Sourdough Corndogs
Does the smell and taste of fair food bring back good memories for you? It sure does for me, so why not bring the carnival home with these golden, crispy sourdough corndogs made with cornmeal and sourdough starter. It is a fun twist on an American classic.
If you like getting corndogs at the carnival, or fair, making them at home is a great way to enjoy them during the off-season while we wait for those fun summer days to roll back around. These corndogs have a twist with the addition of sourdough “discard” or as I like to refer to it as unfed sourdough starter because who wants to discard this liquid gold? I like to feed my sourdough starter in a big batch and keep it in the refrigerator for recipes like this.
Corndogs are also known in America as dippy dogs, the French commonly call them sausage donut, and some in Japan call them American dog. They were first made in Texas by an immigrant family from Germany.
Why make sourdough corndogs at home?
Simpler ingredients– I don’t know about you but looking at the ingredient list on the corndogs at the grocery store makes me uncomfortable feeding my kids all those hard-to-pronounce additives. Not to mention they are not cheap either. Enjoying them occasionally at the fair is a fun treat that I don’t worry about, but if you want them year-round I would rather opt for homemade ones. This also leaves you with the choice of what kind of hotdogs you are using and the oil you are cooking them in.
You need to use up discard- this is a great way to use up quite a bit of discard if you have a lot on hand or simply like using sourdough starter in your recipes.
Sourdough adds a unique flavor- In this recipe, the sourdough flavor wasn’t as strong to me as other sourdough recipes since they are fried in oil. Sourdough in general adds a unique flavor to most recipes though, some standing out more than others.
Let’s make some sourdough corndogs! If you want the corndogs on a stick use any food-grade stick, such as a popsicle stick. I used kabob sticks cut down to size. I also cut up some hot dogs into thirds to make mini corndogs.
- 10 hot dogs
- 2 c sourdough discard I used unfed sourdough starter cold, right out of the refrigerator.
- 1 c yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 c milk you may need more or less depending on the hydration of your sourdough starter.
- 1/4 c sugar
- 3 Tb honey
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 quarts Peanut oil or frying oil of your choice. enough to fill your pan 2-3 inches deep.
- Cornstarch For coating the hot dogs
Instructions
- In a cask iron or heavy-duty frying pan heat your oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit over medium heat.
- Prepare the hot dogs by patting them dry with a paper towel, skewering them on a stick, and rolling them in cornstarch. Make sure they are coated well, this will help the batter stick to the hot dog.
- Mix the cornmeal, salt, and sugar, then add in the sourdough starter, and honey. Slowly pour in the milk a little at a time to watch for consistency. You want the batter to run off the wisk but thick enough to still form a peak off of the hot dog. If you get the batter to thin add a little flour to thicken.
- Dip the hot dogs in the cornmeal batter, using a tall drinking glass or container will help make this easier. Carefully set them into the hot oil.
- Fry them until they are gold brown, roughly 30 seconds on each side.
- Remove them from the oil and let them sit on a paper towel for a few seconds to soak up any extra grease and serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauces.
- You can keep them in the refrigerator for up to a week and reheat them in the oven.
- If you want to freeze them see freezing instructions down below.
For mini corndogs follow the same instructions as corndogs on a stick. You can use a kabob stick to dip them in the batter and get them in the oil. Use a fork to carefully push them off into the oil and then flip with a slotted metal spoon or tongs.
Freezing the sourdough corndogs:
These work great to fry up in a big batch and then freeze to reheat later for an easy, quick meal. After you fry them make sure they cool off entirely before placing them in a ziplock bag and removing any access air. Freeze for up to 3 months and reheat them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes on a parchment-lined cookie sheet right out of the freezer. I would not recommend heating them in the microwave. The oven will keep them fresh and crispy, the microwave will make them go soggy.
Sourdough Corndogs
Equipment
- sticks for skewering the hot dogs onto. You can use a popsicle stick. I used a kabob stick cut shorter so it would fit into my cast iron pan.
Ingredients
- 10 hot dogs
- 2 c sourdough discard I used unfed sourdough starter right out of the refrigerator.
- 1 c yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 c milk may need more or less depending on the hydration of your sourdough starter.
- 1/4 c sugar
- 3 Tb honey
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 quarts Peanut oil or frying oil of your choice. enough to fill your pan 2-3 inches deep.
- Cornstarch For coating hot dogs
Instructions
- In a cask iron or heavy-duty frying pan heat your oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit over medium heat.
- Prepare the hot dogs by patting them dry with a paper towel, skewering them on a stick, and rolling them in cornstarch. Make sure they are coated well, this will help the batter stick to the hot dog.
- Mix the cornmeal, salt, and sugar then add in the sourdough starter, and honey. Slowly pour in the milk a little at a time to watch for consistency. You want the batter to run off the wisk but thick enough to still form a peak off of the hot dog. If you get the batter to thin add a little flour to thicken.
- Fill a tall drinking glass or container with the batter. Dip the hot dogs into the batter to coat and carefully set them in the hot oil. Fry them until they are golden brown, roughly 30 seconds on each side. Remove them from the oil and let them sit on a paper towel for a few seconds to soak up any extra grease and serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauces.
- You can keep them in the refrigerator for up to a week and reheat them in the oven.
- To freeze make sure they cool off completely after frying and place in a ziplock bag, remove any access air. Freeze for up to 3 months and reheat them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes on a parchment-lined cookie sheet right out of the freezer. I would not recommend heating them in the microwave. The oven will keep them fresh and crispy, the microwave will make them go soggy.
