Pumpernickel

Why this recipe works Pumpernickel bread is a slightly sweet, dense, dark-colored German bread often used as the base for canapés of smoked salmon and crème fraîche. It is made using pumpernickel flour, which is coarsely ground from the whole rye berry and includes the seed coating, bran, and germ. Traditional German pumpernickels use a sourdough starter to provide tang. We simplified this process by making a basic sponge with some of the pumpernickel flour. This produced an aromatic and flavorful base for our dough without the planning and time commitment a starter requires. We found that a dough made with 25 percent bread flour and 75 percent pumpernickel flour had the richest flavor and the ideal chew; any more bread flour diluted the sweet—even chocolaty—notes of the pumpernickel flour, and any less compromised our loaf’s structure. Our flavor additions—instant espresso powder, cocoa powder, molasses, and caraway seeds—enhanced the sweet and bitter notes of the loaf, as well as deepened its color. Unlike with most breads, we didn’t want this loaf to achieve a lot of spring in the oven— we desired the tight, dense crumb that’s traditional. Baking the bread low (at 250 degrees) and slow (for 3 hours) in a Pullman loaf pan both inhibited it from springing dramatically when it entered the oven and dried out the bread. You can find pumpernickel flour online or in specialty baking stores. Dark rye flour can be substituted for pumpernickel flour; however, do not use pumpernickel meal, which is a more coarsely ground version of the flour. The more neutral pH of Dutch-processed cocoa powder is important for proper gluten development in this dough; do not substitute natural unsweetened cocoa. The texture of this loaf improves over time, and it is best eaten three days after baking.

MAKES: 1 loaf

RESTING TIME: 6 hours

RISING TIME: 2½ to 3½ hours

BAKING TIME: 3 hours

TOTAL TIME: 13 to 14 hours, plus 4 hours cooling time

KEY EQUIPMENT: 13 by 4-inch Pullman loaf pan, pastry brush, instant-read thermometer

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE SPONGE

• 1⅓ cups (7⅓ ounces) pumpernickel flour
• 1 cup (8 ounces) water, room temperature
• ⅛ teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast

FOR THE DOUGH

• 3½ cups (19¼ ounces) pumpernickel flour
• 1½ cups (8¼ ounces) bread flour
• ¼ cup (¾ ounce) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
• 2 cups (16 ounces) water, room temperature
• ¼ cup (3 ounces) molasses
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water and pinch salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Stir all the ingredients in an 8-cup liquid measuring cup with a wooden spoon until well combined. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature until the sponge has risen and begins to collapse, which takes about 6 hours (the sponge can sit at room temperature for up to 24 hours).
2. Whisk pumpernickel flour, bread flour, cocoa, caraway seeds, salt, and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Dissolve espresso powder in water, then whisk molasses, oil, and the espresso powder mixture into the sponge until well combined (the mixture may look curdled).
3. Using the dough hook on low speed, slowly add the sponge mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, which takes about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
4. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth, which takes about 8 minutes. The dough will resemble cookie dough.
5. Dust the counter with pumpernickel flour. Transfer the dough to the counter and knead it by hand to form a smooth, round ball, which takes about 30 seconds. Place the dough seam side down in a lightly greased large bowl or container, cover it tightly with plastic, and let it rise until it increases in size by about half, which takes 1 to 1½ hours.
6. Grease a 13 by 4-inch Pullman loaf pan. Press down on the dough to deflate it. Lightly dust the counter with pumpernickel flour. Turn out the dough onto the counter (the side of the dough that was against the bowl should now be facing up). Press the dough into a 12 by 10-inch rectangle, with the long side parallel to the counter edge.
7. Roll the dough away from you into a firm cylinder, keeping the roll taut by tucking it under itself as you go. Pinch the seam closed and place the loaf seam side down in the prepared pan, pressing the dough gently into the corners.
8. Cover loosely with greased plastic and let it rise until the loaf reaches ½ inch below the lip of the pan and the dough springs back minimally when poked gently with your knuckle, which takes 1½ to 2 hours.
9. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a sharp paring knife or a single-edge razor blade, make one ½-inch-deep slash with a swift, fluid motion lengthwise along the top of the loaf, starting and stopping about ½ inch from the ends.
10. Gently brush the loaf with the egg mixture and bake it, uncovered, until the crust is very dark brown and dry and the loaf registers 205 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit, which takes about 3 hours, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack, which takes about 4 hours, before serving.