Foodie Friday: Pretzel Dogs

This fun, family friendly recipe is from Smells Like Home. While the process takes a while it is worth it in the end.

Pretzel Dogs
Ingredients:
-1 1/2 c warm water
-1 T sugar
-2 t kosher salt
-1 package yeast
-4 1/2 c all-purpose flour
-2 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
-8 hot dogs, cut in half
For boiling:
-10 c water
-2/3 cup baking soda
To finish:
-1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 T water
-Pretzel salt
Directions:
1. Combine the warm water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top.
2. Add the flour and butter to the yeast mixture. Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer and on medium-low speed, combine the mixture until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and appears shiny, roughly 4-5 minutes.
3. Spray a large bowl with non-stick spray (or lightly grease with vegetable oil) and place dough in greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Place bowl in warm area and let rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
4. Preheat over to 450 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spray paper with non-stick spray. Set aside.
5. Place dough on greased surface and divide into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, roughly 12 inches long. Carefully wrap each piece around half a hot dog. Pinch the ends together to seal the dough.
6. In a large pot, bring the 10 c of water and baking soda to a roiling boil.
7. Boil the pretzel dogs , one at a time, in the baking soda water for 30-45 seconds each. Using a slotted spatula, remove each pretzel dog from the water and place it on a drying rack to allow any extra baking soda mixture to drop off.
8. Place the boiled pretzel dogs on the lined baking sheets. Brush with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden brown, roughly 10-12 minutes. Transfer pretzel dogs to cooling rack for a few minutes before serving.
9. Serve with mustard, ketchup, or cheese for dipping.