Pigs in a Brioche Blanket Recipe

Makes 48
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 4 hours

for the brioche dough: 
2 tablespoons whole milk 
½ teaspoon active dry yeast
2 cups|9.1 ounces|260 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for the surface and dusting 
2 tablespoons granulated sugar 
1 teaspoon kosher salt 
3 large eggs, at room temperature 
½ cup|4 ounces|113 grams|1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, at room temperature, plus unsalted butter for the pans

for the pigs in brioche: 
brioche dough, chilled 
all-purpose flour, for rolling out
8 all-beef hot dogs (about 2 ounces|57 grams each), patted dry, pricked all over with the tip of a paring knife
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

for the creamy mustard dip: 
¼ cup|2.8 ounces|80 grams spicy brown mustard 
⅓ cup|3 ounces|86 grams sour cream 
1 teaspoon honey
pinch of kosher salt
pinch of cayenne pepper, or more to taste

1. Make the brioche dough: In a small saucepan, gently warm the milk over low heat, swirling the pan, just until it’s lukewarm but not hot, about 105°F on an instant-read thermometer (you can do this in the microwave, too, but beware of overheating). Pour the milk into a small bowl and whisk in the yeast to dissolve. Set aside until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes. 
2. Combine the ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the yeast mixture, followed by the eggs. 
3. Mix the dough in a stand mixer: Set the bowl on the mixer and attach the dough hook. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and mix until a dough comes together around the hook. Continue to mix, scraping the dough from the hook occasionally, until the dough is very supple, soft, and cleanly pulls away from the sides of the bowl (it will still stick to the bottom), adding an additional tablespoon or two of flour if the dough continues to stick to the sides, 8 to 10 minutes. 
4. Work in the butter: With the mixer still on medium, add the butter one piece at a time, allowing each piece to fully incorporate into the dough before adding the next. Be patient, as working in all the butter can take about 15 minutes or more
5. Let the dough rise once and chill: Gather the dough, which at this point will be extremely soft and supple, into a ball and lightly flour it all over. Place the dough inside a large bowl and take a photo so you have a point of comparison as it rises. Cover it with plastic wrap and place the bowl in the refrigerator. Chill for at least 8 hours and up to 24 (not only will refrigerating the dough make it firmer and easier to handle, it will improve the flavor as well).
6. Portion the dough: Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 8 equal pieces each weighing about 2.25 ounces / 64g (eyeball it if you don’t have a scale). Arrange the pieces on a rimmed baking sheet, spacing them evenly, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to keep them cold (cold dough is easier to maneuver around the hot dogs).
7. Preheat the oven and prepare the baking sheet: Arrange an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a second rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
8. Roll out the dough: Remove a piece of dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on an unfloured surface into a thin rope measuring about 22 inches long (the unfloured surface provides traction for the dough so it stretches more easily; if it starts to stick, dust it with a pinch of flour). Return the rope to the baking sheet in the refrigerator, tucking it back underneath the plastic, and repeat the rolling process with the remaining pieces of dough one at a time. The point here is to keep the brioche cold so the dough is easier to work with and all the pieces proof at the same rate.
9. Cover the hot dogs: Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator. Working one piece at a time, lightly dust a hot dog with flour to coat, then take a piece of brioche and, starting from the midpoints of both, wind the dough around the hot dog until you reach one end. Tug gently to stretch the dough and overlap it onto itself as you wind, then wrap the rest of the rope around the other end of the hot dog. Pinch the ends so the brioche seals to itself. Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap while you repeat the process with the remaining dogs and pieces of brioche. 
10. Proof the pigs in a blanket: Once all the hot dogs are in their blankets and covered on the baking sheet, let them sit at room temperature until the dough is puffed and springs back but holds a slight imprint when poked with a finger, 25 to 35 minutes.
11. Egg wash, sprinkle with sesame, and bake: Uncover the dogs and gently brush every surface of the dough with the egg. Sprinkle the sesame seeds evenly over top. Bake the pigs in a blanket until they’re deep golden brown all over, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet. 
12.   Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, stir the mustard, sour cream, and honey until smooth. Season with the salt and cayenne. 
13. Slice and serve: Cut each of the cooled pigs in a blanket crosswise into 6 pieces and serve them on a platter with the dipping sauce.

DO AHEAD The pigs in a blanket are best eaten the day they’re made but will keep, covered and refrigerated, up to 3 days. The hot dogs can be wrapped in brioche, covered on the baking sheet, and refrigerated for several hours before proofing and baking. 

Reprinted from Dessert Person. Copyright © 2020 by Claire Saffitz. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprintof Random House, a division of Penguin Random House

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