Pretzel Dogs

Directions

1. Heat 1½ cups of water to 110°F in a small saucepan set over low heat.
2. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and 2 teaspoons kosher salt.
3. Pour yeast over mixture and let rest for 5–10 minutes, or until foamy.
4. Whisk together the flour and butter in a large bowl.
5. Stir in yeast mixture.
6. Grease a large bowl using nonstick cooking spray. Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover it loosely with plastic wrap, and let it rest in a warm, draft-free place for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 450°F and line two baking sheets with parchment or grease them using nonstick cooking spray.
8. Beat together 1 tablespoon of water and the egg yolk in a small bowl and set aside.
9. Combine 10 cups of water and the baking soda in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
10. Transfer the dough to a greased surface and roll it into a 10 x 20-inch rectangle.
11. Cut the dough into 18 strips each 1-inch wide.
12. Wrap a strip of dough around each of the hot dogs in a spiral, pinching the edges to seal, and leaving the ends open. There should be about a ½-inch of hot dog showing on each end.
13. Drop 2–3 dough-wrapped hot dogs into the boiling water and let them boil for about 30 seconds.
14. Transfer boiled hot dogs to the prepared baking sheets.
15. Brush each wrapped dog with the egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of salt.
16. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
17. Remove the pretzel dogs from the oven and let them cool slightly before serving warm.