Sourdough Pretzel Dogs

These elevated sourdough pretzel dogs aren’t just for kids. Made with uncured organic grass-fed hotdogs and sourdough soft pretzel dough, they make for an impressive, crowd-pleasing appetizer or your family’s new favorite dinner!

INGREDIENTS

• SOFT PRETZEL DOUGH:
• 1/2 cup (115g) active sourdough starter
• 1/4 (85g) honey
• 1/2 cup (115g) warm water
• 1/4 cup (half stick, 56g) butter, melted
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• PRETZEL DOGS:
• 1 batch of completed pretzel dough
• 10 (2 packs) uncured grass-fed hotdogs (or your favorite), cut in half
• 10 slices organic Colby cheese (optional)
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 2 Tbs melted butter, for brushing
• 2 Tbs Kosher salt, for sprinkling
• mustard, ketchup, cheese sauce, etc. for dipping

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the soft pretzel dough: The day before, combine all the soft pretzel dough ingredients in your mixer with the dough hook, or knead by hand. Dough should be pulling away, cleaning the bowl, elastic and not sticky. If dough seems dry, slowly drizzle in water about 1 Tbs at a time. If it’s sticky, slowly add a bit of flour until it comes together.
2. Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or beeswax wrap. Allow to ferment and rise for about 12 hours.
3. The next day, once pretzel dough has risen and you’re ready to assemble your pretzel dogs, cut each hotdog in half so you have 20 mini hotdogs. Cut square slices of cheese in half and set aside.
4. Roll out your dough on a well floured surface, into approximately a 16×10 rectangle. Make 10 long cuts down the length of the dough into equal strips. Then cut the whole thing in half the opposite way so you have 20 small strips of dough.
5. If using cheese, wrap the cheese slice around the mini hotdog, then begin rolling up in a strip of dough. You want the dough to spiral up the hotdog from one end to the other. Enclose the ends as much as possible to avoid cheese spilling out during boiling and baking.
6. Meanwhile, begin boiling water in a large pot or dutch over. The more surface area the better, but you do need some depth. Fill a little more than halfway with water and bring to a boil. Once you have your pretzel dogs assembled, pour your baking soda in the water and start dropping in pretzel dogs 3-4 at a time.
7. Boil for about 30 seconds each, then carefully transfer to a paper towel lined platter to drain off excess water, using a slotted spoon or ‘spider’.
8. Keep boiling in batches until all have been bathed in baking soda water. You can either sprinkle on Kosher salt now while wet, or after baking once you brush with butter.
9. Preheat your oven to 400 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
10. Place boiled pretzel dogs on baking sheet, 4 rows of 5, with a little space in between for expansion. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
11. Pretzel dogs are done when dough inside is fluffy and white. Melt your butter in a small sauce pan and brush each pretzel dog as soon as they’re out of the oven. Sprinkle with Kosher salt if you didn’t already.
12. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack, serve with dipping sauces and enjoy your healthy, crowd-pleasing appetizer!