Recipe For Cooking Dark Pumpernickel Bread

Toast Oven Breads :: Sweet and Savory Yeast Breads

Dark Pumpernickel Bread

This is a dense European-style bread with unusual grainy texture. It should be very healthy because of the ingredients, as well as having a rich, delicious taste. It\s excellent warm with gobs of sweet butter.

Dough
4 packages active dry yeast
3/4 C. blackstrap molasses
1 1/2 Tbsp. dry powdered coffee
1 1/2 Tbsp. dry cocoa
3 Tbsp. sugar
5 Tbsp. brown sugar
3/4 C. dry powdered milk
2 C. hot water
1/2 C. canola or peanut oil

Mix all above ingredients thoroughly in a mixing bowl, then add:

1 1/2 C. dark rye flour
1 1/2 C. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 C. cracked wheat flour
1 C. wheat germ
1 1/4 C. buckwheat flour
1 1/4 C. gluten flour
2 1/2 Tbsp. caraway seed

Mix thoroughly in a lrg. mixing bowl. Place dough ball on kneading board with 1 C. white unbleached flour and knead vigorously 12 to 15 min., adding more white flour as necessary. If using an electric mixer with dough hook, knead while adding white flour little by little. Dough will be slightly sticky and moist, but will begin to take on an elasticity and glossy appearance. Oil mixing bowl and roll dough in bowl until all of surface is coated with a thin cover of oil. Cover with a warm damp towel and place in a warm draft-free place for 1st rise, which may take from 1 1/2 to 2 hours as this dough is a slow riser.

When dough has doubled in size, remove to floured kneading board and punch down to remove as much gas as possible. Divide dough into 3 to 6 loaves and place on greased cookie sheet sprinkled with yellow cornmeal. If using Teflon cookie sheets, no greasing is necessary, but cornmeal should be used. Space loaves far enough apart to allow for expansion. Brush each loaf with glaze.

Glaze
1 egg white
2 tea. water
1/2 tea. instant coffee

Mix well. Use a soft pastry brush to apply glaze so as not to depress loaves. Sprinkle with caraway seed and coarse salt. Place again in draft-free warm place and allow for 2nd rise until loaves are about double in size, which will take about 1/2 the time of the 1st rise. Bake in a moderate oven (350 to 375 degrees F) for about 50 min. to one hour. If loaves seem close to scorching after 50 min., but loaves are not done, turn off oven, leaving door closed for last 10 min. To test for doneness, pick up a loaf with a hot-pot mitten and thump bottom. If the sound is "hollow," the loaves are done.

Cool on a wire rack or eat warm. May be frozen and kept for several months or more.