Dark Pumpernickel

Bread making, Baking and Cakes tips and recipes.
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pepperhead212
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Dark Pumpernickel

#1

Post: # 32516Unread post pepperhead212
Fri Oct 16, 2020 10:56 pm

I made a favorite rye bread of mine, from another recipe from The Complete Book Of Breads, the first issue, from the early 70s - that's how long I've been baking it! It's called Dark Pumpernickel, even though it's not really dark - not much blackstrap, like some, but I think it's because of the dark, whole grain wheat and rye flours. It also has a little cornmeal, plus 2 cups of mashed potatoes. It makes over 6 lbs of bread! And does that ever smell good!
ImageDark pumpernickel, before baking. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageDark pumpernickel, after baking. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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Rockoe10
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Re: Dark Pumpernickel

#2

Post: # 32521Unread post Rockoe10
Sat Oct 17, 2020 6:15 am

Yummy! Those look delicious.
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Tormato
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Re: Dark Pumpernickel

#3

Post: # 32788Unread post Tormato
Wed Oct 21, 2020 4:27 pm

They look great! But my question is, is there such a thing as light pumpernickel?

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pepperhead212
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Re: Dark Pumpernickel

#4

Post: # 32807Unread post pepperhead212
Wed Oct 21, 2020 11:37 pm

[mention]Tormato[/mention] Actually, this is much lighter than most pumpernickels, with none of the usual "darkeners" in it - the original version had 2 tb dark brown sugar, and I substitute 2 tb blackstrap, which still isn't very dark for pumpernickel. Which is why I assumed the name came from the flours.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

DirtTherapy
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Re: Dark Pumpernickel

#5

Post: # 33538Unread post DirtTherapy
Wed Nov 04, 2020 11:36 am

I thought a lot of pumpernickels had dutched (unsweetened) cocoa powder? Maybe that's just the inauthentic store type.

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worth1
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Re: Dark Pumpernickel

#6

Post: # 33540Unread post worth1
Wed Nov 04, 2020 1:34 pm

DirtTherapy wrote: Wed Nov 04, 2020 11:36 am I thought a lot of pumpernickels had dutched (unsweetened) cocoa powder? Maybe that's just the inauthentic store type.
You nailed it.
The so called real stuff is baked for a really long time in a steam oven to get the dark color from what I read on Wikipedia.
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pepperhead212
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Re: Dark Pumpernickel

#7

Post: # 33549Unread post pepperhead212
Wed Nov 04, 2020 6:37 pm

Commercial varieties always have caramel color added, and probably others in many cases, as well.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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bower
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Re: Dark Pumpernickel

#8

Post: # 33563Unread post bower
Thu Nov 05, 2020 2:31 pm

How about sharing that recipe, pepperhead212? Pumpernickel is such a treat, my family would be wowed to have it for christmas!
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pepperhead212
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Re: Dark Pumpernickel

#9

Post: # 33582Unread post pepperhead212
Thu Nov 05, 2020 11:18 pm

[mention]Bower[/mention] I wasn't sure it was in my recipe software, but here it is! As I noted before, if you have any caramel color (I have some I made for Vietnamese cooking), it was be added to this, and other rye breads, to make them darker, as the caramelized flavor goes well with it.

Dark Pumpernickel

3/4 cup(s) cornmeal
3 1/2 cup(s) water
2 cup(s) mashed potatoes
4 tsp yeast, instant
2 tb blackstrap molasses
3 tb oil
2 tb caraway seeds
1 1/2 tb salt
4 cup(s) dark rye flour
4 cup(s) whole wheat flour; OR bread flour

A. Combine 1 1/2 c cold water and cornmeal in a small saucepan. Add 2 c boiling water, and cook until thickened. Remove from pan, stir in potatoes, and cool to about room temp.

B. Stir in molasses, salt, yeast, oil, and caraway. Add rye flour, followed by WW or bread flour (a little more bread flour, if used), 1 c at a time. Let rest 10 min., then knead about 6 min. by machine, 10 by hand - dough will be very sticky. Turn into an oiled bowl, cover, and rise 3 hrs., turning dough after 30 and 45 min.

C. When risen, punch down, divide into 2 or 3 portions, and let rest while greasing pans - two 9x5, or three 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 pans. Shape into loaves, spray with oil, and cover with plastic. Rise until double, about 45 min. Preheat oven to 425º.

D. Bake 10 min., lower heat to 350º, and bake 40-50 min. longer, or until well crusted and hollow sounding. Cool on a wire rack.

NOTE: to use instant potato flakes for the mashed potatoes, for each cup I always measure out 2/3 c of flakes, in a 1 c measuring cup, then add warm water to the 1 c line. it soaks it up fast, and is easy mashed potatoes for breads!
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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pepperhead212
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Re: Dark Pumpernickel

#10

Post: # 63139Unread post pepperhead212
Sat Feb 12, 2022 3:30 pm

I made 3 more loaves of this last night!Image3 two lb loaves of dark rye, with potato and cornmeal in it. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

greenthumbomaha
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Re: Dark Pumpernickel

#11

Post: # 63155Unread post greenthumbomaha
Sat Feb 12, 2022 8:15 pm

Tormato wrote: Wed Oct 21, 2020 4:27 pm They look great! But my question is, is there such a thing as light pumpernickel?

Yes, it does look great and I want to save this page, but to answer your question, sort of. The grocery near me with an in store bakery sells a black pumpernickel around xmas time to cut up and serve with dip. The remainder of the year pumpernickel looks like the loaves above when they even carry it.
I'm sure the real bakeries down town know the difference. Brugers makes a (dark) pumpernickel bagel, yum.

- Lisa

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pepperhead212
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Re: Dark Pumpernickel

#12

Post: # 63177Unread post pepperhead212
Sat Feb 12, 2022 11:01 pm

By coincidence, I saw a show today, that I'm surprised I hadn't seen - Baking With Julia, S3, E5, in which they make a dark pumpernickel, in which the ingredients used to make it dark (unsw. chocolate, blackstrap, and expresso powder) were all things I've used, except one - Lekvar. You learn something new every day! I won't be using the whole recipe, with that stick of butter, and 1/4 c shortening, but I might try the lekvar.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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worth1
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Re: Dark Pumpernickel

#13

Post: # 63194Unread post worth1
Sun Feb 13, 2022 8:50 am

pepperhead212 wrote: Sat Feb 12, 2022 11:01 pm By coincidence, I saw a show today, that I'm surprised I hadn't seen - Baking With Julia, S3, E5, in which they make a dark pumpernickel, in which the ingredients used to make it dark (unsw. chocolate, blackstrap, and expresso powder) were all things I've used, except one - Lekvar. You learn something new every day! I won't be using the whole recipe, with that stick of butter, and 1/4 c shortening, but I might try the lekvar.
Julia Child?
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Re: Dark Pumpernickel

#14

Post: # 63200Unread post pepperhead212
Sun Feb 13, 2022 10:35 am

Yes, Julia Child, a show probably from the 90s, which is why I am surprised that I hadn't seen it! There are a number of old shows like that on PBS around here - I just set my recorder to record them, and if it looks like something or someone good, I watch it. One of them actually had Julia's first show - The French Cook - that old B&W show, that was almost a comedy watching many of the shows, with all the butter she would use!
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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worth1
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Re: Dark Pumpernickel

#15

Post: # 63202Unread post worth1
Sun Feb 13, 2022 10:42 am

pepperhead212 wrote: Sun Feb 13, 2022 10:35 am Yes, Julia Child, a show probably from the 90s, which is why I am surprised that I hadn't seen it! There are a number of old shows like that on PBS around here - I just set my recorder to record them, and if it looks like something or someone good, I watch it. One of them actually had Julia's first show - The French Cook - that old B&W show, that was almost a comedy watching many of the shows, with all the butter she would use!
I found it on Google videos.
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Re: Dark Pumpernickel

#16

Post: # 112249Unread post pepperhead212
Fri Dec 22, 2023 6:51 pm

I made another batch of this bread today, this one an unusual version, using about 1¼ c of pickle juice in place of some of the water, and adding 2 tsp finely minced dill weed, and 2 tsp dill seed, in place of 1 tb of the caraway. I don't make this often, but I have extra room in my freezer now, once all those cookies were baked, and a lot of stuff was used up in the cookies. And one of these I will give to a friend of mine.
ImageThe cooked coarse cornmeal, or polenta, and dill seed, dill weed, and caraway seed, for the rye bread. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageMashed potatoes added to the stirred up cornmeal. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageThe almost finished rye dough, just slightly sticking to the bottom of the bowl. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageThe "dark pumpernickel", ready to rise 3 times 15 minutes, and fold the dough, then rise 60 minutes. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageThe dark pumpernickel, more than doubled. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageThe 3 loaves of dark pumpernickel, just over 30 oz each, ready to rise. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageDark pumpernickel, ready to go into the oven. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageFinished dark pumpernickel. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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