Pretzel Dogs

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These homemade pretzel dogs taste just like those served at mall food courts everywhere. Succulent sausages are wrapped in tasty pretzel dough. They’re cooked in a hot water bath, baked, then sprinkled with flaky salt.

📌 PIN PRETZEL DOG RECIPE

When the kids are home for summer, this pretzel dog recipe is the perfect lunch or mid-day snack. Especially when there’s a neighborhood of kids hanging out at your house. It’s a delicious meal that won’t break the bank.

For a hearty meal, pair homemade Nathan’s pretzel dogs with coleslaw, classic macaroni salad, pork and beans, broccoli salad with bacon, or sliced apples. For a Coney Island vibe, enjoy them with (oven baked) extra crispy French fries. Everyone will reach for more!

If you’re heading to the ball park with the family, make a batch of pretzel dogs in advance. I recommend doubling the recipe. Wrap them up while they’re still warm. Remember to bring a squeeze bottle of mustard.

Make mini pretzel dogs for Game Day appetizers. They’re an elevated version of mini pigs in a blanket. Just cut the Nathan’s hot dogs in half to make smaller portions. Serve with a tasty dipping sauce like ketchup, yellow mustard, honey mustard sauce, or Velveeta cheese sauce.

🛒 INGREDIENTS

Pretzel hot dogs come together with low-cost refrigerator and pantry staples. Here’s what you’ll need to make a fresh batch at home.

• Warm Water: Allows the yeast to bloom, and provides the pretzel dough with moisture. Make sure it’s the right temperature (100°F – 110°F) so the yeast blooms properly.
• Light Brown Sugar: Is food for the yeast. If you don’t have this ingredient on hand, you can use granulated sugar or honey instead.
• Active Dry Yeast: This recipe was created with active dry yeast. However, you can use instant yeast instead. Just skip step 1, and mix all of the ingredients (for the dough) together at the same time.
• All-purpose Flour: This ingredient provides structure for the pretzel dough. If the dough feels really wet, you can add up to 1/4 cup additional flour.
• Kosher Salt: This seasoning greatly enhances the flavor of the dough. Be sure to use Kosher Salt, not table salt.
• Hot Dogs: To achieve the authentic taste of Nathan’s pretzel dogs, I use Nathan’s hot dogs. But you can use any classic all-beef hot dogs.
• Baking Soda: Is used to create a baking soda bath. This alkaline solution changes the pH level of the dough so it develops the special golden color and crisp/chewy texture pretzel dogs are known for.
• Large Egg: When brushed over the top of the pretzels, it helps the salt and/or sesame seeds stick to the pretzels, and helps the pretzels brown in the oven.
• Pretzel Salt: This is a special large grain salt that’s used for coating soft baked pretzels. These salt crystals don’t melt during baking, and provide excellent crunch and texture.
• Sesame Seeds: This is an optional garnish that provides a yummy crunch. You can use either white or black sesame seeds, or substitute with everything bagel seasoning.

📖 RECIPE phase 1 – make pretzel dough

RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 200°F for 2 minutes, then turn the oven off. We’re getting a warm cozy space ready for the pretzel dough to rise in.

• STEP 1: Add warm water, sugar and active dry yeast to a large bowl. Stir to combine. Set the bowl aside for 5 minutes so the yeast can bloom.
• STEP 2: Add flour and kosher salt. Stir with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. If the dough feels especially wet, you can add up to 1/4 cup additional flour.
•  STEP 3: Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead it until it’s smooth and tacky, about 2 to 3 minutes. The dough is ready when you gently press it and it springs back. Form it into a ball with the edges tucked underneath.
• STEP 4: Cover the bowl of dough with a damp, lint-free kitchen cloth. Place it in the oven (which has been turned off) so the dough can rise in this warm draft-free place until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

🌭RECIPE PHASE 2 – BOIL & BAKE PRETZEL DOGS

RECIPE PREP: Preheat oven to 400°F. Set a large pot of water on the stovetop to boil. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Put it aside.

• STEP 5: Turn the risen dough onto a lightly-floured board. Divide it into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a 10-inch long rope.
• STEP 6: Working with one hot dog at a time, wrap a dough rope around each hot dog. Pinch the seams together at the ends to secure the dough in place so it doesn’t become unwrapped.
• STEP 7: Once the pot of water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium so that it’s just gently boiling. Very slowly add baking soda to the water. Cook 1 to 2 pretzel dogs at time (so pot is not crowded) for 30 seconds. Flip them over and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
• STEP 8: Remove pretzel dogs from the water bath and transfer them to the prepared baking tray. Brush them with egg wash (egg whisked with a splash of water), and sprinkle with pretzel salt and/or sesame seeds. Bake pretzel dogs for 20 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown.

HOW TO STORE PRETZEL DOGS: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container lined with parchment paper, and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to enjoy, rewarm pretzel dogs in the oven.

RECIPE FAQ

These are the most commonly asked questions when making soft pretzel dogs, and the most helpful answers for recipe success.

MORE savory summer recipes

Satisfy hunger with these savory summer recipes! If there are leftover hot dogs after prepping the pretzel dog recipe, you can use them to make 3 of the tasty recipes below. Pin them to Pinterest to save them for later.

• Sonoran Hot Dog
• Mini Pigs in a Blanket
• State Fair Corn Dogs
• Carne Asada Fries
• BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders
• Meatball Gyro Sandwich

RATE THIS RECIPE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Discerning taste testers rated this the BEST homemade pretzel dog recipe. They compared ours against a freshly-made batch of those sold at the mall, and a box of store-bought Nathan’s Auntie Anne’s Famous Pretzel Dogs.

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HOMEMADE PRETZEL DOGS > JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Have you ever experienced the joy of biting into a freshly-baked pretzel dog? Was it at a food court in the mall, at a beach boardwalk, or someplace else? Share your thoughts on these pretzel-wrapped hot dogs below.