DIY Slider Buns

September 2026

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, July 2026

For years, I’ve made my own split-top hot dog buns and slider buns—neither of which are easy to find in local supermarkets. I’ve relied on America's Test Kitchen's potato burger bun dough as a common base, tweaking only the shaping and baking methods for each style. However, after trying a new Cook's Illustrated recipe for split-top buns with great success, I decided to test it out on a batch of slider buns.

The Process

I prepared the dough following the CI split-top recipe up to the shaping stage. To manage the sticky dough, I worked on a lightly dampened counter with wet hands:

• Shaping: Divided the dough into 40-gram portions and rolled them into tight balls using a cupped hand on the counter.

• First Rest: Placed the dough balls on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, covered them with oiled plastic wrap, and let them rest for 15 minutes.

• Flattening & Final Proof: Gently pressed each ball into a 2½-inch disk. Re-covered and let them rise until the dough sprang back slowly when poked with a fingertip.

• Baking: Brushed the tops with egg wash, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and baked at 350°F until the internal temperature reached 200°F.

The entire process took under four hours, with much of that time being hands-off.

The Results

The slider buns turned out fantastic. Unlike split-top buns, which rely on the support of a specialized pan (or CI's improvised setup) to force an upward rise, these held their shape surprisingly well on an open baking sheet.

They baked up with a great crumb, taste wonderful, and stand up reliably to heavy condiments and messy fillings like sloppy joes without getting soggy. They also freeze exceptionally well. Just like with my split-top buns, this new recipe might just become my new go-to standard for sliders.