Sourdough Pumpernickel Bread
A stand mixer makes for easy kneading.
Pumpernickel bread is one of my favorite breads, rich and complex in flavour it’s a great accompaniment to sharp cheese, toasted and slathered with butter and a strong honey or as the foundation for a great sandwich.
This is my favorite recipe striking the right balance between whole grain content and hollow white – I usually use triticale flour but unless you have a grain mill (and you can have one at low cost by building one for yourself) you’ll likely find rye flour to be more common.
Sourdough pumpernickel loaves formed and ready to double in bulk.
The overnight sponge takes a bit more time, but the long hydration period is a perfect match for whole grain baking, and while you can substitute dry yeast for the sourdough, the latter offers an additional complexity that is a great compliment to the other flavours.
- 1 cup sourdough starter
- 1 1/2 cup cold coffee
- 3 cups triticale flour (whole extraction) or substitute rye
- overnight sponge
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 3 cups white flour
- Prepare sponge in an inert container and cover with a clean tea towel and allow to rest overnight. I like using a glass 2l container.
- Mix sponge and the dough ingredients ( if you need to add a bit more flour or liquid do so) and then knead until smooth. This is particularly easy with a stand mixer.
- Form the smooth dough into one large loaf or two smaller loaves. I prefer two medium size round loaves.
- Allow to rise until doubled in bulk and then bake at 350F for about 40 minutes then allow to cool.