pizza dogs

I got the inspiration for this dish from a pizza place here in Savannah. They do this thing with a 1/4 lb beef hot dog where they wrap it in dough and put cheese on top. They give you mustard to dip it in and they're pretty awesome. But, I thought to myself "Why don't they just put pepperoni in there?" This is almost like a hot dog stromboli. Ed suggested that I do a whole section on just food that I wrap up in bread. I'm okay with that.

This is what I use to make my Pizza Dogs. Nathan's Dinner Beef Franks are all beef and no mystery meat, either. I could only eat 1/2 of these rolls, which means that 4 of these franks go a long way.

I want to make sure my franks are completely warmed through before I even pop them in the oven. Nothing would make these more terrible than a cold hot dog in the middle of some warm cheese and dough. I don't want them browned- just warmed and not much more.

We are going to use a whole pound of pizza dough. You can make your own- you can cheat like I do and buy fresh raw dough from a local bakery or pizza shop. I cheat a lot when it comes to dough. That one pound needs to be split into 4 parts.

Each one of those little sections is going to be stretched into a semi-rectangular shape.

Here's the pizza part- sliced mozzarella and sliced deli pepperoni. You can use small pepperoni, but the deli pepperoni fits so much easier.

And now it's frank time! I put my hot dog on one side of the rectangle and then roll it up. It seems easier that way.

Perfect. It doesn't look like much, but it packs a whollop of flavor!

Each one of these is getting a little brush of egg wash and a sprinkle of kosher salt before being popped into a preheated oven until the crust is nice and browned and perfect.

That's what I'm talkin' about! Now all that you need is a knife, a fork and some marinara!

Pizza Dogs
1 14 oz. package Nathan's Dinner Franks, or other large beef hot dogs
1 lb raw fresh pizza dough, split into 4 equal parts
1/4 lb sliced deli pepperoni
4 slices sliced deli mozzarella
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Marinara, for serving

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm dinner franks for 3-5 minutes without browning. Stretch each section of dough into a rectangle approximately the length of the franks and about 3 times the width. Layer slices of deli mozzarella and pepperoni onto the fresh dough, then top with the warmed frank. Roll each piece of dough around the frank and lay seam side down onto a greased baking pan. Repeat until all franks are gone. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until dough is browned and golden. Serve with warm marinara and enjoy!