Forget Traditional Buns: Baking Hot Dogs Into This Bread Makes Them Slice And Serve Ready

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If you're tired of squishy buns getting soggy under the weight of your hot dog and toppings, focaccia is the bun swap you need to try. It's beautifully bouncy, yet with a sturdy foundation and a crusty top that can be used to holding all kinds of ingredients, from roasted garlic to cured meats. Plus, focaccia is an easy recipe for novice bakers as it's a no-knead bread that requires two hands-off rounds of proofing. Furthermore, the hot dogs don't need to be cooked separately as they'll be baked directly into the focaccia dough. 

To make the delicious swap, score the hot dogs so they'll get crispy and evenly cooked in the oven. Execute a typical focaccia recipe, creating the dough and spreading it into a pan with a drizzle of olive oil to proof for about an hour and a half. You can also take a shortcut by using canned dough like Pillsbury French Bead Dough, which cuts out the first proof and takes you directly to the dimpling step. After dimpling the focaccia and letting it proof again for 30 minutes, it's ready for the hot dog addition. Gently nestle two evenly spaced rows of four hot dogs (or one row of six links) into the dough. Bake the focaccia for around 30 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the bread is cooked through, the top is golden and crisp, and the hot dogs are browned. Finally, cut the focaccia leaving some space around the perimeter of each link for the perfect, self-contained hot dog bun.

Focaccia is an Italian bread that's usually topped with Italian-leaning ingredients, and swapping them out for hot dogs puts this dish in the territory of culinary fusion. You can bring more American flavors to the mix with garnishes like relish and pickles, as well as condiments like mustard and ketchup. You can sprinkle poppy seeds over the focaccia before baking it to give the bread a Chicago-style hot dog vibe. In New Jersey, the regional hot dog style is known as an "Italian hot dog" featuring deep fried links topped with sauteed onions, peppers, and potatoes. Considering onions, bell peppers, and potatoes are all popular focaccia toppings, this combination of ingredients will work well on (or baked into) a hot dog focaccia. 

Of course, Americans aren't the only ones to enjoy a grilled or boiled sausage. Replace the simple hot dog with a German-style bratwurst to garnish with spicy mustard and sauerkraut. You can also make the pairing more balanced by incorporating hot dogs into this recipe for cacio e pepe focaccia. The black pepper and parmesan will bring a spicy, nutty, and salty twist alongside the meaty dogs. Otherwise, take hot dog focaccia into Argentinian territory by recreating a choripán, swapping links for Argentinian chorizo and topping the "chori-focaccia" with a hefty drizzle of herbaceous chimichurri sauce. You can even lean deeper into Italian-American fusion by giving hot dog focaccia a pizza-inspired makeover, melting mozzarella over the links and topping with a drizzle of store-bought pizza sauce.