French Toasted Buns

The Fourth of July. The real one. The one we've been waiting for.

Fifteen people in the Thunderbolt yard. The grill going since noon. Hot dogs and hamburgers and corn on the cob, slathered in butter and my hot sauce because everything is better with both. Potato salad — mine AND Denise's, side by side, because we are a family of friendly competition and the yard is big enough for two potato salads.

Amara saw the sparklers and her face — baby, her face. She is two and a half and she has never seen fire dance in the air, and when Devon lit the first sparkler and held it out, she reached for it and then pulled back and then reached again and then laughed — that full-body toddler laugh that uses every muscle — and she said, "MORE!" One word. The best word. The word that means everything is working.

Devon held her hand while they waved sparklers in the dark. Kayla stood beside them, her phone up, recording. Denise was next to me on the porch, both of us watching. She said, "This is what we missed." I said, "This is what we earned." Because we did. We earned this normal night through a year of porches and masks and twenty-two aluminum pans and a virus that tried to close the world and couldn't close this family.

Earl Jr. called at sunset. I held the phone up so he could hear the noise — the laughter, the sizzle of the grill, Amara shrieking at sparklers. He said, "Sounds like home, Mama." It does. It always does.

I ate a hot dog on the porch in the dark, watching the distant fireworks over downtown, and I was not alone. For the first time in a very long time, I was not alone. The yard was full. The food was good. The children were loud. And the stars were above us, and Earl was among them, and the night was everything.

Now go on and feed somebody.

Fifteen people in the yard and two potato salads already on the table — I needed something that would make every single hot dog and burger feel like it was worth the wait. That’s where these French toasted buns come in. I’ve been doing this for years and I still watch people’s faces change when they pick one up and realize it’s not just a plain bun — it’s buttered and eggy and golden and it holds everything together like it was made for a celebration, because it was. If you’ve got a grill going and a crowd to feed, this is the one extra step that earns you all the compliments.

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

8 hot dog or hamburger buns, split open
2 large eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
Optional: pinch of garlic powder for savory variation

Instructions

Make the egg wash. In a shallow bowl or baking dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until fully combined and no streaks of egg remain. For a savory version, omit the sugar and vanilla and add a pinch of garlic powder instead.
Heat the surface. Set a large griddle, cast iron skillet, or grill pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and let it melt and foam, swirling to coat the surface evenly. Alternatively, use a section of your grill grates over medium-low heat.
Dip the buns. Working in batches, open each bun and press the cut sides down into the egg wash, letting them soak for about 10 to 15 seconds per side. You want the bun to absorb the mixture without becoming soggy or falling apart.
Toast until golden. Place the soaked buns cut-side down on the hot surface. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes without moving them, until the cut sides are deep golden brown and slightly crisp at the edges. Flip and toast the outer sides for 1 additional minute.
Butter between batches. Add remaining butter as needed between batches to keep the surface from drying out and to maintain that rich, golden color on each bun.
Serve immediately. Transfer to a platter and serve right away alongside your hot dogs, burgers, or anything coming off the grill. These are best eaten fresh and hot.

Nutrition (per serving)

French Toasted Buns — The Secret to the Best Hot Dogs at a Full-Yard Fourth