Artisan Pumpernickel Bread Recipes

PUMPERNICKEL RECIPE

Steps:

• Prepare the preferment. Combine in a bowl, cover and leave to ripen for 16 - 24 hours.
• Prepare the scalded rye. Pour the boiling water over the rye grains and leave overnight.
• Prepare the rye soaker. Combine in a bowl, cover and leave overnight.
• 11.30am - Add one litre of water to the scalded rye soaker, bring to a boil and simmer for approx. 1 hour until soft.
• 12.30pm - Strain the rye and discard any remaining water. Set aside to cool.
• 1pm - In a large bowl combine 700g of sourdough (the rest goes back into the fridge for your next bake), the cracked rye soaker, the cooked and cooled rye berries, the 550g extra cracked rye, the water (150g), salt (22g), maple syrup (120g) and mix until the dough comes together well. Mix for a few minutes (I just do this with my hands). Once this is done, cover the bowl and leave to rest for 30 minutes.Note: The dough should not be wet. It should stick together well and not fall apart. It should peel off the side of the bowl easily and stick on a spoon when held up.
• 1.45pm - Oil a large and a small loaf tin (I use a silicone brush to do this), then place the dough into the baking tins. Again, just use your hands to do this and even out the dough surface across the tin. Fill the tins only half full. Cover the tins - if you are using Pullman forms, use the Pullman tin cover, otherwise use a polythene bag to ensure the dough doesn't dry out.
• 2pm - Leave to prove for 3 hours (depends on room temperature, so do keep an eye on the dough during this time). The dough will have risen, probably not quite to the top of the tin, but it should have visibly risen.
• 4.30pm - Preheat the oven to 150°C.
• 5pm - Brush the top of the dough with a little water. Fully wrap the baking tins with two tight-fitting layers of tin foil to avoid the steam escaping and the dough drying out during the long baking process. Note, that I cover even the Pullman tin in these additional layers. Place the wrapped tins at the bottom shelf of the oven and bake for approximately 14 hours (best done overnight).
• 6pm - Turn down the temperature to 120°C.
• 7am - After baking, turn off the oven and leave the baking tin in the cooling oven for another hour.
• 8am - Take the loaf out of the baking tins and wrap in a kitchen towel for another 24 hours.
• Cut into thin slices and enjoy with butter and jam or smoked fish for a hearty breakfast!

PUMPERNICKEL BREAD (NO-KNEAD)

Steps:

• Mixing and Storing the Dough: Note: If measuring flour rather than weighing, don't press down into the flour as you scoop it in with dry-ingredient measuring cups, By gently scooping up flour, then sweeping the top level with a knife or spatula.you willl get a more accurate measurement.
• In large plastic storage container (with lid) mix together the flours, yeast, cocoa and salt.
• Mix together water, coffee and molasses. Add the water mixture at once and mix with a wooden spoon.
• If mixing becomes too difficult to incorporate all the flour with the spoon, reach into the mixing bowl with very wet hands and press the mixture together. Note: kneading isn't necessary.
• When everything is uniformly moist without dry patches your mixing is complete. This should take only a few minutes. The dough will be wet and loose enough to conform to the shape of its container.
• Cover with a lid (not airtight) that fits well on the container. Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse, or at least flattens on the top, about 2 hours, depending on the room's temperature and the initial water temperature. Longer rising times, up to about 5 hours, will not harm the result.
• You can use a portion of the dough anytime after this period. Fully refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and easier to work with than dough at room temperature. So the first time you try this method, it's best to refrigerate the dough overnight, or at least 3 hours, before shaping a loaf.
• The breads flavor improves with the retardation, so suggest you wait at least 24 hours before baking the first loaf! Dough may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 8 days.
• BAKING (One 1-pouond loaf): With wet hands, pull up one end of the refrigerated dough. Using a serrated knife, cut off a 1-pound, or grapefruit-size, piece of dough.
• Without using flour, shape into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Form into an oval-shaped loaf.
• Place on a pizza peel dusted with cornmeal (or on parchment paper); allow to rest for 40 minutes - 1 1/2 hours, varies with temperature of the kitchen. (The shorter the time, the denser the crumb.).
• Twenty minute before baking, place an empty cast-iron skillet or broiler tray on the bottom shelf and baking stone on center shelf; preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Using a pastry brush,, paint the top of the loaf with cornstarch wash, and sprinkle with caraway seeds. With a serrated bread knife, slash the top of the loaf with deep diagonal cuts. Slide the loaf directly onto the hot stone. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door.
• Bake for about 35 - 40 minutes or until firm (interior temperature should be 198 - 200 degrees). Note: Larger or smaller loaves will require an adjustment to the baking time. Allow to cool on a rack before cutting.

ARTISAN PUMPERNICKEL BREAD

Steps:

• Prepare mashed potatoes, using fresh potatoes or instant.
• Using a very large bowl soak the yeast and sugar in 1 cup of lukewarm water for ten minutes.
• In a large pan, heat the 3 1/4 cup lukewarm water, melted chocolate molasses and margarine until the mixture is lukewarm. Remove from heat. Mix in the potatoes, cornmeal, salt and caraway seeds. Stir into the risen yeast liquid. Add the rye flour and bran. Beat for five minutes. Add three cups of white flour, mixing well. Afer about five minutes of beating, you will have a soft dough. Add four more cups lf flour. Mix well, cover, and rise for one hour or more.
• Sprinkle one cup of leftover flour on kneading board. Turn dough out, sprinkle about 1/2 cup of flour on top of dough, and knead extra flour into the dough until the dough is no longer sticky. When the dough holds its shape, cut it into three even pieces.
• Shape the three pieces into three egg shaped pieces, and place in buttered or non-stick loaf pans. Rise one hour or until one inch above the rims of pans. Bake at 350 ° for about 45 minutes - 1 hour, switching pans in oven at the half way point. Bread is done when it has a hollow sound when rapped on top.

PUMPERNICKEL BREAD

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order the manufacturer requires. Select Basic cycle, Light crust -OR- do the following.
• Select Basic cycle and leave dough in the machine through the FIRST RISE.
• When it's time for the SECOND RISE, turn off the machine, pull out the dough, and roll tightly into a loaf, making sure to pinch the seams closed. Place in a greased 9x5 loaf pan seam side down and spray dough with cooking spray. Let rise in a warm place for one hour or more (rising times will vary). When dough has doubled to at least one inch above the pan's rim, you have the option of applying an egg wash for a shiny finish. Beat an egg and use a pastry brush to apply a thin film on top of loaf.
• Preheat the oven to 350 deg. F. and then bake loaf for 25-30 minutes, or until thermometer inserted in side of loaf registers at least 195 deg. F.