Vegan Pretzel Dogs

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

Pretzel Dough:

1 ½ cups (341g) water, lukewarm (110–115°F)
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
4 ½ cups (540g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (50g) olive oil or canola oil

Doggos:

8 vegan hot dogs (We used Lightlife Smart Dogs.)

Baking Soda Bath:

10 cups (2.4 L) water
²/₃ cup (154g) baking soda

Topping:

2–3 Tbsp olive oil
Bourke Street Bakery Everything Bagel Topping, pretzel salt, sesame seeds, or poppyseeds

For Serving:

Core and Rind Cashew Cheesy Sauce, warmed

Directions

In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together water, sugar, kosher salt, and yeast. Leave undisturbed for about 10 minutes until the mixture gets foamy.
Add flour and olive oil. Attach dough hook, then mix on low until the dough starts to come together.
Increase speed to medium and knead dough until it’s smooth and cleans the sides of the bowl, 8–12 minutes.
NOTE: Your dough should be tacky but not sticky. If it’s too sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time, kneading after each addition. You shouldn’t have to add more than 4 tablespoons.
Tip dough out onto a clean work surface and form into a ball. Lightly grease inside of your mixer bowl with neutral oil. Place dough back into bowl and roll around to coat all sides with oil. Cover bowl with beeswax wrap or cotton bowl cover and place in a warm, dry spot and leave undisturbed until dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Towards the end of your proofing time, heat oven to 450°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and give ‘em a good dousing of baking spray.
Combine water and baking soda in a large pot. Place on stove and allow baking soda bath to come to a boil while you form your pretzel dogs.
After dough has doubled in size, punch it down to release excess gas build-up. Turn out onto a lightly oiled surface and divide dough into 8 equal pieces (about 122g each).
Take one piece and roll it out into a 24-inch dough snake. Beginning at one end of your veggie dog, wrap dough around the hot dog. Make sure to overlap and pinch dough snake at the very ends so that it won’t come unraveled in the baking soda bath.
NOTE: If your dough snake is a smidge too long for your dog, simply snip off the excess dough and use it to make pretzel bites! (Details at bottom.)
Repeat with remaining 7 hot dogs.
With the baking soda bath boiling, place 1–2 pretzel dogs in at a time. Boil for 30 seconds, then remove using a large slotted spoon or spider. Allow excess water to drain off, then place doggos on prepared baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining pretzel dogs.
Lightly brush boiled pretzel dogs with olive oil, then sprinkle with everything bagel topping.
Bake for 10–12 minutes or until dark golden brown.
Transfer pretzel dogs to wire rack and allow to cool slightly before serving with warm cashew cheesy sauce.

NOTE: Depending on the size of your veggie dogs, you may have a little bit of extra dough. If so, make pretzel bites! Smush together all of the excess dough, then roll out into a 1-inch-thick dough snake and snip dough into 1" pieces. In batches, boil in baking soda bath for 30 seconds. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with everything bagel topping. Bake in a 400°F oven for about 10 minutes.

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