• a mixing bowl
• a wooden spoon
• measuring spoons
• a measuring cup
• a baking pan of, about 7" x 14" (greased if metal or glass - dry if silicon) will produce buns 6 1/2 inch long.
• a bread knife

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 ½ tsp yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbs oil
• Optional: 1/2 to 3/4 C of your prefered alternative flour, ie, light rye, whole wheat, etc.
• 3 to 4 cups all purpose  (or strong/bread) flour

Method I (mixing):

1. sprinkle yeast onto warm water and let sit a few minutes (until it foams).
2. add salt, sugar and oil and mix vigorously.
3. add one cup flour (at this time, include your 1/2 to 3/4 cup of alternative flour making up the difference of a cup with your white flour) and beat 100 strong strokes with a wooden spoon.
4. add 1 additional cup of flour and work it in work in 1/2 cup at a time until the stickyness is gone from the dough (add only 1/4 cup at a time as you come near the end - working the dough by hand once it becomes too hard to work with the spoon).
5. knead the dough for about 7 minutes - until it feels silky-smooth.
6. form the dough into a flat ball and lightly rub a thin coat of oil over the surface of the dough. Then return the dough to the mixing bowl and cover it.
7. put the bowl in a warm, draft-free place (we use the oven with the oven light on) and let it rise for 70 minutes (or until the dough has doubled in bulk).

1. Turn dough out onto your (lightly floured) work surface. Press the bubbles out of the dough - flattening it into an oval shape. Cover it with a dish towel and let it rest for about 5 minutes.
2. Knead the dough lightly and shape the dough - roll it out into a rectangle pulling it a bit, as needed, to fill all corners of the pan ... so that the dough lies evenly in the pan.
3. Cover the pan with a piece of parchment paper (or wax paper although it sticks a little more) and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 45 minutes or until double in bulk.

1. Preheat the oven to:
         if metal - 470ºF (243ºC)
         if glass or silicon - 450ºF (234ºC)
2. Place the pan in middle of hot oven and bake for 10 minutes.
3. After 10 minutes, lower the temperature of the oven to:
         if metal - 445ºF (229ºC)
         if glass or silicon - 425ºF (218ºC)
   and bake for 10 minutes.
4. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes or until done by tap-testing the bottom (a tap on the bottom should yeild a hollow sound).
5. When cooked, move to a wire rack to cool.
6. After 20 minutes, the loaf may be cut and scored into hot dog buns - cut the baked bread into buns - yeilds 6 - 1 3/4 inch (4.5 cm) wide hot dog buns.