Salted Doughy Dairy Dogs

Pretzels, Cheese and hot dogs.  What is not to love in those three?  What's better than those three? Stuffing the cheese in the hot dog and the hot dog in a soft pretzel roll.  Oh yes I did!
Another New Years Eve treat well worth the effort.  I love the magic of pretzel rolls.  You make a beautiful dough then dunk it in boiling baking soda water rendering it sticky, shrunken and very odd looking.  Add some egg wash and salt (be sure the 3 1/2 year old isn't the one salting or you'll have too many 'sprinkles'... right....) then bake.  Out comes amazing looking rolls.  Not only amazing looking, amazing tasting.
These even reheat pretty well after a day or two.  Not something that most of the pretzel rolls I've made can boast.  But really?  How can you have left overs when they are this awesome?

Mini Cheesy Pretzel Dogs 
For the dough:
¾ cup warm water (about 115 degrees F)
1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons (about ½ packet) active dry yeast
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the dogs:
20 mini cocktail wieners or 5 regular hot dogs, cut into quarters
3 to 4 slices cheese (cheddar works well)
8 cups water
½ cup baking soda
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water)
Coarse salt, for sprinkling

Directions:
1.First, make the dough: In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm water and sugar. Sprinkle yeast on top and let sit 5 to 10 minutes until foamy.
2.Add flour, salt and melted and cooled butter. Use the dough hook attachment or a wooden spoon to stir until a dough forms. Increase mixer speed to medium and knead 4 to 5 minutes until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth, soft and elastic; OR, transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand 8 to 10 minutes until dough is smooth, soft and elastic.
3.Shape dough into a ball; place in a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a warm place 1 to 1 ½ hours until doubled.
4.Meanwhile, prepare the dogs: Slice cocktail wieners lengthwise down the center, being careful not to cut all the way through. Divide cheese slices into small pieces and place a piece or two in each slit.
5.Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6.When dough is doubled, punch it down and transfer to a parchment paper-lined surface. Divide dough into 20 equal-size pieces. Roll out each piece on parchment paper into a roughly 10-inch-long rope. Coil the ropes tightly over the cheese-stuffed dogs, folding and pinching seams tightly to seal.
7.In a large saucepan, bring water and baking soda to a boil. Carefully drop about 4 to 6 dogs into the boiling water for 30 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon. Transfer to prepared baking sheet spaced about 1 inch apart. Repeat with remaining dogs.
8.Brush the tops of the dogs with the egg wash, then sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Bake 15 minutes, rotating pan once halfway through baking, until dogs are a deep golden brown.