mini dog pretzel bites

• Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently by spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
• Add the remaining dry dough ingredients to the flour.
• Whisk to gently combine then add the butter and water.

• Mix and knead the dough ingredients together until the dough is cohesive and fairly smooth.
• It can be done in your stand mixer with the dough hook attached.
• Or by hand.
• When finished, the dough should be slightly sticky; if it seems dry, sprinkle it with a tablespoon or two of water.
• Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
• Prepare the water bath by combining the water and baking soda in a 10″ to 12″ shallow saucepan or deep skillet.
• The water should fill the skillet at least 1 1/4″ deep; adjust the amount accordingly.
• No need to adjust the amount of baking soda.

• Determine the amount of mini hotdogs to be used.
• Gently deflate the dough on a lightly greased work surface.
• Divide it into fairly equal pieces to correlate with the number of mini dogs.
• To be exact, a digital food scale can be used.

A note on the mini dogs…

There’s a variety of brands out there. I always prefer all-beef but use what your family loves. Mini sausages would be so good here, too.

Most are available in 12-ounce packages that typically contain 24 to 30 pieces.

• My favorite is made by Fork In The Road Foods called Little Goodies. They are uncured and made from pasture-raised beef. Usually available at Whole Foods.
• Another one I use at times is Sabrett All-Natural Skinless Beef Cocktail Franks. Available at most food stores.

• Flatten each piece of dough into a rough 4″ x 2 1/2″ rectangle or oval.
• No need to be precise.
• Place a mini hotdog at the center of each piece of dough.
• Wrap the hotdog in the pretzel dough, pinching the ends and seam with your fingers.
• Transfer the pretzels to the prepared pans, and cover while you bring the water bath to a boil.

• Drop the pretzel bites, six at a time, into the water bath.
• Cook for 30 seconds.
• Using a slotted spoon, return them to the baking sheet.
• Brush each lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with pretzel or coarse salt.

• Bake the pretzel bites for 18 to 22 minutes, until they’re a deep golden brown.
• Be sure to rotate your pans halfway through the bake time to ensure even browning.

• Remove the pretzel bites from the oven.
• Cool slightly before serving with your favorite mustard.
• Best when enjoyed while still warm.

These delicious Mini Dog Pretzel Bites are always a hit with my gang …especially the grandkids.

Once they’re fully cooled, wrap them well and stash some away in the freezer. When you need a last-minute snack, grab as many as you need. Allow them to defrost and come to room temp. Then gently reheat them in a 325°F oven.