For A Better Hot Dog, Give It A German-Inspired Upgrade

Hot dogs are as American as apple pie, perhaps even more so. After all, Coney Island doesn't hold an apple pie eating contest on the Fourth of July. No, America's birthday is celebrated with lots and lots of hot dogs. That said, when trying to dress up that sausage link treat, you might want to take inspiration from abroad — more specifically, from Germany, the hot dog's ancestral homeland. German-inspired ingredients such as sauerkraut and mustard are already pretty standard toppings, and they're delicious to boot. But why not try something a little less conventional, like, perhaps, a lovely pretzel wrapping in lieu of a bun? 

Pretzels will bring a sharp, salty flavor to your hot dog that isn't overpowering, but is distinct from other bun and bread forms. Plus, pretzels have a salted surface and unique, shiny crust (formed by an alkaline dip of baking soda and water) that goes far beyond the relatively forgettable flavor of most grocery store buns.

To make these pretzel wrapped dogs, you'll first want to make a batch of yeasted pretzel dough, then wrap the dough around the sausage of your choosing, and dip it into a baking soda solution (you could also use food grade lye, but that should be handled only if you're fully educated on safety and risks) to form the pretzel surface. Remove after a few seconds, then place on your baking sheet, salt, and bake until golden brown. And there you have it! A culinary meet-cute for the ages: hot dog meets pretzel.

Want to make pretzel dogs but you're a bit uneasy about making pretzels from scratch? Not to fret; there is a semi-homemade route to take. Rather than making a yeasted dough, you can use canned croissant rolls. Simply pop them from the container, wrap them around your hot dogs, then place into your baking soda dip for a few seconds (just to form that glossy exterior). Remove, add egg wash for an even shinier bun, and bake until nice and browned. This will cut down prep time significantly while maintaining that pretzel taste and texture. 

However, once you've got your pretzel-ized hot dogs ready to go, you might find them needing something, and that something is a dipping sauce. After all, pretzels are best enjoyed with a dip (at least in my opinion). Perhaps the most obvious choice for pretzel-dog dipping is mustard, given that both foods are often paired with the sharp and tangy condiment. Almost any mustard will do, but a lovely spicy mustard would add a great kick. You can also go even further into German influence by making Obatzda, a Bavarian beer and Camembert cheese dip. The pairing of pretzel dog and beer cheese dip might just be tasty enough to make you reconsider the traditional, American-style dog.