Pumpernickel, noun - An incredibly dense and strongly flavored dark bread made with a blend of coarse and fine rye flour originating in Germany.
We love the heartiness and deep, almost bitter flavor of pumpernickel bread, especially with a little sharp cheese melted over the top! Making an authentic loaf of pumpernickel is one of our winter goals, plus we think it would look lovely on our Thanksgiving table!
Do you like pumpernickel bread? Ever made it yourself?
Authentic pumpernickel bread is made using a rye sourdough starter and very little or no additional yeast. Loaves are then baked at a very low temperature until they turn dark dark brown - sometimes even up to 24 hours! This long cooking slowly caramelizes all the sugars and gives the loaves their distinct earthy, bittersweet flavor. This is the maillard reaction at its best!
But if we don't quite feel like hovering near our ovens for an entire day, there are a few shortcuts. Many modernized recipes use ingredients like molasses, brewed coffee, and cocoa powder to approximate the color and flavor of the slow-baked loaves.
Nothing quite duplicates the tang of real sourdough, though. One of our favorite bread books, Local Breads by Daniel Leader, has a great recipe for rye sourdough starter that we think we'll attempt.
And do you know where the name "pumpernickel" comes from? Apparently the heartiness of this bread used to cause quite a bit of intestinal distress because from what we understand, the name comes from the German words pumpern, referring to "intestinal wind," and nickel, meaning "demon or sprite."
Have you ever made pumpernickel bread? Any advice?
Related: What's the Difference? Light Rye, Dark Rye, Pumpernickel, and Marbled
(Image: King Arthur Flour)
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Love pumpernickel bagels with cream cheese, yumm!
Smitten Kitchen has two pumpernickel recipes on her site, one with 17 ingredients!
http://smittenkitchen.com/2006/10/the-last-of-the-loafing/
http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/04/black-bread/
view ladyofshalott's profile
Pumpernickel bread is my absolute favorite. It makes the best toast, in my opinion. I've never actually made a loaf - I can't wait to hear the results!
view 86themilk's profile
Another explanation for the word "Pumpernickel" I was told as a (German) kid was that Napoleon, while fighting in Germany really didn't enjoy this kind of bread and qualified it as "pain pour Nickel", bread for Nickel (Nickel being his famous horse)
view ewaldlienen's profile
I'm with Napoleon--not a fan!
view Onepot's profile
I always thought pumpernickle came from the german dialect word for cumin, but I may be wrong..
view EvaInNL's profile
I love pumpernickel, and though I haven't made it, I did make Russian black bread, which is similar. Mmmm...
view Emily G.'s profile
Oh yum! I love pumpernickel bread with a little butter and honey. It's the perfect snack.
view mdevans's profile
Love pumpernickel! and marble rye as well.
view michpc's profile
I love pumpernickel! My favorite is a pumpernickel pb&j (with natural peanut butter), although toasted, with a little butter and a slice of tomato, is great, too! And of course, the inestimable reuben sandwich is divine on pumpernickel.
view matchbookhymnal's profile
I make a short cut version of pumpernickle using plain yogurt to give the bread its sour flavor in place of the sourdough starter. I'm not a fan of darkly browned items from the Maillard process. Several of the browning products are free-radical promoters and some are quite carcinogenic. Stay with molasses or coffee to give the bread its brown color if you must have dark brown pumpernickle.
view lona's profile
Lona, could you post the recipe or a link to it? It sounds great.
view matchbookhymnal's profile
try cutting it up and frying it in butter. works even better with a sweet lithuanian or polish rye. fry it up golden brown and crispy on the edges, hot and warm on the inside, add a little salt and eat it up.
really good.
view agrabauskas's profile