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This pretzel dogs recipe is an Auntie Anne’s copycat featuring a simple homemade pretzel dough wrapped around juicy hot dogs and baked!
I made lunch. Then I ate it.
That’s about the end of that story.
Except for, you know, the part where I cried tears of joy because these pretzel dogs were ridiculous in all the right ways. They even made it to the Buns In My Oven Favorites Category!
While I love all of the recipes that I share with you, the Favorite Recipes section is where you’ll find the best of the best, those recipes that I make for my family as often as I can get away with!
Don’t be too intimidated by this recipe – it does look like a lot of steps, but it’s pretty straightforward and we think it’s totally worth the effort.
Working with yeast is one of my favorite things. If you also enjoy that, check out our one hour dinner rolls! A total family favorite!
Ingredient Notes:
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Hot Dogs – You can use any variety of hot dogs that you’d like for this recipe. All beef, pork, or whatever mix you like will work but I’d stick to using the regular sized and not jumbo sized hot dogs for this.
Pretzel Dough – You’ll prepare this homemade pretzel dough using flour, active dry yeast, warm water, sugar, kosher salt, and butter.
Baking Soda Water – This is just water mixed with baking soda. The baking soda is going to help add that deep brown pretzel color and crispy texture when baking!
Egg – Before baking the pretzel dogs you’ll brush them with an egg yolk and water mixture. It’ll help hold the salt in place and add a deeper golden color.
Pretzel Salt – This is my favorite part of a pretzel! You’ll sprinkle this on after applying the egg wash. Use as much or as little as you like! Kosher salt works just fine, too.
What Readers are Saying!
“WOW! These are amazing! My 9-year-old made these (with some help) for dinner tonight and I’m trying not to eat the whole batch. The only thing we did differently from the recipe was to use a Silpat for baking. They turned out wonderful.” – Glynis
How to Make Pretzel Dogs:
Yeast: To begin you’ll need to activate the dry yeast by combining warm water and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and then sprinkling the yeast on top. It’ll take about 5 minutes or so for it to begin foaming.
Pretzel Dough: When the yeast is ready add the flour, salt, and butter to the bowl and mix on low speed with a dough hook until well combined.
Next, increase the speed to medium and knead until the pretzel dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It may take about 4 to 5 minutes of mixing.
Cover: When the pretzel dough is ready remove it from the stand mixer bowl and place it into a clean, oiled bowl.
Cover it up with some plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
Prepare: Mix 10 cups of water with the baking soda and bring to a boil. While the water heats separate the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll the pieces and stretch them into ropes about 12″ long.
You’ll also want to start preheating the oven now. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and brush it with oil.
Wrap: Now you can start wrapping the hot dogs with the pretzel dough! Wrap one piece of dough around each hot dog leaving just a bit of each end uncovered. Press the ends together to seal the dough in place.
Boil: When the baking soda water has come to a rolling boil start boiling the pretzel dogs, one at a time, for 30 seconds each. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water to the prepared cookie sheet.
Brush: In a small bowl beat together egg yolk and water and then start brushing the tops of each pretzel dog with the mix. Finally, sprinkle the pretzel salt over the top of each one after brushing.
Bake: To finish up place the sheet with the pretzel dogs into the oven and bake until they are a dark golden brown pretzel color. It should take approximately 12 to 14 minutes.
Transfer the pretzel dogs to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving. You’re going to need some dipping sauce too, and I’d strongly recommend my homemade honey mustard sauce to go with this recipe! Other favorites include ketchup and mustard, cream cheese (sounds weird, but try it!), and our Carolina BBQ sauce! This Chick-Fil-A sauce or homemade ranch dressing would also be tasty!
FAQs:
A quick boil of the pretzel dough in baking soda water gives it the characteristic golden brown color and crispy exterior with chewy interior that makes pretzels so popular! That, and the salt.
They’re similar except you’re taking the extra step of boiling the pretzel dogs in baking soda water to give it that golden brown pretzel look and crispy, crackly exterior. Try out my air fryer pigs in a blanket recipe if that’s what you are looking for!
Yes, but if you are planning to do so you’ll want to skip adding the egg wash and pretzel salt. See the tips & notes section in the recipe card below for more info on freezing.
MORE HOT DOG RECIPES!
- Hot Dog Chili
- Chili Dog Casserole
- Air Fryer Hot Dogs
- Cajun Andouille Hot Dog
- Fried Green Tomato and Pimento Cheese Hot Dogs
- Mac and Cheese Dogs
- Corn Dog Bites
Pretzel Dogs
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup warm water 110 to 115 degrees F
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 cups water
- 2/3 cup baking soda
- 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- Pretzel salt
- 8 hot dogs
Instructions
- Combine the water and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let set for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam.
- Add the flour, butter, and salt and mix on low speed using the dough hook until well combined. Increase to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and place in a clean, oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and brush with the vegetable oil.
- Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in a large, deep pan.
- In the meantime, separate the dough into 8 equal pieces. Use your hands to roll and stretch the pieces of dough into ropes, about 12 inches long.
- Wrap one piece of dough around each hot dog, leaving just a bit of the dog peeking out at the ends. Press the ends of the dough together to hold in place.
- Place the pretzels, one at a time, into the boiling water for 30 seconds.
- Remove them from the water using a slotted spoon. Return to the prepared cookie sheet, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt.
- Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Glynis says
WOW! These are amazing! My 9-year-old made these (with some help) for dinner tonight and I’m trying not to eat the whole batch. The only thing we did differently from the recipe was to use a Silpat for baking. They turned out wonderful.
Karly says
They’re dangerous to have around, right? 🙂 Glad you guys enjoyed them.
Denise says
Is my phone displaying things weird, or are all the ingredients on one bullet point?
Laura says
These turned out amazing! I followed the recipe exactly. I was a little worried based on the picture that it might be too much dough to hot dog ratio, but when I rolled these into my snakes, they were perfect! I will definitely be making these again.
Karly says
Glad you enjoyed them!
Ann says
Which hotdog brand do you recommend for these pretzel dogs?
Karly says
Whichever you like should work fine. I normally use Hebrew National.
sara says
10 cups of water , is not alot? With only 2 1/4 cups flour ?!
Could you tell me is it right what i am reading or my phone is become crazy ? ?
Karly says
The 10 cups of water is for boiling the pretzels. It’s not mixed with the flour.
Steve Pinch says
Wow, would I have answered that differently! Good job! 😉 My wife and I made them, slightly increased the boil water and the soda in proportion, worked wonderfully. Will try next time as pretzels. She will command me to make these again.
Karly says
Haha! Thanks, Steve! Glad these were a hit!
J. Caudill says
I made your recipe for pretzel dogs, and they were great. I cut the dough into 12 portions because I did’nt want too much bun and thought I could make three pretzels. Well the pretzel dogs were great but the plain pretzels were bitter and tasted of the baking soda. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Karly says
I’m glad the pretzel dogs worked out for you! I’m not sure why the regular pretzel would have been bitter, unless they stayed in the baking soda water for too long. Maybe try a shorter boil next time? Sorry about that!
Laura says
**THESE** not “this” 🙂
Terri says
THIS recipe was so easy to make Laura!
Laura says
This were so easy to make! I posted a link to this post here: https://digitalrecipebox.wordpress.com/2015/12/28/full-freezer-winter-2015/
Thanks!
Samantha says
What kind of flour can you use? I have a bunch of bread flour that I need to use would that be ok?
Karly says
I use all purpose for these. I wouldn’t swap in bread flour.
Amie aka Mammloves says
you know you just made my son’s year with this recipe, right??
Sasha says
Hi I followed your recipe and it turned out great but the only thing was that my pretzels tend to stick to the cookie sheet even thought I have greased the pan as well as the sheet. It’s so frustrating that my pretzels turned out nice at the top but ugly at the bottom! Any advice for me?
Karly says
Hmm, sorry to hear that. You could try using foil if you wanted, but brushing the parchment with oil works well for me.
Carol Kistler says
Get a Silpat or silicone baking mat. They are great for cookies too. No grease or oil or butter needed for pans. I also bought a bigger one and I knead bread dough on it. Nothing sticks. You can also use parchment paper too
Summer says
I have made this recipe 3 times now and each time they have been wolfed down by my family. This is an easy to make recipe and has very tasty results. I would highly recommend it to anyone!
Karly says
Awesome! We love them too! 🙂
Jewel says
Do you really use 2/4 Cup baking powder to the 10 Cups of water?
Karly says
You use 2/3 cup of baking soda in the water. Makes a huge difference in the flavor of the pretzels. 🙂
Susan says
Thinking about making these for our Superbowl party – they look delish! One question: I’m confused about whether the dogs should be brushed with an egg yolk wash or with melted butter!
In the paragraph about baking the dogs you say “brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture,” but in the next paragraph you say “If you’re freezing the pretzels, do not brush the tops with butter or add the pretzel salt… To prepare, brush the frozen pretzels with butter and sprinkle with salt.” Which one should I use?
Karly says
Good catch! You can use either, but I use the egg wash. Butter works fine as well.
Fay says
I just made this recipe, but I used jalapeno cheddar sausage links instead of hot dogs. I served mustard & a warm cheese dip on the side.
Karly says
Oh my, that sounds amazing!
Sarah says
The dough turned out way too wet!! It was a gooey mess even after adding more flour. I have made plenty of dough recipes that have turned out fine so I do not know what went wrong.
Sarah says
Oh and I forgot to add in case anyone thinks I read the recipe wrong and wants to comment lol. I definitely did not add the 10 cups to the dough I knew that was for boiling hotdogs.
Karly says
I’m sorry you had trouble with this one! Depending on the weather, you definitely need to add more flour sometimes. Just keep adding it until it’s slightly sticky but not dry. 🙂