In fact, this was probably one of the first fast foods to become popular in Denmark. You will find pølsevogne (sausage wagons) all over the place in most large cities, and they serve all kinds of dishes, including fransk hotdogs. They also offer delicious red Danish hot dogs, which are also a must-try. Here is a fantastic guide to the best hot dogs and their history in Denmark from the website Visit Copenhagen.

Easy and simple white bread recipe

Below, we offer our recipe for a homemade fransk hotdog bun, as the rest of the ingredients can be store-bought. If you also don’t feel like making homemade buns, you can always buy a baguette or a soft roll and cut it into smaller pieces! The recipe is not too complex, though, as it’s just a basic recipe for soft and sweet white bread dough. For the dough, you’ll need yeast, milk, water, sugar, salt, flour, and butter. We use all-purpose or bread flour, but you could add some whole wheat flour or rye flour if you like. Plant-based milk and butter will both work fine in this recipe too, as long as they’re unsweetened and pretty neutral in flavor.

How to make fransk hotdog buns

These are made just like a white bread dough – the only difference is the shaping stage. Start by combining the ingredients (bloom the yeast if needed) and knead until soft and smooth. Let this rise until doubled in size, then divide into four equal pieces. Roll these out into long logs, about the length of your baking sheet, and let them rise a second time. They should be nice and puffy before you brush them with some milk and bake for 25-30 minutes. Once baked through, they’ll be a lovely golden brown color and sound hollow when you tap them. To serve, cut each log in half and carve out some of the dough with a small knife. Feel free to toast them quickly in the oven, but otherwise, just fill with the sauces and toppings of your choice, shove the hot dog in, and enjoy!

Watch Our Video

Franske Hotdogs (“French” Hot Dogs)

4.67 from 3 votes

These hot dogs are served in a homemade bun with any topping you like – and they are absolutely delicious!

Servings 8 servings

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Rising time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

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IMPORTANT NOTE:

We always bake using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and milliliters). We can’t promise that our cup measurements will be as accurate! Additionally, we bake and develop our recipes in a convection (fan) oven.

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

DOUGH

• 2 tsp instant yeast (2.5 tsp active dry yeast, 17.5g fresh yeast)
• 100 ml milk
• 100 ml water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 28 grams unsalted butter, melted
• 400 grams all-purpose or bread flour
• Extra milk to brush on top

HOT DOGS & TOPPINGS

• 1 packet of hot dogs (8 or 10 hot dogs, depending on the brand)
• Ketchup (optional)
• Mustard (optional)
• Fransk Hotdog Dressing (optional)
• Fried Onions (optional)

Instructions

 

• If using instant yeast – add the yeast, milk, and water to a bowl and whisk to combine. Then add the rest of the ingredients (sugar, salt, butter, flour) and stir together with a wooden spoon. Once a dough starts to form, you can start kneading.
• If using active dry yeast or fresh yeast – Heat up the milk and water, either in the microwave or in a saucepan, until it is “fingervarm” (finger warm), meaning it should feel warm to the touch but not hot. Add the yeast and stir to dissolve. Let it rest 5-10 minutes until it begins to froth and bubble a little bit. Then, add the rest of the ingredients (sugar, salt, butter, flour) and stir together with a wooden spoon. Once a dough starts to form, you can start kneading.
  
• Knead for 10-12 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or cling film.
  
• Cover and let the dough proof for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size and passes the poke test (should NOT spring back immediately when poked, should spring back slightly but leave an indentation).
• Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into four or five equal-sized portions, depending on how many hot dogs are in the pack (4 for a pack of 8, 5 for a pack of 10).
  
• Shape the dough loaves for the hot dogs by pressing or rolling each piece of dough into a long log, the length of the baking sheet.
  
• Arrange the shaped loaves on a baking sheet.
  
• Cover the dough and let it rise for another 30 minutes to an hour, or until doubled in size and passes the poke test again. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C).
  
• Brush the long loaves with milk and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and baked all the way through.
  
• Once the long loaves have mostly cooled, it's time to assemble! To assemble the franske hot dogs, cut each long loaf in half or cut into thirds (the length of the hotdog may not reach the whole way if you cut it in half – not an issue for us, but if you want a different ratio we would suggest cutting it in thirds!). If it's the next day, you may want to toast the bread in the oven for a few minutes just to warm it up again before using. Hollow out the center with a small knife.
  
• Heat up your hot dogs using your preferred method (grilling, pan frying, or boiling). Add ketchup, mustard, or your favorite sauce and toppings into the hole in the loaf. Then add your hot dog and enjoy!

Video

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine: Danish

Keyword: classic, comfort food, Copenhagen, grill, hot dogs, summer, traditional

Difficulty: Intermediate