Troy’s Chilli dogs
It has been a stretch of golden autumn days here in the Southwest, with cool mornings, long shadows, and that feeling of wanting the oven on again.
The kids are back at school, the garden still gives us its last stragglers of summer vegetables, and the house feels ready for slower and more comforting meals.
This recipe is a piece of nostalgia from Troy’s youth in Bunbury, where he grew up by the coast. Weekends were all about surf, salty air, windsurfers racing across the water, and nights downtown with his mates going from pub to pub. After the pubs closed there was no better place to go than Joe’s Pizza, a family spot that has been there since the 1970s, famous for their pizza dogs and chilli dogs. They were exactly the kind of food a bunch of hungry young men wanted at the end of a night out: hot, cheesy, a little messy, and so satisfying.
Now this piece of nostalgic memory from Troy’s youth has made its way into our own kitchen. I mix the dough, that part has always been mine, and Troy does the chopping, glass of wine in hand, telling his stories while the oven hums in the background.
Into our pizza dogs go tomato sauce, slices of mozzarella, fresh basil leaves, ham, diced cacciatore, and spicy cheese kransky sausages that Troy brings home from the Bunbury Farmers Market on his return from work trips. The kids say they have heard all the stories before, but they listen in anyway. We chat, we laugh, and the house fills with the smell of pizza dough, cheese, and sausages.
Troy’s Chilli dogs
These chilli dogs are a nod to a classic from my husband Troy’s days growing up in Bunbury. The kind of hot, cheesy, slightly messy food that feels perfect after a long day. Made with homemade dough, smoky sausages, ribbons of ham, cacciatore, and plenty of mozzarella, they’re irresistible straight from the oven.
Makes 2 large chilli dogs
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the dough
400g bakers flour
250ml lukewarm water
1 sachet (7g) active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
For the filling
2 spicy cheese kransky sausages
200g ham
100g cacciatore
150g mozarella cheese
4 tbsp pizza sauce ( any pasta sauce of your choice)
Fresh basil leaves if available
Method
Place the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. In a jug, stir the lukewarm water with the sugar and yeast, then set aside for 5 minutes until foamy. Add this yeasty mixture to the flour along with the salt and olive oil. Mix on low speed until combined, then increase to medium-high and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, smooth and elastic.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and set in a warm spot until doubled in size.
Once risen, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into two equal pieces, shape them into smooth rounds, and cover with a towel. Allow to rest while you prepare the filling.
Place the kransky sausage on a chopping board, ends resting on the board like a bridge. Cut in half lengthways, following the natural curve, to give two curved halves. Place one half cut side down and make small incisions along the curved edge (the “bridge” side). This will flatten the sausage slightly. Repeat with the remaining halves. Prepare the second sausage in the same way.
Slice the ham into thin ribbons. Slice the cacciatore and cut into small strips. Shred or slice the mozzarella.
On a floured surface, take one ball of dough and stretch it gently into an oval (use a rolling pin if easier). Spread with 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce, then top with mozzarella, ham, and cacciatore. Lay the two kransky halves lengthways down the dough so they run parallel along the centre, and finish with fresh basil leaves. Bring the sides of the dough together and pinch to seal, encasing the filling. Place seam side down on a lined baking tray. Repeat with the second dough ball.
Spray the tops lightly with water, cover, and set aside in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 230°C fan. Bake the chilli dogs for 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top and at the base.
Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool slightly before serving.
