By Laura
Posted Jan 26, 2017, Updated Aug 02, 2022
5 from 7 votes
12 Comments
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These are the best pretzel dogs you will ever eat! A from-scratch pretzel dough is wrapped around high-quality hot dogs making these a much better choice than store bought varieties! A delicious game-day appetizer that is freezer friendly!
If you’re looking for a great appetizer or hand-held meal to enjoy while watching your favorite sporting event, then these homemade pretzel dogs are for you!
This pretzel dogs recipe is the best! A from-scratch pretzel dough is wrapped around high-quality hot dogs making these a much better choice than store bought varieties! Plus they’re delicious and freezer friendly!
This Homemade Pretzel Dogs recipe combines two of my family’s favorite foods, my Homemade Pretzel Bread and hot dogs, so they’re always a winner in our house.
How to make Pretzel Dogs
As always, we’ll walk through the process of making this recipe, and don’t forget to watch the video!
Make the Pretzel dough
Begin by making the dough. Start by proofing the yeast, then adding the wet ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients and using a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, or by hand, knead the dough until it’s slightly tacky.
Oil a large bowl, place the dough ball in the bowl, and cover with a damp towel in a warm place to let rise for one hour or until doubled in size.
Wrap the Hot Dogs
Once the dough has risen and been punched down, it’s time to wrap the hot dogs. Make 8 balls of dough the same size, which I always do using a food scale. The total weight of the dough comes out to be about 800 g, so each ball should weigh about 100 g.
Take one dough ball and roll it into a thin rope, 8-10” long. Wrap it around one hot dog making sure the ends are secure. Repeat this with all 8 hot dogs.
Baking Soda Bath
To make the baking soda bath, bring the 4 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda. Be careful or you will have a baking soda/water explosion.
Boil Wrapped Pretzel Dogs
Gently place two dough-wrapped hot dogs into the boiling baking soda water. Boil for 60-90 seconds on each side, turning it once to guarantee both sides covered. Drain the excess water and place them on an oiled baking sheet.
Sprinkle with Salt & Bake
As soon as the boiled pretzel dogs are placed on the baking sheet, sprinkle coarse sea salt over the dough to your specific tastes. Note: the doughdoes not rise here. Straight from boiling to the oven.
Bake for 22-25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once. They are done when they are deep brown!
Note: These Homemade Pretzel Dogs have a tendency to stick to the pan. Greasing it thoroughly helps with this issue!
Brush with butter
Once removed from the oven, immediately brush the melted butter over the Pretzel Dogs to guarantee a soft, buttery crust.
Serve
Serve with your favorite condiments and enjoy!
Store:
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To Freeze Pretzel dogs:
Let the pretzel dogs cool to room temperature. Freeze in an airtight container or plastic bag for up to 2 months.
Pretzel Dogs: Ingredients & Substitutions
I don’t recommend making substituions in this recipe, but here are some options.
- Whole Milk. 2% milk, half and half or cream are all possible substitutions that work well.
- All-purpose flour.Bread flour is the only other flour I have used to make this recipe and it produces an incredibly delicious final product!
- Hot Dogs: Choose a brand and variety with a short ingredient list and one that is made with all beef! We always use Nathan’s!
That’s it! I really don’t recommend tinkering with this recipe any more!
Recipe FAQs
How do you cook frozen Pretzel Dogs?
You can cook these pretzel dogs from frozen, just decrease the baking temperature by 50 degrees F and tent the baking sheet with foil. You can also warm them at 250 covered in foil or in a baking dish with a lid.
How long do pretzel dogs last?
Baked pretzel dogs last for 5-7 days in the refrigerator and 2 months in the freezer.
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Homemade Pretzel Dogs Recipe
Laura
These are the best pretzel dogs you will ever eat! A from-scratch pretzel dough is wrapped around high-quality hot dogs making these a much better choice than store bought varieties! A delicious game-day appetizer that is freezer friendly!
5 from 7 votes
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8 Pretzel Dogs
Calories 301.5
Prep Time30 minutes minutes
Cook Time30 minutes minutes
Total Time1 hour hour
Equipment
Ingredients
Pretzel Dogs:
- 2 ¼ tsp yeast
- 1 cup water 105-110 degrees F
- 2 TBS whole milk*
- 3 TBS brown sugar
- 4 TBS butter melted
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 8 bun-length hot dogs
- 1-2 TBS Coarse Sea Salt
- 2 TBS butter melted
Baking soda Bath:
- 4 quarts water
- ½ cup baking soda
Instructions
Combine yeast, water, and brown sugar in the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let stand for 5 minutes (until foamy).
While yeast is proofing…melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Mix in milk and set aside.
Once yeast is proofed, add milk/butter to yeast mixture and mix on low speed with dough hook until just combined.
Add salt and flour and mix with dough hook until flour is fully incorporated.
Knead in your mixer on high speed until the dough forms a slightly tacky, but firm ball, you may need to add a little more flour 1 TBS at a time, but be careful, you want your dough a little tacky but not too sticky to handle.
Oil a large bowl, place the dough ball in the bowl, and cover with a damp towel in a warm place to let rise for one hour or until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and bring the 4 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda (Be careful or you will have a baking soda/water explosion)!
Remove the dough from the bowl and gently press out the air bubbles.
Make 8 balls of dough the same size (NOTE: The total weight of the dough comes out to be about 800 g, so each ball should weigh about 100 g).
Take one dough ball and roll it into a thin rope, 8-10” long. Wrap it around one hot dog making sure the ends are secure. Repeat this with all 8 hot dogs.
Gently place two dough-wrapped hot dogs into the boiling baking soda water. Boil for 60-90 seconds on each side, turning it once to guarantee both sides covered. Drain the excess water and place them on an oiled baking sheet.
Immediately sprinkle coarse sea salt over the dough to your specific tastes. Repeat with the other 6 hot dogs. (Do not let it rise at all here! Straight from boiling into the oven).
Cook the Pretzel Dogs for 22-25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once. Pretzel dogs are done when they are deep brown!
Once removed from the oven, immediately brush the melted butter over the Pretzel Dogs to guarantee a soft crust.
Serve with your favorite condiments and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Ingredient Substitutions
- Whole Milk. 2% milk, half and half or cream are all possible substitutions that work well.
- All-purpose flour.Bread flour is the only other flour I have used to make this recipe and it produces an incredibly delicious final product!
- Hot Dogs: Choose a brand and variety with a short ingredient list and one that is made with all beef! We always use Nathan’s!
Store:
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To Freeze:
Let pretzel dogs cool to room temperature. Freeze in an airtight container or plastic bag for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1pretzel dog | Calories: 301.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.3g | Protein: 11.5g | Fat: 12.1g | Saturated Fat: 5.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.5g | Cholesterol: 36.2mg | Sodium: 643mg | Potassium: 123mg | Fiber: 2.1g | Sugar: 5.2g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 2.4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question? Leave a comment below!
If you like this recipe, try these:
- This homemade pretzel bread is the best.
- Homemade Mac and Cheese is another kid-friendly favorite around here.
- This sausage and cheese dip is another great game-day appetizer!
- These pretzel bites are stuffed with cheese – YUM!
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