Traditional Pumpernickel Bread Recipe

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Pumpernickel Bread is made with a high proportion of rye flour and wheat flour. It is good for digestion and cures many digestion problems.

pumpernickel bread

To make pumpernickel bread, mix bread flour, cornmeal, rye flour, cocoa powder, wheat flour, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, mix warm milk, brown sugar, yeast, and molasses.

Combine both the mixtures. Add butter and blend it in a mixer and knead it. Let the dough rest for 45 minutes. Then, bake it for 35 minutes until brown in color. Let it cool for 10 minutes. Your pumpernickel bread is ready.

Caraway seeds can be used in this bread due to their distinct earthy fennel and anise taste and sharp aroma.

This is just a snippet of the recipe. Find the complete recipe below. But before going to the full recipe, do check out other bread recipes as well.

Other Bread Recipes That You Can Try

What Equipment Will You Need To Make Pumpernickel Bread? 

  • Oven – Bake the pumpernickel bread until it turns dark brown in color.
  • Loaf Pan – Transfer the dough in a greased loaf pan for baking. 
  • Pan – Heat milk in a pan to prepare a wet mixture. 
  • Stand Mixer – Blend the prepare mixture in a stand mixer for a few minutes until a sticky dough is formed. 
  • Mixing Bowls – Prepare the dough mixture in two separate mixing bowls for ease. 
  • Whisk – Whisk sugar and molasses into the milk until it is completely dissolved. 
  • Spatula – Stir the dry ingredients in a bowl until well combined with a spatula. 
  • Plastic Wrap – Cover the dough mixture with a plastic wrap and let it rest to rise. 

How Much Time Will You Need To Make Pumpernickel Bread? 

Preparation TimeCooking TimeTotal Time
35 Minutes 1 Hour 5 Minutes1 Hour 40 Minutes

What Ingredients Will You Need To Make Pumpernickel Bread? 

  • Milk – Milk will enrich the dough and give the pumpernickel bread a creamy color, soft crumb, and a golden crust. 
  • Dry Yeast – Dry yeast will convert sugar into carbon dioxide, so the dough can rise. 
  • Butter – Butter is mixed after the dough is formed which will result in a higher rise, a crisper crust, and a longer shelf life. 
  • Molasses – Molasses will make the bread more moist with a chewer texture, giving it a darker hue. 
  • Bread Flour – Bread flour will produce an airy and chewy bread as it contains higher amount of protein and gluten. 
  • Rye Flour – Rye flour will add nutty and malty flavor to the bread, enhancing the flavor of cocoa powder. 
  • Whole-Wheat Flour – Whole wheat flour will produce the stiffer dough as it contains more nutrients for the yeast to feed. 
  • Cornmeal – Cornmeal steams the bread from the inside as the loaf bakes, giving off its distinct aromas and creating an extremely moist interior. 
  • Cocoa Powder – Cocoa powder will impart rich sweet chocolate flavor and provides a brownish color to the bread. 
  • Dark Brown Sugar – Dark brown sugar will make the bread moist, giving it a deeper color and flavor. 
  • Kosher Salt – Salt will work to tighten the gluten strands that are formed, which makes them stronger. 
pumpernickel bread

Steps To Make Pumpernickel Bread

1. Dough Preparation Is On

Take a large bowl and add bread flour, cornmeal, rye flour, cocoa powder, wheat flour, and salt. Mix all these ingredients with a spatula. 

Now, in a pan heat milk, until just warm. Pour the milk into a small bowl. Add brown sugar and yeast to it. Mix it until sugar is completely dissolved.

Then, add molasses to the milk and mix.

Add the dry mixture and the wet mixture into the stand mixer. Blend for about five to six minutes until a sticky dough is formed.

2. Bread Preparation Is Going Great

Then, add butter to the dough mixture and mix it well. Knead the dough for another eight minutes.

Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover it with a plastic wrap. Set it aside for about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375° C. After that, place it on a surface dusted with flour. Roll the dough into a cylindrical shape. 

Put it in a greased loaf pan. Cover it with plastic wrap and set it aside for 45 minutes.

3. Baking Is On

Remove the plastic wrap from the pan and place it in the preheated oven.

Bake it for about 35 minutes. Take the bread out when it has turned dark brown in color. 

Place the loaf on a wire rack and let it cool for 10 minutes. Your pumpernickel bread is ready.

Nutritional Information 

Calories218 kcal
Protein6.3 g 
Carbohydrates40.9 g
Fats3.5 g 
Cholesterol2.6 mg
Sodium225.6 mg

How Will Pumpernickel Bread Look And Taste Like?

Pumpernickel bread is an incredibly dense and strongly flavored dark bread made with a blend of coarse and fine rye flour. We love the heartiness and deep, almost bitter flavor of pumpernickel bread. 

It has a mellowy sweetness and molasses-like taste with light and fluffy texture . In short, they’re distinctive and delicious.

Pumpernickel bread is an enriched source of nutrients while having a coarse texture and slighter sweet taste profile making it a highly recommended addition to your diet.

Recipe Card 

pumpernickel bread

Pumpernickel Bread Recipe

Pumpernickel bread is a type of rye bread traditionally made with a sourdough starter and coarsely ground rye flour. It’s typically baked slowly for a very long time to promote a Maillard reaction, which lends the bread its signature dark, burnished color.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 35 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 5 mins
Total Time 1 hr 40 mins
Course Rice/Assorted Breads
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 218 kcal

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Loaf pan
  • Pan
  • Stand Mixer
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Spatula
  • Whisk
  • Plastic Wrap

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cup Milk
  • 3 tablespoons Butter
  • ¼ cup Molasses
  • 1 tablespoon Dry Yeast
  • 3 cups Bread Flour
  • 1⅓ cups Rye Flour
  • ¼ cup Whole-Wheat Flour
  • ½ cup Cornmeal
  • ¼ cup Cocoa Powder
  • tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, add bread flour, cornmeal, rye flour, cocoa powder, wheat flour, and salt. Mix all these ingredients.
  • Heat milk in a pan until just warm. Pour the milk into a small bowl. Add brown sugar and yeast to it. Mix it until sugar is completely dissolved.
  • Then, add molasses to the milk and mix.
  • Add the dry mixture and the wet mixture into the mixer.
  • Blend for about 5-6 minutes until a sticky dough is formed.
  • Then, add butter to the dough mixture and mix. Knead it for another 8 minutes.
  • Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set it aside for about 45 minutes.
  • After that, place it on a surface dusted with flour. Roll the dough into a cylindrical shape.
  • Put it in a greased loaf pan. Cover it with plastic wrap and set it aside for 45 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 375° C. Remove the plastic wrap from the pan and place it in the oven.
  • Bake it for about 35 minutes. Take the bread out when it has turned dark brown in color.
  • Place the loaf on a wire rack and let it cool for 10 minutes. Your pumpernickel bread is ready.

Video

PUMPERNICKEL BREAD RECIPE - Bakes in Only 30 Minutes

Nutrition

Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 40.9g | Protein: 6.3g | Fat: 3.5g | Cholesterol: 2.6mg | Sodium: 225.6mg
Keyword Fluffy Pumpkernickel Bread, Pumpernickel Bread Recipe, Pumpernickel Rye Bread
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How long does pumpernickel bread keep?

Our Pumpernickel bread can be wrapped in plastic and foil and kept at room temperature for 3 days.

What’s the difference between pumpernickel and rye bread?

The critical difference between pumpernickel and rye bread is that rye bread is a catch-all term to describe any bread made with rye flour, whereas European pumpernickel bread is a specific type of dark rye bread made with rye meal, usually without any wheat.

Why is pumpernickel bread so dark?

Loaves of true pumpernickel undergo a long, slow bake (up to 24 hours); the dark color comes from a browning reaction that takes place in the dough during that time. (Less-traditional pumpernickel bread relies on molasses for its color and flavor).

What does pumpernickel bread consist of?

Pumpernickel bread is usually made with a high proportion of rye flour and a small amount of wheat flour. It’s the rye flour however that’s of particular interest. Traditional Old World black pumpernickel bread uses coarse rye flour that’s ground from the entire rye berry. This flour is sometimes referred to as ‘meal’.

Conclusion

Full of hearty, earthy rye flour with a strong and toasty flavor, pumpernickel bread deserves a place of honor on your dinner and breakfast table. It is a combination of rye and wheat flour for a lighter, loftier loaf. 

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