Baking Pumpernickel Bread

The name of the recipe I found for Pumpernickel was German Pumpernickel, which led me to believe that it was authentic. It’s not. It’s authentic Americanized Pumpernickel, but I made it anyway. It turns out that real German Pumpernickel is made with coarsely ground rye meal and does not include wheat or all-purpose flour. It gets it dark color from baking at a low temperature for sixteen to twenty four hours not by using cocoa powder, or molasses, and it uses sour dough starter not dry active yeast. The Americanized Pumpernickel recipe I found is still pretty good, at least according to Kurt. I found that I absolutely HATE, as in LOATHE, caraway seed. I tasted caraway seed before, but didn’t know what it was at the time. Caraway seed is found in the sausage used at some pizza places. It’s a vile little grey/brown seed with green stripes. Aside from the horrid taste, the bread I made came out well. It didn’t turn out like a doorstop like the pumpkin biscuits I made when I was pregnant. I’m tossing out the caraway seed and if I made this particular recipe again there won’t be any of that CRAP in it!

“German” Pumpernickel
2 packages active dry yeast (4 ½ teaspoons)
1/4 C. unsweetened cocoa
2 T. sugar
1 T. caraway seed (I HATE caraway seed)
1 ½ t. salt
3 C. rye flour
2 C. water
1/4 C. molasses
1/4 C. butter
3 C. sifted all-purpose flour
Shortening - (I used olive oil)

In large bowl, stir together yeast, cocoa, sugar, caraway seed, salt and 2 cups rye flour; set aside.

In 2 quart saucepan over low heat, heat water, molasses and butter until very warm.

Using mixer at low speed, gradually beat molasses mixture into yeast mixture until well blended. Increase speed to medium; beat 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 cup rye flour. Increase speed to high; beat 2 more minutes.

Stir in enough all-purpose flour to make a soft dough. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic about 5 minutes.

Place into greased large bowl, turning over dough so that top is greased. Cover with towel and let rise in warm place until almost doubled, about 45 minutes to an hour.

Punch down dough. Divide in half. Cover and let rest 5 minutes.

Shape each half into a round loaf. Place 4 inches apart on greased large baking sheet.

Cover and let rise until almost doubled, 45 minutes to an hour.

Diagonally slash each loaf, crosswise, 3 times.

Bake in 375°F oven for 20 minutes. Cover loosely with foil; bake 15 minutes more or until loaves sound hollow when tapped.

Immediately remove from baking sheet. Brush tops of hot loaves with shortening. Cool on racks.

Yield: Makes 2 loaves