Hot dogs with pretzel buns, grilled sausages and hot cheese sauce

Ingredients:

Sauce

• 350 g processed cheese in bricks, cut into cubes
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 1 tbsp diced marinated cherry peppers
• 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeños
• 1 tablespoon brine from a jar of pickled jalapenos

Hot dogs

• 8 beef sausages in natural casings
• 8 Crispy Hot Dog Buns with the recipe below
• 1.4 cups chopped pickled jalapeños for garnish (optional)

Pretzel buns

• 1 cup of milk
• 1.4 cups light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 1 packet of dry yeast
• 2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter
• 2 small cloves of garlic, grated
• 3 cups wheat flour, plus a little for dusting
• 1 tbsp. bakery flour
• 1.2 cups baking soda
• Regular or sea salt for sprinkling

Preparation:

1. Prepare the cheese sauce.
   
   In a small saucepan, add the cheese cubes, milk, pickled jalapeños with brine, and cherry peppers and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Prepare the sausages.
   
   Preheat a grill pan to medium-high heat. Cook the sausages in the pan, rotating occasionally, until browned on all sides. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
3. Make pretzel buns.
   
   In a small saucepan, heat the milk, 1/2 cup water, sugar, and honey to about 40°C (104°F). Sprinkle the yeast into the mixture and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes until it dissolves.
4. In a separate saucepan, add the butter and garlic and cook over medium heat until the butter is melted and the garlic smells great, about 2-3 minutes.
5. In a bowl, combine both types of flour and add to the saucepan with the yeast, then add the butter and garlic mixture. Stir on medium speed for about 5-7 minutes, until a thick, smooth dough forms that easily pulls away from the edges of the pan.
6. Prepare two baking sheets with silicone baking sheets. Place the dough on a lightly floured cutting board and form it into a ball. Cut it into 4 equal pieces, then cut them in half to make 8 equal pieces. Using your hands, roll each piece into a ball and place it on the prepared sheet. Cover with a towel and let the dough rest in a warm place for 12-15 minutes.
7. After letting the dough rest, lightly dust the surface of the board with flour again and roll the balls into sausages, about 17 cm long. Place them on another prepared baking sheet, cover, and return to a warm place for 30 minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Position one rack lower and one higher. Prepare two more silicone baking sheets or parchment paper.
9. In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups of water to a boil, then add the baking soda. Working in batches, submerge the dough in the water and cook for about 30 seconds on each side.
10. Using a slotted spoon, remove the dough pieces and place them on a prepared silicone sheet. Sprinkle the dough with salt as soon as you remove them from the water to help it stick. Make three shallow diagonal slits in the bread.
11. Bake the buns for 10-13 minutes, switching the sheets halfway through.
12. Cut the buns in half, place the grilled sausages inside, drizzle with a little hot cheese sauce, and sprinkle with pickled jalapeños if desired. Enjoy!