Germany Westphalian Pumpernickel
Pumpernickel is perhaps the best-known German bread, though many non-German types of pumpernickel do a disservice to the true German pumpernickel. Traditional German pumpernickel recipes call for baking the bread for 12 to 24 hours, creating a hard, rough bread that is quite polarizing—people love it or hate it. This Westphalian pumpernickel recipe involves a shorter baking time—4.5 hours—and has a significant depth of flavor. Authentic pumpernickel uses no leaveners, which gives it its characteristic density and compactness. Recipe Serving: Makes 2 loaves
Prep Time
10 minutes
+ 1824 hours resting
+ 1824 hours resting
Cook Time
4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time
1828 hours 40 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 4 cups (480 g) rye flour
- 2 cups (240 g) whole-wheat flour
- 2/3 cup (40 g) bulgur wheat
- 2 tsp (10 ml) salt
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) molasses
- 3 1/2 cups (840 ml) warm water
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
Directions
- Lightly grease two 8" × 4" (20 x 10 cm) loaf pans. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rye flour, whole-wheat flour, bulgur wheat, and salt.
- In a small bowl, mix the molasses with the warm water and combine well. Add to the flour mixture along with the vegetable oil. Mix together to form a dense dough.
- Divide into 2 equal pieces and place in the prepared tins, pressing well into the corners and sides. Cover with lightly-oiled plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place for 18–24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 225? (105?). Remove the plastic wrap from the pans and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Fill a roasting pan with boiling water and place a rack on top of the roasting pan.
- Place the tins on top of the rack and place carefully in the preheated oven.
- Bake the loaves for 4 hours, then increase the oven temperature to 325? (165?). Top up the water in the roasting pan if necessary, uncover the loaves, and bake for an additional 30–45 minutes, until the loaves firm and the tops are crusty.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Remove from the pans and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve cold, very thinly sliced.
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