running + soft honey pretzels
Otherwise known as, more food less running! Running is going pretty well. I feel like I'm starting to get some of my pep back. I ambiguously decided to do this morning's interval workout at my current estimated tempo pace since I won't get in a tempo this week, and it was solid. Not remarkable, but not terrifyingly slow at 98% of my max HR like last week. I also did my first double-digit run since the race a few days ago and was more than pleased with the effort level (easy) and execution (not a total hot fricken mess).
I don't think I'm going to be in fast shape by Richmond but I feel solid and I'll be happier to hang onto my base without any little twinges popping up. I'm happy with where my running is right now. I feel like I'm recovered from Waterman's and now just want to keep pumping out mostly easy miles.
Onto the food! A few weeks ago, I decided that I wanted to try and make this recipe for apple honey challah bread, but it didn't rise properly and I got bored trying to fix it, so I turned it into a soft pretzel recipe. Here's my extremely bastardized version of it (adapted from smitten kitchen).
Ingredients
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
1/3 cup + 1 tsp honey
1/3 cup oil
2 large eggs + 1 large yolk + 1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup baking soda
2 tbsp sugar
Large sea salt or pretzel salt crystals
Whisk yeast and 1 tsp honey into 2/3 cup of warm water. It will get foamy and bubbly. Let it stand for about 5 minutes. Pour yeast mixture into mixing bowl, add in oil, 1/3 cup honey, 2 eggs and 1 yolk and whisk together. I used my stand mixer and switched over to my dough hook here. Add the flour about 1/2 cup at a time and the salt. Use the dough hook until it pulls the dough together and then let the hook knead it on low speed for a few minutes. Transfer the dough into another bowl, cover it and let it rise for about an hour. Pre-heat oven to 450º. On a lightly floured board, roll out small hunks of dough and then twist into a pretzel shape.
They need to rise a little, but by the time I had finished making the entire batch and prepping the water, they were fine. Fill a small pot with 2-3 cups of water and set to boil. Once boiling, add baking soda and sugar (stand back a little, that baking soda goes CUH-RAZ-Y). Drop the pretzels in and poach for about 1 minute on each side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a greased cookie sheet. Beat 1 egg with 1 tbsp of water and brush the pretzels with this, then top with unground sea salt or pretzel salt. Bake about 15 minutes or until they look golden and delicious.
Soft pretzels make excellent fuel for double-digit runs. Or so I've heard.
Onto the food! A few weeks ago, I decided that I wanted to try and make this recipe for apple honey challah bread, but it didn't rise properly and I got bored trying to fix it, so I turned it into a soft pretzel recipe. Here's my extremely bastardized version of it (adapted from smitten kitchen).
Ingredients
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
1/3 cup + 1 tsp honey
1/3 cup oil
2 large eggs + 1 large yolk + 1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup baking soda
2 tbsp sugar
Large sea salt or pretzel salt crystals
Whisk yeast and 1 tsp honey into 2/3 cup of warm water. It will get foamy and bubbly. Let it stand for about 5 minutes. Pour yeast mixture into mixing bowl, add in oil, 1/3 cup honey, 2 eggs and 1 yolk and whisk together. I used my stand mixer and switched over to my dough hook here. Add the flour about 1/2 cup at a time and the salt. Use the dough hook until it pulls the dough together and then let the hook knead it on low speed for a few minutes. Transfer the dough into another bowl, cover it and let it rise for about an hour. Pre-heat oven to 450º. On a lightly floured board, roll out small hunks of dough and then twist into a pretzel shape.
