Summer Lunch Program >> Pigs in Pretzels

Summer Lunch Program

a semi-sporadic series

with

fun lunchtime menus

Just In Time For Summer Vacation

Pigs in Pretzels, or Dunkin' Dogs

1-1/4  Cups  Warm Water

1  Tablespoon PLUS 1/4  teaspoon  Yeast

3-3/4  Cups  Flour

3/4  Cup  PLUS  2  Tablespoons  Powdered Sugar

1-1/2  teaspoons  Salt

2  teaspoons  Vegetable Oil

Soda Bath:

4  Cups  Warm Water

1/2  Cup  Baking Soda

Hot Dogs

Coarse Salt

1-2  Tablespoons  Cold Butter

In a small bowl, combine the Warm Water and Yeast; set aside.

Stir together the Flour, Powdered Sugar, and Salt in mixer work bowl.

Gently mix the Oil into the Warm Water and Yeast; slowly stir into the Flour mixture.  Stir, using the mixer's dough hook.  Knead in mixer on slow (#2 for Kitchen Aid) for 5 minutes.  Let rise, covered, until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Preheat over to 400*.  Combine Water and Baking Soda in a deep pan and heat over medium-high.  Divide dough into equal portions.  (12 portions if you are using bun-length hot dogs, 16 portions for traditional-size hot dogs.)  Roll dough into long ropes, about 9-10 inches.  Working one rope at a time, dip the pretzel ropes into the boiling Soda Water; boil about 30 seconds.  Remove from water, let drip dry on paper towel.  Wrap pretzel rope around a hot dog; place on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt.  Repeat with remaining pretzel ropes and hot dogs.  Bake at 400* for about 10-12 minutes, or until dough is cooked through.  Rub the hot Pretzel Piggies with Cold Butter.  Serve warm, with Ketchup and Mustard.

Many, many thanks to my sister for suggesting this to me.  I think she knows how I hate to drag out the same old sandwich ingredients day after day after day.  I tripled this dough recipe and used 3 12-count packages of bun-length beef hot dogs from Costco.  The majority of these went into the freezer.  When I need something quick for lunch, we'll just do a quick defrost in the microwave and (maybe) toast them in the oven for about 10 minutes--if we're not in too big of a hurry, that is.

Most of the 'Dogs looked lovely.

But some of them did turn out a little wonky:



Alternately, of course, you CAN use this dough to make Hot Pretzels.  Just divide the dough into 8 portions and twist the ropes into pretzel shapes before dipping in the Soda Water.  Bake at 425* for about 8 minutes.  Rub the baked Pretzels with the Cold Butter, then sprinkle with a mixture of 1/2 Cup Sugar and 2 teaspoons Cinnamon.  Better than Auntie Anne's!

Homemade Soft Pretzel recipe from Serving One Another cookbook, page 19.