Description
Homemade Pretzel Dogs are a fun and delicious twist on the classic hot dog, wrapped in a soft, chewy pretzel dough and baked to golden perfection. This recipe guides you through making the pretzel dough from scratch, boiling it in a baking soda bath for that signature pretzel crust, and baking for a savory snack or lunch everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups water (110 to 115 degrees F)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup butter, melted
For Cooking and Topping
- Vegetable oil, for pan
- 10 cups water
- 2/3 cup baking soda
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted (regular or unsalted)
- Coarse sea salt or kosher salt, for sprinkling
- 8 good-quality hot dogs
Instructions
- Activate the yeast: Combine the warm water, sugar, and active dry yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let it sit for 5 minutes until the mixture begins to foam, indicating the yeast is active.
- Make the dough: Add the all-purpose flour, salt, and melted butter to the yeast mixture. Stir with a spoon or paddle attachment until the dough starts coming together, then switch to a dough hook on the mixer.
- Knead the dough: Knead the dough on low speed until the ingredients are well combined. Then increase to medium speed and knead for 4 to 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the bowl sides. The dough should remain soft and slightly tacky but manageable.
- Let dough rise: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour or until doubled in size. A warm oven (about 170°F) turned off is a good environment for rising.
- Prepare baking sheets and oven: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and brush lightly with vegetable oil. Set aside.
- Prepare the baking soda bath: In a large pot, bring 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, punch down the risen dough and divide it into 8 equal portions on a lightly floured surface.
- Shape pretzel dogs: Roll each dough piece into a 20 to 24-inch rope. Wrap each rope around a hot dog, pinching ends to seal. Place wrapped hot dogs on the prepared baking sheets.
- Boil pretzel dogs: Boil the pretzel-wrapped hot dogs two at a time in the baking soda bath for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spatula and return them to the baking sheets. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
- Bake: Bake the pretzel dogs in the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until dark golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.
- Optional dinner rolls: If there’s extra dough, shape it into rolls, score a slit on top, let rise another 20 to 30 minutes, then boil and bake as above until golden.
Notes
- Use good-quality hot dogs for best flavor.
- The baking soda bath is key for that classic pretzel crust and color.
- Don’t skip the butter and salt topping—it adds great flavor and shine.
- Keep an eye on the oven as baking times may vary slightly depending on your equipment.
- The dough is soft but should be manageable; adding too much flour can make the pretzels tough.
- Boiling pretzels two at a time prevents overcrowding and ensures even cooking.
