I was in the middle of making this pumpernickel bread and all I could think of over and over again was…. it would take a miracle. (Said in the voice of Miracle Max from The Princess Bride.) For it really was going to take a miracle for this little loaf to work.
I had scanned and then re-scanned recipes for it, and either the recipe wasn’t what I was after or I didn’t have access to some of the listed ingredients. I re-read some more, until all I felt was, like a dog chasing it’s tail. Funny for someone else watching but rather annoying for the poor dog.
What?… How?… Maybe?… Oh crikey.
Nothing else for it. Jumping in and back to hack basics 101. I had a general idea of how it was supposed to be cooked, and I had a pretty solid idea of how I wanted it to look and taste, so off to the kitchen it was.
First I got some rye grain, as I couldn’t get the kind of rye flour or rye meal I was after. Then popped it in my Kitchenaid blender and pulverised it to make a course flour… pickle me in ginger if that didn’t work. I didn’t even know my Kitchenaid could do that. Whoosh!
With flour now in hand, I started on the rest of the loaf. I really felt out of my depths with this one, just because I was solely going on instinct and guessing and not following someone else’s tried and true pumpernickel recipe. Hence, the many mutterings of …it would take a miracle.
But it did work, and I was really happy with it. Dense, flavourful and definitely one I will be making regularly. It had both sweet and sour flavours, very little crust, and quite sustaining for a small slice. It’s not a quick loaf and does take a bit of preparation but I would much rather be eating a pumpernickel coming out of my kitchen as opposed to an imported one coming from Europe, (as that is a LOT of food miles for a small amount of bread.)
Pumpernickel
250g rye flour
200g starter (100%)
50g linseed meal
50g sunflower seeds
25g unprocessed wheat bran
1 tsp dark malt flour
handful pumpkin kernels
200mls boiling water
120mls natural yogurt
1 tsp salt
In a bowl add linseed, sunflower seeds, dark malt flour, wheat bran, pumpkin kernels and boiling water. Whisk together and leave to soak for several hours. Then add starter, rye flour and yogurt. Mix slowly a couple of times, with 10 minute rest intervals in between. Then add the salt and mix well again. In an oiled and lined with baking paper tin spoon mixture in. Making sure there is no gaps. Cover and prove until risen by about a quarter. This took for me about 7 hours, will depend on the room temperature though.
Cover with aluminium foil and bake at 220C for 15 minutes, then lowering the temperature to 190C bake for approximately 35 minutes.
Cool in tin for 15 minutes, keeping the aluminium on. Then remove from tin, and cool on rack. When it’s cold, wrap it in baking paper for 24-48 hours before eating.
*******
and just because I can….
this post submitted to the wonderful yeastspotting
Surely…surely… “don’t rush me sonny, you rush a Miracle Man, you get rotten miracles..” 🙂
Beautiful looking loaf, Princess Bryd(ie).. 🙂
It needs some cream cheese and smoked salmon!
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You are so right about that quote! This little loaf certainly wasn’t rushed, from start to eat was forever.
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No, not a miracle. Sounds like your skill and understanding of bread-making resulted in that amazing looking pumpernickel bread. You questioned, you persisted, you achieved. Well done.
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Having just come out the other side of a really bodgy dinner experimentation, I still say it was a miracle for this loaf 🙂
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hehe but Brydie, I knew you’d be able to do this because I’ve seen the amazing breads that you’ve made!
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Thanks Lorraine. It’s definitely one I will be playing with again.
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You know there is a shortage of perfect pumpernickels in the world!
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Wonderful, a true PB fan! 🙂
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Ha ha ha!!
I now know I’m amongst fellow Princess Bride nerds 🙂
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Must get the Princess Bride on dvd. The video died and with it our ability to watch it! I’m craving smoked salmon on pumpernickle now – sadly mine will be complete with all those food miles…well done you!
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Yes, you definitely need to get it on dvd Alison!
I was eating the pumpernickel with a little lime and orange marmalade and swiss cheese slices. A good start to the day.
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This is very impressive – almost miraculous 🙂 – and I love that you dived in and had such a good result. Love the Princess Bride references too, especially as I only discovered that movie in adulthood and it is thus relatively fresh in my mind!
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I had to introduce Mr Chocolate to the movie as an adult. He’s got a bit of catching up to do with my quoting from it though.
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Woah… you’re awesome, I don’t think I’d even try to do this:) And with starter as well, very impressive. I loved the Princess Bride!!
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It wasn’t that hard actually, just took a bit of time for it all to come together. Gone on, give it a crack 🙂
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even before I read the blog, I was gawking and saying to myself “this looks amazing” and it does! Wow, I would love a slice 🙂
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Thanks Tandy. Happy to share a slice or three.
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Love the princess bride! Love pumpernickel – though it confuses me as I have seen some loaves that are dark but still soft and others I see are less dark but nubbly and dense – yours looks like the latter! I have some pumpernickel rolls I love that are painful to knead because they are so dense – is this the case with yours?
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Actually I didn’t knead this little baby at all Johanna. Just the slow mixes and then spoon it in. I didn’t see much point in kneading it as it was such a sticky mess with very little gluten involvement, it would have just stuck to everything.
I think American style pumpernickel can vary a little to the German style (which was more the taste I was going for) with the first being lighter??
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I love pumpernickel…every time I think of it I think of my college days picking up a loaf with a friend and sitting on a bench studying, eating, and feeding the birds…ah the days without responsibility or a care in the world.
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Ahh, I too remember those days…
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I love pumpernickel bread we’re lucky to have a local baker who makes it here. Yours looks amazing. 7 hours … I’m in awe!
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Lucky thing! I’m impressed by your local baker making it, that’s not something I would expect to be eating in Chang Mai.
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Well done, Brydie!
I love that you ground your own flour.
This bread looks very toothsome.
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I love that I ground it too Heidi!
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A bread Herr Supke would be proud of! Well done! Love that hot soaker, did you find it sweetened the crumb a little. You are a fabulous baker 🙂
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Joanna I really don’t know if I’m educated enough in the art of bread to taste the differences between a hot soaker and not. I know it’s supposed to sweeten it…saying that it did have a sweetness to it sitting along side the tang of a rye flavoured sourdough that’s sat and thought about things for a few days before cutting.
I am happy about now making a local pumpernickel though 🙂
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Very impressive! Wowzers!
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Thanks Misk.
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Brydie, it looks fantastic. How fabulous to have a KitchenAid that can grind flour. I love pumpernickel, for some reason it has a real affinity for egg – for me anyway. Must have a go at doing this – I really must!
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I really know how it feels… that kind of bread making anxiety one gets when trying a new loaf. happy it came out as you wanted it. looks delish… and how about those lovely loaves in the background?
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Looks really good. You’ve inspired me to start making bread – in my own wee way. Have started with pizza dough and have made rolls using a commercial grainy flour, they were great. Glad to be e-apprenticed to you!
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That looks like a very impressive loaf Brydie – well done! Funnily enough I have just come from stirring a batch of sourdough rye bread that I started about 30 hours ago. When I came back from Copenhagen I was so inspired by their fantastic rye breads that I had to make some myself. I experimented madly for a few weeks, managed to create a mighty fine version…but ofcourse did not keep any notes or details of what I did (aaghh!). So I am trying to recreate it again, this time keeping notes as I go along. Fingers crossed!
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Nice looking loaf – makes me realise I haven’t eaten pumpernickel in a long time.
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