Getting started with DNSMasq for local development
Typically it is not uncommon to use yours hosts file to redirect network traffic on your local machine to point to your local environment where appropriate. That works pretty well for most circumstances however it can become a little tiresome if you are managing a large number of projects and quickly your hosts file can become quite long and unwieldy.
One alternative to using your hosts file is to use a local dns server. One such option is DNSMasq.