Pigs in a Blanket Pull-Apart Focaccia
Soft, fluffy pull-apart focaccia loaded with mini hot dogs and coated in a savory parmesan mustard crust. Perfect for lunch boxes, parties, or easy weeknight dinners. Uses sourdough starter or instant yeast.
Servings: 20 balls
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Kitchen scale (optional but recommended)
- 9x13 inch baking pan (USA Pan recommended)
- Plastic wrap or lid for covering
- Two shallow bowls (one for butter mixture, one for coating)
Ingredients
For the Sourdough Focaccia Dough:
- 500 g bread flour
- 400 g water
- 75 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 10 g salt
For the Butter Coating:
- 120 g 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley minced (or 1 teaspoon dried),optional
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Parmesan Coating:
- 120 g 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (or other finely grated cheese, etc cheddar, you want a drier cheese)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
For the Topping:
- 20 mini hot dogs or cocktail franks
Instructions
Day One
- Mix the dough by combining bread flour, water, sourdough starter, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until no dry flour remains. The dough will be sticky and wet.
- Cover the bowl and let ferment at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours. I usually mix the dough before bed and then wake up and shape. Alternative timing is in the notes section) About 1 hour after mixing, perform a series of stretch and folds to build strength in the dough. The dough should be puffy and doubled when ready. Watch for signs of proper fermentation. Always watch the dough, not the clock.
Day Two
- Prepare the butter mixture by whisking together melted butter, onion powder, parsley, and salt in a shallow bowl.
- Prepare the coating mixture by combining grated parmesan, cornstarch, and mustard powder in another shallow bowl. Mix well.
- Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment or grease a good non-stick pan with olive/avocado oil.
- Turn out the fermented dough onto a well oiled, clean work surface. Pull off golf ball size chunks. (approximately 20 balls) If your fingers get sticky clean off and rub oil on your hands.
- Shape each piece into a smooth ball with the seam on the bottom.
- Dip each dough ball into the butter mixture, coating all sides.
- Roll the buttered ball in the parmesan coating mixture until fully coated.
- Arrange the coated balls in the 9x13 inch pan in 5 rows of 4. Or feel free to play tetris with it and arrange haphazardly.
- Cover the pan or place in a plastic proofing bag and let proof at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until the dough balls are puffy and jiggly.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Press one mini hot dog into the center of each dough ball, pressing down firmly but gently.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and the hot dogs have nice color.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Pull apart and enjoy with your favorite condiments.
Notes
Sourdough Starter:
Use active, bubbly sourdough starter that has been fed within 4 to 12 hours. If your starter isn’t very active, your dough may take longer to ferment.
All Purpose Flour Substitution:
All purpose flour can be used instead of bread flour. Reduce water by approximately 25g (use 325g water for sourdough version or 375g for yeasted version) since all purpose flour absorbs less liquid. The texture will be slightly softer and less chewy but still excellent.
Cheese Options:
Parmesan is recommended for its dry texture and ability to get crispy, but finely shredded cheddar also works well. Make sure any cheese you use is finely shredded, not thick pre-shredded, for best coating results.
Cornstarch Substitution:
Arrowroot powder works as a 1:1 replacement for cornstarch. Potato starch also works but hasn’t been tested as extensively.
Make Ahead Instructions:
After the bulk fermentation, portion dough into balls, dip in butter, roll in coating, and arrange in the greased pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove from refrigerator and let come to room temperature and proof until puffy (1 to 2 hours), then add hot dogs and bake as directed.
Storage:
Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
Freezing:
Freeze completely cooled pull-apart bread wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator and reheat in oven.
Pan Size:
A 9x13 inch pan is ideal for 20 pieces arranged in 5 rows of 4. For a smaller batch, halve the recipe and use an 8x8 inch or 9x9 inch pan.
Hot Dog Options:
Any mini hot dogs or cocktail franks work, including beef, pork, turkey, chicken, or plant-based options. Regular hot dogs cut into thirds can work in a pinch.
YEAST SUBSTITUTION SECTION
NO SOURDOUGH STARTER? USE YEAST INSTEAD!
Don’t have sourdough starter? No problem! You can make this Pigs in a Blanket Pull Apart Focaccia recipe using instant yeast or active dry yeast with fantastic results. The bread turns out just as fluffy and delicious with the same irresistible pull apart texture.
REPLACE THE 75G ACTIVE SOURDOUGH STARTER WITH:
37g (about ¼ cup) all purpose flour
37g (about 2½ tablespoons) water
7g (2¼ teaspoons) instant yeast OR 9g (2¾ teaspoons) active dry yeast
USING INSTANT YEAST (RAPID RISE):
Mix everything together at once. Add the 37g flour, 37g water, and 7g instant yeast along with ALL the other recipe ingredients (the 500g bread flour, 400g water, and 10g salt) right from the start. Mix until no dry flour remains. No activation needed with instant yeast.
Rest for 30 to 60 minutes. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature. 30 minutes is standard for yeasted focaccia; 60 minutes will give you slightly more flavor development but may shorten your bulk fermentation time.
Stretch and fold. With wet hands, grab one edge of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Do this 4 times total (one complete rotation around the bowl). The dough will transform from sticky and shaggy to smoother and more cohesive.
Bulk fermentation. Cover and let the complete dough rise for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature until it doubles in size and becomes puffy and jiggly.
Continue as normal. Once doubled, proceed with the recipe exactly as written. Same shaping into balls, same butter dip and coating, same proofing, same baking temperature and time.
USING ACTIVE DRY YEAST:
Activate the yeast. Mix the 37g warm water (100 to 110°F) with the 9g active dry yeast and ¼ teaspoon sugar in a small bowl. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until foamy and bubbly. If it doesn’t foam, your yeast is dead and you need to start over with fresh yeast.
Mix everything together. Once your yeast is foamy, add it along with the 37g flour and ALL the other recipe ingredients (the 500g bread flour, 400g water, and 10g salt). Mix until no dry flour remains.
Rest for 30 to 60 minutes. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature. 30 minutes is standard; 60 minutes provides more flavor development.
Stretch and fold. With wet hands, grab one edge of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over to the opposite side. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat. Do this 4 times total (one complete rotation around the bowl).
Bulk fermentation. Cover and let the complete dough rise for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature until it doubles in size.
Continue as normal. Proceed with the recipe exactly as written.
IMPORTANT YEAST VERSION NOTES:
Worried about wet dough? If you’re new to baking and concerned about sticky dough, start by decreasing the water in the main recipe to 360g (1½ cups). Experienced bakers can stick with the full 400g of water.
Water temperature matters: Use room temperature water for instant yeast. Use warm water (100 to 110°F) for active dry yeast.
Bulk fermentation is 2 to 3 hours instead of 8 to 12 hours with sourdough starter. The rest period is 30 to 60 minutes instead of the sourdough’s 30 to 45 minute autolyse (shorter rest = longer bulk fermentation; longer rest = shorter bulk fermentation). This is the main time difference between the two methods.
Everything else stays EXACTLY the same! Same shaping into 27 dough balls, same butter dip and coating, same hotdog topping, same final proof, same baking time and temperature.
PRO TIP: Instant yeast is more forgiving and faster to use. If you’re new to baking, choose instant yeast over active dry yeast. It eliminates the activation step and produces consistent results.
