Best 5 Best Ever Pumpernickel Loaf Recipes

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image

Pumpernickel bread, a traditional German bread, is renowned for its dense, moist texture, rich flavor, and dark color. Its unique characteristics stem from the use of rye flour, sourdough starter, and a long fermentation process. This bread has a slightly sour taste, a hint of sweetness, and a long shelf life. Our collection of pumpernickel bread recipes offers a variety of options to suit your preferences, from classic to modern variations. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a beginner, our detailed instructions and expert tips will guide you through the process of creating this delectable bread. Explore our recipes for the traditional German pumpernickel, a healthier version with whole wheat flour, a gluten-free alternative, and even a creative pumpernickel bread pudding. Embark on a culinary journey and discover the delightful flavors and textures of this timeless bread.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

HOMEMADE PUMPERNICKEL BREAD



Homemade Pumpernickel Bread image

"This light bread is our absolute favorite," writes Julie Wesson from Wilton, Wisconsin. "It uses molasses rather than sugar, and rye and whole wheat flour instead of white. Unsweetened chocolate is the secret ingredient that makes the taste outstanding!"

Provided by Taste of Home

Time 45m

Yield 1 mini loaf (4 slices).

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon reduced-fat butter
1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted
3/4 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup rye flour
1/4 to 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Steps:

  • In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the molasses, butter, chocolate, vinegar, salt, rye flour and 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a bowl coated with cooking spray, turning once to coat the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down. Shape into a round loaf. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. With a sharp knife, make three shallow slashes across the top of loaf. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes., Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Nutrition Facts :

CLASSIC PUMPERNICKEL BREAD



Classic Pumpernickel Bread image

This is a good old-fashioned pumpernickel bread recipe. No bread machine here. Get your hands in there and knead! The aroma of the bread while baking and then the taste of the finished bread will be worth it.

Provided by LifeIsGood

Categories     Yeast Breads

Time 2h35m

Yield 2 loaves

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 1/2 cups warm water, divided (105 to 115 degrees F.)
3 (1/4 ounce) packages active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
2 3/4 cups rye flour
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (approx.)
cornmeal

Steps:

  • In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the warm water, yeast and sugar. Let sit in a warm place until the yeast mixture turns bubbly (about 5-10 min.).
  • In a large mixing bowl (I use my Kitchenaid stand mixer with a dough hook), combine remaining 1 cup water, molasses, salt, shortening, caraway seeds and yeast mixture. Beat until smooth.
  • Slowly beat rye flour into the yeast and molasses mixture. Mix in the all-purpose flour and mix until it is a soft, smooth dough ball.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. If dough is too moist, add a little more flour. If dough is too dry add a little more water.
  • Knead the dough for 5 minutes.
  • Lightly grease (or spray with cooking spray) a large bowl. Add the dough, turning once to coat the entire surface of dough with oil. Cover dough with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours).
  • Punch down dough. Separate dough into 2 equal parts. Form 2 round, slightly flattened loaves. Score a 3/4 inch deep 'X" into the tops of both loaves with a sharp knife.
  • Grease (or spray) a large baking sheet; sprinkle with cornmeal. Put the loaves on top and then cover with a clean cloth and let rise until doubled - about an hour.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degress F. Bake 30-35 minutes or until crusts are dark brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped.
  • Remove from baking sheet and cool on a rack before slicing.

PUMPERNICKEL BREAD



Pumpernickel Bread image

Unsweetened chocolate, molasses, and ground caraway seeds give this bread its unmistakable depth of flavor.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Breakfast & Brunch Recipes     Bread Recipes

Time 6h35m

Yield Makes 1 loaf

Number Of Ingredients 10

4 tablespoons butter, softened, plus more for brushing
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped (1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons molasses
1 1/2 cups medium rye flour
3 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons ground caraway seeds
1 tablespoon coarse salt

Steps:

  • Brush a large bowl with butter; set aside. Combine 1/4 cup warm water with sugar; sprinkle yeast over top. Set aside. In a small saucepan, heat espresso, chocolate, molasses, and 1 1/2 cups water over medium. Cook, stirring often, just until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool until warm but not hot (below 110 degrees).
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, combine both flours, caraway, and salt. Add the chocolate mixture then yeast mixture. Mix by hand, using the hook, to combine. Turn mixer on medium and mix until dough comes together in a smooth, springy ball around the hook, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove a small piece of dough and stretch it. If the dough holds together in a thin "windowpane" without breaking, the gluten is sufficiently developed. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until incorporated, about 4 minutes. Turn out onto a well-floured surface and knead a few times to form into a ball. The dough will be slightly sticky; don't be tempted to add more flour. Transfer to buttered bowl, turning once to coat, and cover loosely with buttered plastic. Let sit at warm room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
  • When dough has doubled, turn out onto a work surface. Pat dough out into a rectangle, roughly 10 by 12 inches with short side facing you. Fold bottom edge two-thirds of the way up the rectangle, and top edge down to cover. Rotate dough 90 degrees and repeat the fold. (This is called a business-letter turn.) Return to buttered bowl and top with buttered plastic. Let sit at warm room temperature until doubled in size again, about 1 hour. Remove from bowl, gently deflate, and work into a round boule about 6 inches in diameter. Place a clean dish towel in a medium bowl and generously dust with flour. Place boule, seam-side up, in bowl. Loosely fold floured towel ends over dough to cover. Let sit at warm room temperature until doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees and place a 9- or 9 1/2-inch enameled cast-iron pot in oven with the lid to preheat. When dough is ready, carefully remove the lid, pull back corners of towel, and flip bowl upside down to transfer bread to the heated pot, seam-side down. Quickly slash an "X" in the top of the bread with a serrated knife and using an oven mitt, cover with lid. Return pot to oven and bake 20 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until bread feels hollow when tapped and internal temperature registers 205 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes more. Immediately turn bread out of pot onto a cooling rack. Let cool at least 2 hours before slicing.

BEST EVER PUMPERNICKEL LOAF



Best Ever Pumpernickel Loaf image

I have been looking and looking for a GREAT pumpernickel recipe since my bread machine broke. This is a conglomeration of a number of different recipes, tweaked until it is just right. I think I finally found the perfect loaf! Serve with honey butter.

Provided by AFLYNN6

Categories     Yeast Bread

Time 2h40m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 ½ cups warm water
¼ cup molasses
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 ½ cups bread flour, plus more for kneading
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup rye flour
⅓ cup cornmeal
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
1 teaspoon salt

Steps:

  • Stir warm water, molasses, and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes. Add canola oil.
  • Mix bread flour, whole-wheat flour, rye flour, cornmeal, cocoa powder, vital wheat gluten, and salt in a bowl. Add slowly to yeast mixture. Fit the mixer with the dough hook attachment; turn to medium speed and let dough mix for 15 minutes.
  • Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead by hand until no longer sticky, but smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed, 3 to 5 minutes. Grease a large bowl.
  • Transfer dough to greased bowl, turning to coat dough on all sides. Cover bowl; let rise in a warm area until doubles in size, 30 minutes. Grease a loaf pan.
  • Punch dough down and transfer to greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise in a warm area for 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Bake in preheated oven until loaf sounds hollow when tapped, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 157 calories, Carbohydrate 28.7 g, Fat 3.6 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 4.5 g, SaturatedFat 0.4 g, Sodium 238.6 mg, Sugar 4.8 g

BEST EVER PUMPERNICKEL LOAF



Best Ever Pumpernickel Loaf image

I have been looking and looking for a GREAT pumpernickel recipe since my bread machine broke. This is a conglomeration of a number of different recipes, tweaked until it is just right. I think I finally found the perfect loaf! Serve with honey butter.

Provided by AFLYNN6

Categories     Yeast Bread

Time 2h40m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 ½ cups warm water
¼ cup molasses
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 ½ cups bread flour, plus more for kneading
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup rye flour
⅓ cup cornmeal
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
1 teaspoon salt

Steps:

  • Stir warm water, molasses, and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes. Add canola oil.
  • Mix bread flour, whole-wheat flour, rye flour, cornmeal, cocoa powder, vital wheat gluten, and salt in a bowl. Add slowly to yeast mixture. Fit the mixer with the dough hook attachment; turn to medium speed and let dough mix for 15 minutes.
  • Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead by hand until no longer sticky, but smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed, 3 to 5 minutes. Grease a large bowl.
  • Transfer dough to greased bowl, turning to coat dough on all sides. Cover bowl; let rise in a warm area until doubles in size, 30 minutes. Grease a loaf pan.
  • Punch dough down and transfer to greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise in a warm area for 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Bake in preheated oven until loaf sounds hollow when tapped, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 157 calories, Carbohydrate 28.7 g, Fat 3.6 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 4.5 g, SaturatedFat 0.4 g, Sodium 238.6 mg, Sugar 4.8 g

Tips:

  • Use a combination of rye flours: This will give your pumpernickel bread a more complex flavor and texture.
  • Sourdough starter is essential: It gives the bread its characteristic sour flavor and helps to keep it moist.
  • Be patient: Pumpernickel bread takes a long time to rise, so be patient and don't rush the process.
  • Use a dark baking dish: This will help to create a dark, crusty exterior on the bread.
  • Let the bread cool completely before slicing: This will help to prevent the bread from crumbling.

Conclusion:

Pumpernickel bread is a delicious and unique bread that is perfect for sandwiches, toasts, or just eating on its own. It is a bit of a time commitment to make, but it is definitely worth the effort. With its dark, crusty exterior and slightly sour flavor, pumpernickel bread is a true classic. So next time you're looking for a new bread to try, give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed!

Related Topics