The Worst Store-Bought Hot Dog Buns Come From A European Brand

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Whether you prefer a Coney Island chili dog or a bacon-wrapped Sonoran dog, and no matter if you take it with onions, pickles, mustard, or ketchup (yeah, that's right, you heard me Chicago), the joys of the hot dog — arguably the most distinctly American of staple comfort foods — can easily be thwarted if the bun containing this precious cargo is not up to scratch. This is why we regret to inform you that, according to a Tasting Table ranking, the worst store-bought hot dog buns currently on the market are the product of a European brand — specifically, Schär Hot Dog Rolls.

We should emphasize that Schär Hot Dog Rolls are a gluten-free product — founded in Italy in 1922, Schär began as a health food company that would become one of the first purveyors of gluten-free products, which would prove essential for those suffering from celiac disease, who must consume an entirely gluten-free diet. This is obviously laudable, and when assessing Schär's rolls, our own tester declared that "for a gluten-free product, they're surprisingly decent," and only ranked so low due to being stacked against more impressive (and not gluten-free) opponents. Nevertheless, Tasting Table's judgment was that Schär Hot Dog Rolls were "powdery, dry, and don't carry a whole lot of natural flavor." Our tester also noted the rolls' prohibitive price (at the time of writing, $8.99 for a pack of four at Walmart), despite the fact that "they're not necessarily adding any value to the meal."

On Reddit, some users had different complaints than our tester. Commenting on the subreddit r/glutenfree, one user posted a photograph of a Schär Hot Dog Roll they had purchased, sliced open to reveal a noticeably uneven filling. The user commented: "One half was totally hollow. It was almost impossible to cut it open without it falling apart! And, of course, not cheap either. Never again!" Responding, another user complained that the rolls "get soggy about 1 second after you dare to put anything like relish on them." Users elsewhere on Reddit also complained of unevenly filled rolls, indicating that getting a "bad batch" of Schär Hot Dog Rolls may not be an isolated incident. Other Redditors were less negative, however, with one saying they liked Schär's rolls, "but put two hot dogs in one bun because it's just too much bread to hot dog ratio ... They also work great as little sub rolls. It's a good bread."

While our ranking saw Nature's Own Perfectly Crafted Brioche Style Hot Dog Rolls come out on top, finding the perfect hot dog bun for you is obviously a matter of personal taste, affected by precisely what style of hot dog you plan on filling it with, so you may wish to shop around. Should you instead opt to try your hand at making your own hot dog buns, you'll find plenty of recipes to choose from online, but remember to check out our tips on making the easiest soft bread at home, including using the Asian technique of tangzhong, so that your buns turn out fluffy and stay moist for longer.