Mini Sourdough Pigs in a Blanket
My mini sourdough pigs in a blanket are simple to make! They’re made with sourdough crescent rolls from-scratch and uncured hot dogs. It’s a wholesome swap for store-bought, and they taste so good! My husband, Tyler, and I love dipping them in homemade cheese sauce, but my favorite is when they’re dipped in ketchup and mustard. I hope these bites find a special place on your table like they have on ours!
This post may contain affiliate links of items I know and love. Read our disclosure policy for more information. I NEVER use AI (artificial intelligence) to create content for Plum Branch Home. Recipes, blog posts, photos, videos, podcasts, social media content: everything is made from scratch by me, Molly LaFontaine. After developing my recipes, they’re tested 2x by my husband, Tyler, and I before publishing. What you see from Plum Branch Home is real. It’s made for a reason, tested, and loved!
If you want to make this recipe but don’t have a sourdough starter, no worries! Grab my free guide so you can make your own starter at home.
If you’re new to sourdough baking and feel hesitant, or you have questions, I’ve got something for you! I broke down the basics of what you need to know about sourdough baking in my free sourdough baking guide for beginners. I highly recommend grabbing a copy!
Inspiration Behind My Sourdough Pigs in a Blanket
When I was little, my aunt and uncle from Washington State came to visit and stayed with us for a few days. While they were visiting, my uncle made pigs in a blanket, and I was hooked!
He used homemade pizza dough to wrap around the hot dogs. I loved the slightly sweet, fluffy dough with the savory hot dog.
After they left, my mom made them a few times, and every time we thought of our family visiting. Ever since I’ve loved pigs in a blanket so I wanted to make my own recipe but using uncured beef hot dogs and sourdough crescent roll dough instead.
My husband, Tyler, came up with the mini idea one night while we were enjoying a batch for supper. He asked if mini ones were a thing, so that’s what we did and loved them even more than the regular ones!
I hope this recipe creates a fun memory for you around the supper table like it has for me!
What are Pigs in a Blanket?
Pigs in a blanket are hot dogs wrapped in dough. For mine they’re wrapped in homemade sourdough crescent rolls!
Why Make Pigs in a Blanket with Sourdough Crescent Rolls?
When you make crescent rolls with sourdough, you get fermentation benefits from the sourdough starter’s cultures. If you long ferment the dough in the fridge for 12-24 hours before baking, those cultures ferment the other ingredients. This long fermentation is optional but adds even more fermentation benefits!
Why We Love This Recipe and Think You Will Too!
- Easy Recipe: Even with the sourdough crescent rolls, this recipe is simple to follow!
- Great Make-Ahead Recipe: If you want to make these bites ahead of time, no problem. They’re really simple to prep and save for later.
- Wholesome Ingredients: These pigs in a blanket are made from scratch, besides the hot dogs.
- Perfect Appetizer: These bites are great appetizers no matter the occasion!
My Tips for Making Sourdough Pigs in a Blanket
- Use a natural, all-beef hot dog (my favorites are Teton Waters Ranch)
- You’ll want to use thawed hot dogs, not frozen ones .
- Place the tail end of the crescent rolls under the hot dog on the sheet pan to prevent them from unraveling.
- If you want to make this recipe even easier, make a batch of sourdough crescent roll dough the day before so it’s ready to go.
- Always use cold butter for the crescent dough.
The Best Wholesome Hot Dogs for This Recipe
I highly recommend using all-beef hot dogs that are uncured. I like getting the organic ones from Teton Waters Ranch. They have zero fillers and the best taste!
How to Prepare Your Sourdough Starter for This Recipe
I’m starting to add this section to my sourdough recipes to help anyone who’s having trouble baking with their starter. Most of the time it’s not you; it’s the starter’s strength.
Follow my simple instructions to get your starter ready to make this recipe or read my starter troubleshooting post.
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED: If your starter is not active and bubbly, feed your starter 4-12 hours before starting this recipe. I recommend feeding it a 2:1 ratio of unbleached flour to filtered water to get the same results as I do when you make this recipe.
Example: Feed your ENTIRE sourdough starter jar 1 cup flour + 1/2 cup water and let the starter sit on the counter at room temperature until it’s bubbly and has grown in the jar. Your starter needs to be active, bubbly, and a thicker consistency to begin this recipe.
Ingredients You’ll Need (with notes and substitutions)
Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for measurements.
- beef hot dogs: I like using uncured, organic beef hot dogs but you can use any
- sourdough starter: make sure it’s fed and active for this recipe
- milk: I like to use whole milk but you can use any
- sea salt: this is a wholesome option but you can use any
- all-purpose flour: I like to use organic, unbleached but you can use any kind of all-purpose
- cold butter: I use salted but you can use unsalted, if desired
- raw honey: you can substitute this for pure maple syrup, if desired
Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe
This section contains Amazon affiliate links to items I use and love for this recipe.
How to Make Mini Sourdough Pigs in a Blanket
Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for the full written recipe.
Feed Your Starter
BEFORE YOU GET STARTED: If your starter is not active and bubbly, feed your entire sourdough starter jar 4-12 hours before starting this recipe. I recommend feeding your entire starter a 2:1 ratio of unbleached flour to filtered water to get the same results as I do when making this recipe.
Example: Feed your ENTIRE sourdough starter jar 1 cup flour + 1/2 cup water and let the starter sit on the counter at room temperature until it’s bubbly and has grown in the jar. Your starter needs to be active, bubbly, and a thicker consistency to begin this recipe.
How to Make the Sourdough Crescent Roll Dough
Add flour and salt to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
Grate butter into the dry mixture or use a fork to cut butter into flour until pea-sized pieces form. Stir to evenly distribute butter.
Add milk, honey, and sourdough starter. Stir to combine to form a shaggy dough. Use your hands to finish combining the shaggy mixture into a dough ball. (Moistness of your dough will depend on your starter’s hydration. If it’s not coming together, add in 1-2 Tbsp of water. If it’s too wet add 1-2 Tbsp four).
Turn the dough out on the counter and knead for 2 minutes (or use an electric mixer with a dough hook on the lowest setting).
Bulk Ferment
Place dough back into bowl and cover it with a damp towel, Saran wrap, or a lid loosely. Let dough sit on the counter at room temperature to bulk ferment for 12 hours or until doubled in size. (Since it’s a small amount of enriched dough, it won’t bubble up and fill the entire bowl like regular bread dough does, it’ll just expand a little. Please see notes below!)
How to Shape Pigs in a Blanket
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll dough out into a large rectangle, 1/2 inch thick (approximately 15″ x 11″).
Grab a pizza cutter or a knife and slice the dough in half horizontally so you have two rectangles. Then slice each section into 1 inch strips from top to bottom (vertically), to make 20 short strips of dough. Set aside for now.
Slice each hot dog into 4 pieces so you have 20 mini hot dogs. Roll each one with a strip of crescent roll dough. Repeat until all are rolled.
Place dough covered mini hot dogs on the parchment-lined sheet pan, tail end of the dough placed underneath so they don’t unravel while baking. Ensure they’re not touching on the pan.
Bake for 20 minutes or until baked all the way through and golden brown. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
Make Ahead Pigs in a Blanket
If you’d like to make this recipe ahead of time, you can do two different methods:
Option #1 – Whip up the crescent roll dough and place it in the fridge for up to 3 days in advance. This will cut down on the time to make them.
Option #2 – Make the full recipe but instead of baking them, place the sheet pan in the fridge, covered, for up to 24 hours. Bake straight from the fridge when ready.
Variations to Try
If you’d like to add some fun variations, here are a few of my ideas you could try:
- Add Cheese: When wrapping the hot dogs with crescent roll dough, add a slice of cheese in each one.
- Add Jalapeno: If you’d like a little spice, add diced jalapeno to the crescent roll dough before you roll it out. Or you can add a slice in with the hot dog before rolling it with dough.
- Make them Everything Bagel: Sprinkle on a little everything bagel seasoning before popping them in the oven.
My Favorite Ways to Serve Mini Pigs in a Blanket
I love serving these mini pigs in a blanket for a snack or even suppertime! They make a wonderful appetizer, snack, party food, or meal when served with a side.
Pigs in a Blanket Dip Ideas
- Homemade Honey Mustard
- Cheddar Cheese Dip
- Jalapeno Cheese Dip (Inspired by Fritos)
- Homemade Buffalo Sauce
- Homemade Ranch Dressing
- Garlic Butter
More Appetizers or Snacks to Serve with Pigs in a Blanket
- American Flag Taco Dip
- Best Fruit Salad (no sugar added)
- Sourdough Jalapeno Popper Scones
- Sourdough Chicken Minis
- My Rotel Dip Recipe (Without Velveeta!)
Storing Leftover Pigs in a Blanket Crescent Rolls
Store leftovers in an airtight container, preferably glass, for 2-3 days in the fridge.
Freezing and Thawing Instructions
To freeze pigs in a blanket, make sure they’re completely cooled off after baking and then place them in a glass freezer-safe container. A plastic baggie will work too, but I personally don’t like the taste it gives them. They’ll last 3 months in the freezer.
To thaw pigs in a blanket, place in the fridge overnight, or you can warm them right away, without thawing, in the oven.
My Favorite Way to Reheat Sourdough Pigs in a Blanket
Place the leftover pigs in a blanket on a sheet pan and warm in the oven at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. This will keep the crust flaky while warming the hot dog.
Frequently Asked Questions
They are fully baked when the crescent rolls are golden brown.
You can serve fresh fruit, fruit salad, your favorite dip, dipping sauces, scones, or any other appetizer you love.
For my recipe, you cook them for 20 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Yes! Shape them and then pop the pan in the fridge, covered, instead of the oven. Bake when you’re ready.
They can sit out at room temperature for up to 2 hours safely.
You can set your oven to the “keep warm” setting or the lowest temperature it will go. This keeps them warm without getting soggy. I recommend sitting them on a wire, oven-safe rack sitting over a sheet pan.
More Sourdough Appetizers To Try
If you’re looking for more sourdough appetizer recipes, try a few of these:
- Sourdough Pretzel Bites
- Soft Sourdough Pretzels
- Sourdough Jalapeno Popper Scones
- Sourdough Jalapeno Cheddar Scones
- Sourdough Ham and Cheese Scones
- Sourdough Chicken Minis (Better Than Chick-fil-A)
If you made this recipe, give it a 5-star rating below and share a photo on your social media stories! Be sure to tag @plumbranchhome
Recipe
Mini Sourdough Pigs in a Blanket
Ingredients
- 5 beef hot dogs (I like to get uncured, organic)
Crescent Dough
- 1/2 cup fed sourdough starter
- 1/2 cup milk (I like to use whole milk)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 8 Tbsp cold butter (salted)
- 1/4 cup raw honey
Instructions
Feed Your Starter
- BEFORE YOU GET STARTED: If your starter is not active and bubbly, feed your entire sourdough starter jar 4-12 hours before starting this recipe. I recommend feeding your entire starter a 2:1 ratio of unbleached flour to filtered water to get the same results as I do when making this recipe.
- Example: Feed your ENTIRE sourdough starter jar 1 cup flour + 1/2 cup water and let the starter sit on the counter at room temperature until it’s bubbly and has grown in the jar. Your starter needs to be active, bubbly, and a thicker consistency to begin this recipe.
Make the Sourdough Crescent Roll Dough
- Add flour and salt to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Grate butter into the dry mixture or use a fork to cut butter into flour until pea-sized pieces form. Stir to evenly distribute butter.
- Add milk, honey, and sourdough starter. Stir to combine to form a shaggy dough. Use your hands to finish combining the shaggy mixture into a dough ball. (Moistness of your dough will depend on your starter’s hydration. If it’s not coming together, add in 1-2 Tbsp of water. If it’s too wet add 1-2 Tbsp four).
- Turn the dough out on the counter and knead for 2 minutes (or use an electric mixer with a dough hook on the lowest setting).
Bulk Ferment
- Place dough back into bowl and cover it with a damp towel, Saran wrap, or a lid loosely. Let dough sit on the counter at room temperature to bulk ferment for 12 hours or until doubled in size. (Since it’s a small amount of enriched dough, it won’t bubble up and fill the entire bowl like regular bread dough does, it’ll just expand a little. Please see notes below!)
Shape & Bake
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll dough out into a large rectangle, 1/2 inch thick (approximately 15″ x 11″).
- Grab a pizza cutter or a knife and slice the dough in half horizontally so you have two rectangles.
- Then slice each section into 1 inch strips from top to bottom (vertically), to make 20 short strips of dough. Set aside for now.
- Slice each hot dog into 4 pieces so you have 20 mini hot dogs.
- Roll each one with a strip of crescent roll dough. Repeat until all are rolled.
- Place dough covered mini hot dogs on the parchment-lined sheet pan, tail end of the dough placed underneath so they don’t unravel while baking. Ensure they’re not touching on the pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until baked all the way through and golden brown. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Troubleshooting Help for Bulk Fermenting & Rising…
- If your dough doesn’t look like it’s doing anything halfway through the rises, you need to place it in a slightly warmer area.
- This can be in a turned-off oven with the light on and oven door open, or you can slightly warm the oven to about 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit, then turn it off and place your dough inside with the door shut.
- Never leave the oven on, even on the keep warm setting, with fermenting dough inside. Your dough, for both rises, needs to double.
- If your dough doesn’t double even in the warmer area, there is a problem with your starter. It is too weak to ferment the dough even in a warm environment.
- To fix this, you will want to leave your starter out on the counter for 2 days and feed it every 12 hours at a 2:1 ratio of unbleached flour to filtered water.
- For example, 1 cup unbleached flour + 1/2 cup filtered (or bottled) water.
- Make sure you’re using unbleached flour and filtered or bottled water to do this. If you don’t, it will affect your starter strength. Reverse osmosis water (or any water that uses salt in the filter) can make the starter weak.
- This will strengthen the cultures in your starter to give you fluffy baked bread and treats. After the 2 days, you can go back to feeding it like usual (once a week if stored in the fridge or once a day if stored on the counter). Be sure to use the 2:1 ratio feeding from here on out.
I’m sorry. Am I missing the recipe somewhere on the page?
No worries! The recipe is at the bottom of the page before the comment section. You can also go to the table of contents, located under the first photo of the post, to help you locate the recipe. It’s the last item on the list.
The ingredients list with measurements also does not show up for me. I’m sad because I want to make these!
Hmm that’s so weird! Let me see what I can do to get this fixed for you.
I just got it fixed for you! You should now be able to see the ingredients, let me know if you have any issues!
I just got it fixed! You should now be able to see the full recipe on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Let me know if you have any issues!
We use chicken maple small sausages. Your dough recipe is delicious!
That’s a great idea! Thank you so much!
Did you recently change this recipe?
Yes I did! I now have a video for them as well. My sourdough crescent rolls have been improved and I’ve turned the large pigs in a blanket into minis. You can still make them into large, regular sized pigs in a blanket if you choose.