Cravings....

Pretzel Dogs

Every time I go to the mall, the smell of Auntie Anne's is hard to ignore. I try to stay away, but it is oh so hard.

I caved one day, and I noticed a woman eating a pretzel dog. I was jealous. But, I didn't purchase one. Instead, I vowed to make my own version.

Lucky for me a fellow nestie Krashed24 has a delicious recipe for soft pretzels and that was where I started. After making the dough, I spiraled it around the all beef Nathan's hot dogs and then baked them in the oven. Let me just say, they were incredible!

Krashed24's recipe for Soft Pretzels:

Ingredients: 1/8 cup hot water

1 package active dry yeast

1 1/3 warm water

1/3 cup brown sugar

4+ cups flour

Coarse kosher salt

Baking soda

Butter or shortening (to generously grease cookie sheets)

Directions:

In a large bowl mix together hot water and yeast until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the warm water and brown sugar and stir until the brown sugar dissolves.

Slowly add 4 cups of flour, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and does not stick to the sides of the bowl. Lightly flour counter.

Dip your hands into extra flour. Knead the dough until it is stretchy and smooth. (Push it down and away from you with the palms of your hands, turning the dough as you work) Grease cookie sheets generously with butter or shortening.

Sprinkle greased cookie sheet(s) with kosher salt.

Preheat oven to 475. (It is very important that you grease the cookie sheets very well) Using liquid measuring cup fill a large saucepan at least 1/2 full of water. For each 1 cup of water, add 1 tbls baking soda. Divide the dough into equal sized pieces. Using the following 4 steps shape each dough ball into a pretzel shape...

1). Roll the dough into a rope 14" long and as thick as your thumb. Bend the dough into a U shape. (if you have trouble rolling the dough into a rope slightly wet your hands and try again).
2). Cross one end of the rope over the other one. The ropes should cross about three inches from the tips.
3). Twist the crossed ends, making a full turn. Fold the ends back, towards the middle of the U.
4). Open the ends slightly to form a pretzel shape. Press the ends into the dough firmly.

Bring water into saucepan to a gentle boil (not too many bubbles) Use pancake turner to lower each pretzel into the saucepan. Count slowly to 30. Then lift the pretzel onto the greased and salted cookie sheet (shaking off excess water back into the saucepan).

Repeat until all the pretzels are done. Sprinkle some kosher salt on top of the pretzels and put them in preheated oven. Bake for 8 minutes or until the pretzels are golden.

I used 7" ropes, spiraled them around the dogs, and then boiled them in the soda water concoction. I took them out to a greased cookie sheet lined with foil, basted with melted butter, and sprinkled with kosher salt. Then I baked for 8-10 minutes until golden, and served with mustard. MMMMM!!