“Black” Pumpernickel

Name: “Black” Pumpernickel
Yield: Makes 2 loaves
Ingredients: 1 cup medium rye flour; 1 cup pumpernickel flour (rye meal); 2 cups Rye Sourdough Starter, measured after stirring down, at room temperature; 2 packages dry yeast; 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt; ½ cup boiling water; 2 cups warm (110-degree) water; ½ cup plus ½ teaspoon sugar (this will color, not sweeten); 1 cup gluten flour; 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa; 4 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed; Cornmeal (for sprinkling the baking sheets); 1 egg white beaten with 2 tablespoons water

Preparation info

Makes
2
loaves

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Better Than Store-Bought

By Helen Witty and Elizabeth Schneider

Published 1979

About

Most so-called pumpernickels do not contain pumpernickel flour (rye meal), which is essential to authenticity. Except in the most Old World bakeries, pumpernickel is just dyed rye bread. If you yearn to approach the real thing, here’s how.

Ingredients

½ cup plus ½ teaspoon sugar (this will color, not sweeten)
½ cup boiling water

Bread
Vegetarian

Method

In a small saucepan stir the ½ cup sugar over moderate heat until it reaches a medium-dark brown color; when the entire mass is frothing and seething, pour in the boiling water (avert your face while you do this). Stir to dissolve the caramel; cool.
Mix