Easy Pumpernickel Bread Recipe

Every culture enjoys bread as a staple in their diet and there are hundreds of variations around the world. Pumpernickel bread is a classic German bread known for its dark color and rich flavor with a hint of sweetness. It's denser than most breads and is perfect for those that love a rustic and hearty loaf. Recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for easy pumpernickel bread and says, "Making your own pumpernickel bread may seem intimidating but it's really quite simple and you don't even need to get the stand mixer out. My favorite ingredient in this recipe is the molasses. It's sweet but leans more towards a smoky, caramel taste. That combined with the cocoa powder makes this bread very versatile. You can serve it for breakfast or dinner." It makes a great sandwich with deli meats and sauerkraut or a nice complement to your breakfast with butter and jam. 

To make this recipe, you'll need to pick up some bread flour and rye flour. This combination will provide a dark, dense bread that Pumpernickel is known for. Then we'll need some salt, instant yeast, caraway seeds, cocoa powder, molasses, warm water, and olive oil. "Using instant yeast saves us some time as we don't have to wait for it to activate with the water separately," Hahn remarks.

Our first step is to get our dough going. In a large bowl, combine the rye flour, bread flour, salt, yeast, caraway seeds, and cocoa powder. Now add the molasses and the water. Stir to combine. Once it gets too hard to stir, remove it from the bowl and place it on a floured surface. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is nice and smooth. "This dough is very dense and will be more of a workout to knead than white bread but it will be worth it. Just keep adding flour to the dough and to your work surface to help with the stickiness. After about 10 minutes it should be smooth and no longer sticky," Hahn explains.

Now coat a large bowl with the oil and place the ball of dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 2 hours. "Try and find a warm location to let the dough rest and as time goes on, it will double in size," Hahn shares. About 15 minutes before the rest time has passed, preheat the oven to 425 F and place a baking dish full of water on the bottom rack to heat up. This will help create steam while the bread is cooking and give us a crispy crust.

Uncover the bowl that the dough has been resting in and place the dough on a cutting board. Form it into an oval shape and transfer it onto a baking sheet. Pop it into the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it cool for about 30 minutes before slicing. Your kitchen should be smelling amazing about now. The bread will last several days if kept in an air-tight container on the counter or the fridge. Yummy sandwiches, here we come!