Pumpernickel

Name: Pumpernickel
Cook time: 370 min
Total time: 370 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 150g Whole Rye Flour; 150ml Water, room temperature; 15g Active Rye Sourdough Starter; 200g Rye Berries, dry; soaked overnight in plenty of water, then simmered until tender and drained; 100g Stale Rye Bread, crumbled finely; 200ml Water, boiling; 500g Coarse Rye Meal, rye chops; 300g Whole Rye Flour; 600ml Water, lukewarm; 19g Sea Salt, fine; Some Rye Sourdough, All of the ripe rye sourdough (from the rye sourdough build); Some Rye Berries, All cooked and drained (from the rye berries); Some Altbrot Soaker, All of the Altbrot soaker (stale rye bread + boiling water)

This classic Pumpernickel is a slow-baked, deeply flavored rye loaf with a moist, dense crumb and a rich, earthy sweetness. Built from soaked rye berries, hearty whole rye and coarse rye meal, and a mature rye sourdough, it rewards patience with a complex tang and long-lasting freshness.

This classic Pumpernickel is a slow-baked, deeply flavored rye loaf with a moist, dense crumb and a rich, earthy sweetness. Built ... Show more

Traditional German Recipe

Health Grade

A+ · Excellent

Time

6 hrs

Price

0,16 €

Calories

337 kcal

vegan

budget

low calorie

meal prep

low fat

high fiber

Method

Build the sourdough

In a medium bowl, stir together the Whole Rye Flour, Water (room temperature), and Active Rye Sourdough Starter until you have a thick, smooth paste. Scrape down the sides, cover loosely, and leave it at room temperature overnight until bubbly and expanded. This is your Rye Sourdough build.

Soak the berries

Put the Rye Berries in a bowl and cover them with plenty of water. Leave them overnight so they hydrate fully and cook more evenly the next day.

Simmer the berries

Drain off the soaking water, rinse the berries, and put them in a saucepan with fresh water to cover by a few centimeters. Bring them to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes until the berries are tender but still have some chew.

Drain the berries

Pour the cooked berries into a fine sieve and let them drain well. Shake off any excess water so the dough stays thick instead of wet.

Make the soaker

While the berries simmer, put the Stale Rye Bread in a bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Stir until the crumbs turn into a thick paste. This is the Altbrot Soaker; let it stand for 15 minutes so the bread softens and cools.

Mix the dough

In a large bowl, combine the Coarse Rye Meal (rye chops), the remaining whole rye flour, the Sea Salt (fine), the ripe rye sourdough, the drained rye berries, and the altbrot soaker. Pour in the 600 ml lukewarm water and stir hard with a sturdy spoon until everything is evenly hydrated and you have a very thick, sticky paste with no dry pockets. Scrape the bowl well so every bit of rye meal is moistened.

Pan and proof

Line two standard loaf pans with parchment, then divide the dough between them. Pack it down firmly with wet hands or a damp spatula, smooth the tops, cover loosely, and let the loaves rise until they look slightly puffed and tiny cracks begin to show on the surface, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven

While the loaves finish proofing, heat the oven to 250° F so it is ready for the bake.

Bake the loaves

Bake the pumpernickel for 2 hours 15 minutes until the loaves are very dark, firm in the center, and just beginning to pull away from the sides of the pans. If the tops darken too quickly, tent them loosely with foil for the rest of the bake.

Cool and slice

Leave the loaves in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack and let them cool for 2 hours before slicing. Use a sharp serrated knife for clean slices.

Ingredients

Method

For 12 servings

Adjust servings

For the rye sourdough (build the day before)

150g Whole Rye Flour
150ml Water, room temperature
15g Active Rye Sourdough Starter

For the rye berries

200g Rye Berries, dry; soaked overnight in plenty of water, then simmered until tender and drained

For the Altbrot soaker (stale rye bread; traditional and recommended)

100g Stale Rye Bread, crumbled finely
200ml Water, boiling

For the final dough

500g Coarse Rye Meal, rye chops
300g Whole Rye Flour
600ml Water, lukewarm
19g Sea Salt, fine
Some Rye Sourdough, All of the ripe rye sourdough (from the rye sourdough build)
Some Rye Berries, All cooked and drained (from the rye berries)
Some Altbrot Soaker, All of the Altbrot soaker (stale rye bread + boiling water)

🧈 Plus ~8g of fat

Nutrition

Per Serving.

Calories

337 kcal

17% of Daily kcal

Protein

11 g

21% RDI

Fat

1.8 g

0.2g sat fat

Carbs

77 g

28% RDI

Sugar

1.4 g

3% RDI

Fiber

14 g

46% RDI

Salt

1.7 g

34% RDI

Quality Profile

Scored against dietary guidelines.
Tap rows for a deeper breakdown.

Composite score - weighted by current nutrition science

A+ · 8.9 / 10

Comments

Click to rate

Ingredients

For 12 servings

Adjust servings

For the rye sourdough (build the day before)

150g Whole Rye Flour
150ml Water, room temperature
15g Active Rye Sourdough Starter

For the rye berries

200g Rye Berries, dry; soaked overnight in plenty of water, then simmered until tender and drained

For the Altbrot soaker (stale rye bread; traditional and recommended)

100g Stale Rye Bread, crumbled finely
200ml Water, boiling

For the final dough

500g Coarse Rye Meal, rye chops
300g Whole Rye Flour
600ml Water, lukewarm
19g Sea Salt, fine
Some Rye Sourdough, All of the ripe rye sourdough (from the rye sourdough build)
Some Rye Berries, All cooked and drained (from the rye berries)
Some Altbrot Soaker, All of the Altbrot soaker (stale rye bread + boiling water)

🧈 Plus ~8g of fat

Pumpernickel

Method

Build the sourdough

Soak the berries

Simmer the berries

Drain the berries

Make the soaker

Mix the dough

Pan and proof

Preheat the oven

Bake the loaves

Cool and slice

Ingredients

Method

For the rye sourdough (build the day before)

For the rye berries

For the Altbrot soaker (stale rye bread; traditional and recommended)

For the final dough

Nutrition

Calories

Protein

Fat

Carbs

Sugar

Fiber

Salt

Quality Profile

Comments

Ingredients

For the rye sourdough (build the day before)

For the rye berries

For the Altbrot soaker (stale rye bread; traditional and recommended)

For the final dough

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