Carb Loading – Somer Saturday (Pretzel Rolls, Sourdough Pancakes)
by Amanda • June 9, 2012 • Breads, Shout outs, Sourdough, Sweet • 44 Comments
I’ts Somer Saturday and I have been either been intentionally or unintentionally carb loading for my Ragnar Relay Race Next weekend. Not really sure which one, but I am really, really loving carbs at the moment.
Pretzel Rolls: Adapted & veganized from this recipe here. 3 C. White whole wheat flour, 1 C. organic unbleached flour, 1 t. salt, 1 1/4 C. warm almond milk, 1/2 C. warm water, 2 t. active dry yeast, 2 T. vital wheat gluten, kosher salt for sprinkling. In a breadmaker or other kneading apparatus (possibly your hands) knead all the above for 10 minutes. Let rise for 30 minutes. Divide into 12 rolls or 8 hamburger buns (for the best vegan Scott Jurek burger ever). Let rise for 15 more minutes. In the meantime boil 2 quarts (8 cups) water with 1 T. kosher salt and 4 T. baking soda. Poach 3 rolls at a time for one minute, turning over halfway through until all are poached. Remove with a slotted spoon. Slash each roll 3 times across the top with a sharp knife. Sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt and some sesame seeds. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes for rolls or 25-30 minutes for hamburger buns. Please use parchment paper to bake on, otherwise you will need a chisel and a hammer and quite possibly ruin your favorite baking sheet. I also made a sourdough version later in the week by replacing 1 C. Sourdough starter for 1/2 c. of the liquid and 1/2 C. of the flour. INSANE.
Kristy’s Vegan M&M Cookies. I baked them for 2 minutes less than she recommended, because I like super soft cookies. There aren’t any left. BOO! I also used leftover dairy free chocolate beans I got for my kids for Easter from a Jewish Kosher online store because the one’s Kristy used are no longer available (I would provide you with a link, but can’t find it). These would also be crazy good with Vegan Chocolate Chips!
And finally….. Vegan Sourdough Pancakes: I did an “In the in the pan shot” because look! I had to show you that they behave like normal (non-vegan) pancakes do! Getting dry at the edges and bubbles bursting when ready to flip. It nearly made me cry! Plus they were the fluffiest vegan pancakes I have made to date!
Ingredients: 1.5 C. sourdough starter, 3/4 C. White whole wheat flour, 3/4 C. Soymilk, 1 t. baking soda, 1 t. baking powder.
Method: Whisk until just combined. Cook over medium heat in lightly oiled skillet. Makes 4 giant pancakes or 8-12 smaller pancakes. Top with fruit of choice and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.
p.s. if you want to start your own sourdough starter, google it. I’m not an expert. Carolyn gave me mine and I think I nearly killed it. I did recently however convert it to a 100% whole wheat starter and it is currently a normal color and doing well in my fridge at the moment since I have stopped neglecting it.
Oh and I nearly forgot to mention the most recent nomination for Good Clean Food! Thanks Kristy at Keepin it Kind, for your cookie recipe and the nomination!!! I’m pretty sure she is a fellow runner and carboholic. 
Love her!
Are you carb loading for any races at the moment too?
OMG. You had me at the pretzel rolls. You may be my new best friend. As soon as this heat breaks, we’re having pretzel rolls. Yum.
Sooo good, pretzels have been taunting me everywhere! On pinterest, on blogs, in the mini amusement park with no food allowed and absolutely no vegan options in sight. I had to make them. They will be a staple around here! The whole wheat variety doesn’t have the exact chewiness to the crust, but it’s enough for me!
Those pretzel rolls look amazing! I’ve never seen anything like them before, but I’m making these!
I know! Once I saw them on that other blog I HAD TO MAKE THEM! Use her recipe if you like, but we are really into whole grains around here! I think my vegan version turned out really well!
I took a look at her recipe and might make a couple of changes too (just can’t help myself!).
Can’t blame you! White flour doesn’t agree with me, otherwise I wouldn’t be so “crunchy”
I’m only “lightly” crunchy – still like some white flour, but I throw in some whole wheat and ground flax where I can.
Hehe!
Girl!!! Look at these gorgeous baked goods!
I enjoyed them!!! A little too much! Made oatmeal raisin cookies last night that were to die for! Now I want to tweak the recipe to see if I can reduce the sugar and fat even more without sacrificing too much flavor. I have never experimented so much with baking in my life. I used to always follow a recipe (baking only, cooking I always did my own thing) It’s amazing that I’m just throwing caution to the wind and klutzing my way through it and things actually turn out, and sometimes are really great
I got to eat blueberries yesterday.
Simple pleasures at this stage. Can’t wait to try all these! You never cease to amaze.
Blueberries are the BEST simple pleasure! Sorry for not posting greens! Would you believe me if I told you this week I’m craving the greens: smoothies, salads and wheatgrass?
Can’t wait for RAGNAR!
This is making me hungry. I love carbs. And your sour dough start will turn all kinds of weird and gross colors, it is ok, unless it turns orange, orange means death, but I always have another start if you need it.
It was gray. I remembered orange meant death
It is a normal color now. hehe!
Carbs got such a bad rap in the past decade for no good reason. I’m glad you’re still enjoying them.
Carbs are delicious! And Nutritious!
You have me pegged, Somer- I am a runner and a carboholic! I just tell myself that since your brain needs glucose from carbs in order to function, my brain is getting really smart.
Your M&M cookies look UH-mazing! I need to get my hands on some more and try cooking them a little less. Yum! My favorite! And those sourdough pretzel rolls! My brain is about to get so much smarter! ;-P
Your brain is TOTALLY smart!!! You running carboholic fiend!
I did another batch of your cookies with chocolate chips yesterday. Yummers, I halved it before adding chocolate chips and to the other half I added 1/2 t. cinnamon, 1/2 C. oatmeal, 2 T. soy milk and 1/2 C. raisins. Oatmeal Cinnamon Raisin Cookie goodness! My husband was in love (he’s not a fan of the chocolate chip variety of any cookie). Soft chewy deliciousness!
I made my first FAILED batch of cashew cheez today. Nearly cried over the waste of 2 cups cashews. I added too much of something or other, and I’m sure it’s edible somehow, just not very tasty
You will have to make up for it by making the most amazing sourdough pretzel rolls ever! xoxo!
OMG – How did I miss these gorgeous rolls LOADED with carbs!! They look divine my friend and might I say the photos are pretty aewsome!!
Thanks Shira! Make them, your family will love them!!! Making your healthied up rice crispy treats for my daughter and her friends, they are all here watching movies for a “lateover”
On a semi related note, just made your seed bread… Very delicious, thanks for sharing.
Yay for seeded bread! Glad you liked it! I can’t keep bread in the house at the moment, my dog keeps eating it all. Does your dog sneak food? Mine thinks he is a vegetarian and is on a dog food strike.
Hahaha. Rhett actually is pretty good about food. Now, he enjoys gnawing on a good couch every now and then….
I think I prefer him stealing the loaf of bread out of the pantry then being like Rhett and gnawing on my couch
although in the end, the expense may end up being the same over time!
The pretzel rolls have me drooling at my desk- they look so good!
…I never need an excuse to carb load
I love them, especially the sourdough variety!
And carbs are awesome! Woot Woot!
I subscribed to your blog last week by email, but I’m not getting your posts. I even checked my spam. I re-subscribed and it said I’m all ready a subscriber. Will have to manually check your site now and again. Boo!
Oh no! I am checking it out to see what might be happening – but on that note THANK YOU for stopping over and checking out SMBP it means alot to me
Your blog and photos are amazing! Can’t wait get a chance to look through it and drool a bit more
I think I first heard of you through Cara’s blog at forks and beans. Love her!
i’m totally carb-loading for my big race. i race every night as I try to dream of sleep but give my vital life-giving fluids to Pancho. I did take a short hike today and remembered how nice it was to be outside and moving – less nice when pushing one in the stroller and carrying the other in the Ergo, but still very nice. I will be making many of these…
Radical. I need to hold Pancho! I love you got out for a little hike, even with the stroller and Ergo. I can’t get my butt up there for your lettuce. Crazy busy cleaning, packing and planning for Ragnar. I want to bring pretzel rolls, but they really are best the day they are made since the crust looses its tooth :/
Someday we will run together again, even for a 5 or 10 k!
And btw, tell us about your sourdough starter because it’s on my list of things to do, but haven’t started yet. Where did you get yours, etc?
Carolyn gave it to me, apparently it’s decades old. It’s not finicky and doesn’t need to be fed or pampered. So maybe it’s not the real deal, but it’s my kind of sourdough. I think of it as liquid artisan bread minus the yeast. I left it in the fridge for a month before I touched it and it was still amazing. I can get you a start after Ragnar and give you deets on how to keep it going.
I’d like a start too please!
Yes please!! I’m totally ready for something I can ignore!
Done!
Done.
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So… I did it. Made the rolls. They were awesome. We used them for bulgur-lentil burgers. It was heavenly. And they were ridiculously easy. Thanks!
Yay! That’s what I’m talking about. We love ridiculously easy around here. Tasty helps too! Thanks!
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Wow, I can’t decide what looks better, the pretzel rolls or the pancakes. Yum!