Pour the water into the bowl of an electric stand mixer and sprinkle with the yeast. Let the mixture stand about five minutes or until foamy, then stir in 3 tablespoons of sugar and the salt.

With the paddle attachment, add flour slowly while mixing on medium speed. Keep beating until the dough is well-blended, smooth, and stiff. Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook and knead thoroughly until smooth and elastic in texture.

Form the dough into a lump and place it into a lightly greased bowl. Turn the dough over to grease the top. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size.

After the dough rises, press it down and knead shortly to remove air bubbles. Then, place the dough on a board with a little flour.

Roll the dough with a rolling pin until it forms a rectangle that is 12×9 inches or about 1/4-inch thick. Add flour if needed to prevent sticking. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut 12 1-inch pieces of dough.

Dry the hot dogs thoroughly. Starting at one end of a hot dog, wrap the dough around overlapping slightly as you make your way to the other end. Place seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining hot dogs and strips of dough. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let stand in a warm place for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat the over to 400°. Fill a deep, heavy pot with water and add the baking soda. Bring to a gentle boil. Drop 2-3 bagel dogs into boiling water, turn with spoon for about a minute.

Take the bagel dogs out of the water and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between them. Repeat with remaining bagel dogs.

Serve warm or let cool on a wire rack. Makes 12 Bagel Dogs.