Gourmet Pretzel Hot Dogs

The Dough:

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 Package Active Dry Yeast
• 1 cup water, 105-110°F
• 3 to 3 ½ cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1 package Omaha Steaks Gourmet Jumbo Franks
  

 Baking Soda Bath:

• 6 cups water
• ¼ cup baking soda

 To Finish:

• Extra butter and olive oil for greasing
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Pretzel salt or coarse sea salt

 Procedure:

• In a small bowl, stir the brown sugar and yeast into the water; set aside for 5- 10 minutes until the mixture begins to foam.

• Measure flour in a medium bowl and whisk in the salt. In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups of flour/ salt with the foaming liquid and 1 tablespoon of butter.  

• Mix until a smooth batter forms. Add an additional 1 ½ cups of the flour mixture to the batter and knead into a smooth ball, adding the remaining flour as necessary.  

• Place the dough into an oiled bowl, turning the ball to lightly coat with oil. Cover and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.

• Boil 6 cups of water in a large shallow pot. Add baking soda to dissolve. Set aside to cool.

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Punch down dough and turn onto a lightly greased surface. Divide into 8 equal pieces and roll into balls. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Grease with butter and/or oil. Melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small pan.

• Using a rolling pin, roll one ball at a time into an oval that is a long as the hot dog. Place the hot dog in the center of the dough oval as your guide. Cut 8 strips perpendicular to the dog on the right and left sides of the oval.

Tips:

• If the yeast mixture does not foam, begin with fresh yeast, sugar, and water. Either the yeast was not fresh or the water was too hot or cold. Using a thermometer really helps.
• Also, you may substitute the 1 cup of water in the dough recipe with your favorite German beer. Then proceed as per recipe.

Shaping

Shaping the Pretzel Dogs

• Starting at the bottom, take the left and right strips up around the dog to meet in the middle and press together gently.
• Continue with the remaining dough strips until the hot dog is enclosed in the dough.
• Place on greased baking sheet.
• Repeat with remaining dough and hot dogs.

Give the dogs a bath! 

It’s time to give those pretzel dogs a bath.

Here’s the fun part!

• Carefully dip the dough-covered dogs in the baking soda bath ( lukewarm) and return to greased baking sheet.
• Sprinkle with salt and bake in 400°F oven for 10 minutes.

Remove tray from oven and brush the pretzel dogs with the melted butter. Place the tray back into the oven for an additional 8-12 minutes until golden brown.

Pretzel Dogs