#1 Homemade Pretzel Dog Recipe – No Buns, No Problem
If I’ve learned anything, it’s that quarantine cooking will lead me to some of my best kitchen creations. In the face of shortages, social distancing, and store avoidance, we’ve largely resorted to using what we have. Sadly, the last of our hotdog buns went moldy earlier than expected. There went one of our easy lunch ideas! (or so I thought…)
Soon I thought about learning how to make homemade hotdog buns. Then I looked up a recipe and saw it was over 11 hours! Forget that! Instead, I give you my latest adventure in quarantine cuisine – my homemade pretzel dog recipe! This is as close as I can get to a copycat Auntie Anne’s pretzel dog recipe.
Must-Have Pretzel Dog Recipe!
Of course, if you are a Philly Soft Pretzel Factory fan, this recipe could also rival their pretzel dogs. We enjoy those as well! I mean really, who doesn’t love a juicy hot dog wrapped in buttery, salty pretzel dough?! Our daughter loved getting her free soft pretzel on the day they picked letter N first names last year. And boy did those pretzel dogs smell amazing then!
But now, back to our copycat pretzel hot dogs!
First, I’ll say that you could make any soft pretzel recipe that you like for pretzel dogs. So, if you have a favorite, go for it. Second, I’ll say that I was aiming for more of an Auntie Anne’s pretzel dog copycat, so I went all in. About a year ago, I stumbled on an incredible realization that Naan (Indian style fried flatbread) can have quite a similar taste to buttery Auntie Anne’s soft pretzels. Today I needed a fun lunch for my family, so I opted for the pretzel dog using naan dough. We added a bowl of chicken noodle soup to complete our meal!
A good cooling rack goes a long way in this recipe, keeping pretzel dogs from getting soggy.
Here’s my copycat Auntie Anne’s pretzel dog recipe.
(By the way, if you like this recipe, you might also love our fun rainbow pretzel twists recipe!)
Homemade Pretzel Dog Recipe - No Buns, No Problem
Ingredients
Proofing the Yeast
- 2.25 tsp Instant or active dry yeast
- 1 cup Warm Water
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
Making Pretzel Dog Dough
- .25 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp milk (We used coconut milk as we're out of regular milk.)
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp Salt to taste
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
Wrapping the Dogs
- 8 Hotdogs We used Ballpark Bun-Sized Franks, our favorite!
Boiling the Pretzel Dogs
- 6 cups Boiling Water
- 6 tsp Baking Soda Dissolved in 6 cups of water for boiling pretzel dogs on stove top.
Preparing to Bake
- .25 cup Butter to baste pretzels, twice
- Kosher Salt to taste
Instructions
Proofing the Yeast
- Combine 1 cup of warm water with 1 tsp granulated sugar and 2.25 tsp yeast.
- Wait 5 - 10 minutes for the yeast to become active and fluffy.
Making the Dough
- For this pretzel dog recipe, we use naan style dough. Add .25 cup granulated sugar, 1 beaten egg, 3 tbsp milk, and 2 tsp salt.
- Add 4 cups of flour and mix to combine well.
- Knead for 5-10 minutes until dough is smooth.
- Cover and set dough aside to rise for one hour.
Assembling & Cooking the Pretzel Dogs
- Pull a clementine-sized ball of dough off and begin to roll it between your hands. Form a long, smooth coil about 14" long.
- Repeat to produce 8 coils, one for each hotdog.
- Wrap the first hotdog with dough.
- Allow to rise for a bit while you continue wrapping each hotdog with dough.
- If you have any leftover dough, simply make pretzels or twists!
- Boil for one minute each, turning over after 30 seconds.
- Remove from water and drain on a wire rack.
- Allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes and then sprinkle kosher salt if desired.
- Spread melted butter on the dough and turn pretzel dogs over to cover both sides.
- Place on a baking sheet and cook at 425 degrees until golden brown. Timing may vary - start with 8 minutes and add on 2 minutes at a time.
- Allow to cool, brush with a touch more butter if desired, and enjoy!
Our favorite lunch for the whole family to enjoy! Perfect for weekend meals, especially in the fall and winter.