Bagel Dogs Or Mini-Bagel Dogs - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/8 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 (14 ounce) package Little Smokies sausages (rinse, drain and pat dry with paper towels)
2 tablespoons baking soda
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons kosher salt (coarse grind)

Preparation

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast, brown sugar and salt in the 1 1/2 cups warm water. Stir in flour, and knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. (If using a stand mixer you will probably need to add a few extra tablespoons of all-purpose flour to get a non-sticky dough.) Place in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover, and let rise for one hour.
Combine 2 cups warm water and baking soda in an 8 inch square pan.
After dough has risen, divide in half and put one ball back in the bowl and cover again. Gently roll and stretch the second half into a log about 16 inches long and cut into 16-20 pieces. Roll each piece into a 7 inch rope, then starting at one end of the little smokie begin wrapping the dough around in a spiral, ending at the other end. Crimp the end or push it under the last wrap if needed to secure.
Dip it into the baking soda and water solution. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets, loosely cover with foil and let rise 15 to 20 minutes. Repeat all with second half of dough.
Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Repeat with remaining dough. Feel free to experiment with different sizes of dough you use for wrapping, especially if you choose to make the full-sized dogs. I ended up liking the thicker wraps best because the dough stayed soft and puffy instead of getting hard and crunchy on the outside. Any leftover dough can be formed into pretzels, twisted into pretzel sticks or I even tried just cutting them into bite-sized bits that were great for toddler snacks.
Serve with cheese sauce, ketchup, mustard, BBQ or horseradish sauce for dipping.
Yield depends on how many Little Smokies or hot dogs you're using (how many minis to a package actually varies). One full recipe though will make a nice addition to your appetizer tray.