Savory

Pumpernickel Bread

Pumpernickel Bread // take a megabite

I call Elliot PUPernickel. I mean, why wouldn’t I? Feel free to use that on your own little dog friend. It’s a solid joke, ya know? Like how every dog’s favorite pizza topping is PUPperoni. I mean, it’s just natural. Or how in the summer they eat PUPsicles. I could go on all day.

Pumpernickel On The Rise // take a megabite

When researching this lovely bread, I discovered that it gets it’s dark color through cocoa powder and molasses! Those two together are bread bronzer. But until recently, I had no idea! I thought that perhaps pumpernickel flour was somehow super dark, but nope. Now I’ve got mad plans regarding pumpernickel brioche buns, pumpernickel pizza dough, pumpernickel savory french toast. Oui!

So anyhow, this bread is GOOD. It’s tall, dark, and handsome. It’s savory good. Toast it. Breakfast it. Hug it. Just mostly, love it.

Pumpernickel Bread // take a megabite

Pumpernickel Bread (makes 1 loaf)
Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups warm milk
  • 2 2/3 t active dry yeast
  • pinch of sugar
  • 3 1/4 cups bread flour
  • 1 1/3 cups rye flour
  • 1/2 cup corn meal
  • 1 1/3 t salt
  • 4 T unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 heaping T caraway seeds
  • 2 2/3 T brown sugar
  • 2 T vegetable oil
  • 4 T molasses

Directions:

  1. In a two cup measuring cup, warm the milk in the microwave until warm, but NOT hot. Whisk in the yeast and a pinch of sugar. Set aside for 5 minutes or until bubbly and frothy.
  2. In a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook) combine the flours, corn meal, salt, cocoa powder, caraway seeds, and brown sugar. Add the yeast mixture, vegetable oil, and molasses, knead with the dough hook until dough comes together. Add more rye flour a tablespoon at a time until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Transfer to a large greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with a tea towel and set aside to rise for one hour.
  3. Transfer to a greased and parchment lined bread pan. Cover and set aside to rise for 30 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375F. Bake bread for 30-40 minutes or until dark and hollow sounding when tapped. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Slice and enjoy!

Yay! Click HERE for a printable pdf of the recipe above.

Insta-happenings // take a megabite

This loaf is TALL // Elliot’s casual weekend ears
Cindy sent me a happy present // dream catcher craftiness 

29 thoughts on “Pumpernickel Bread”

  1. I call my pug pumpernickel all the time! I also call him pumpkin and a bunch of other stupid things that aren’t his name haha! I love pumpernickel bread and I never knew it was cocoa powder and molasses that made it so dark. I am definitely making this bread this week!

  2. Dannnnng I’m always learning something new about different foods, I love it!!!! I didn’t know about the cocoa ingredient. This looks so delicious and I can’t believe how long it’s been since my last pumpernickel bread.

    And ummmmm I’m proud to say that I play around with words allll the time? It only gets worse if you have a baby, too! lol. 😉

    1. Yay! Glad I could bring some bread knowledge.

      And I bet! I can imagine when there’s ever a baby in my life I’ll be even more ridiculous.

  3. I always assumed pumpernickel got its color from the flour too! So cool it’s cocoa and molasses though. I love pumpernickel bread! I call my cat punkin pie. Which is totally unrelated to this and totally makes no sense and is in no way as clever as PUPernickel. But yeah, pet nicknames are the best!

  4. Are the photos of the actual loaf from the recipe? My dough was not nearly that dark, nor is it on the Allrecipes site you got it from.

    1. It definitely is the dough from the recipe. I wouldn’t lead ya astray! Not sure what happened. I did use a super dark cocoa powder so maybe that’s it.

  5. Hi Megan,

    Awsumm recipe.
    Few basic questions – Is cornmeal the same as Fine polenta?
    Also in your recipe does ‘t’ stand for teaspoon and ‘T’ stand for tablespoon?

    Thanks,
    Steph

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