Make Your Own Pumpernickel Rounds With This Simple Bread Recipe (2024)

Pumpernickel bread is easy to make you'll save money if you make it at home. What’s more, home-baked breadtastes better and doesn't have any preservatives or additional ingredients—you'll know exactly what went into your homemade pumpernickel bread. This version is an uncomplicated combination of rye and bread flours, along with molasses for extra color and sweetness.

Pumpernickel bread makes wonderful sandwiches, and stands up well to stronger ingredients such as aged cheeses, onion, mustard, and sauerkraut. The bread is also an excellent choice to serve with soup, beans, and chili.

This recipe makes two small, round loaves of pumpernickel bread. You can also use this recipe tomake braided rolls.

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"The flavor was good for this pumpernickel bread—sweet with the hearty rye flavor. I used almost all 3 cups of bread flour. The dough didn't rise much the first proof, but rose well the second proof. I proofed the dough in a warm place (oven with oven light). The 35-minute bake time was perfect." —Diana Rattray

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A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

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  2. In a large bowl, add the warm water and yeast. Stir the mixture until the yeast is dissolved.

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  3. Stir in the molasses, salt, shortening, caraway seed, and rye flour.

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  4. Mix in 2 cups of bread flour. Slowly add the remaining bread flour until you have a dough that can be kneaded. You may or may not use the full amount of bread flour that is called for, depending on your ingredients and the weather.

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  5. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead for about 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, knead in more bread flour, a tablespoon at a time.

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  6. Place the dough in a greased bowl. Flip the dough over so the top is also lightly greased.

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  7. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.

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  8. Punch down the dough.

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  9. Cover it again and let it rise for another 45 minutes.

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  10. Punch down the dough a second time. Turn out onto a lightly floured board or surface and knead the dough briefly.

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  11. Grease a baking sheet. Sprinkle the sheet with cornmeal (optional).

  12. Cut the dough in half. Shape each half into a small, round loaf. Place both round loaves on thebaking sheet.

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  13. Cover and let the dough rise for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Pre-heat the oven to 375F.

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  14. Bake loaves for 35 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on. Remove the loaves from the oven and let them cool on a rack.

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  15. When ready to serve, you can toast the bread lightly and pair with butter or jam for breakfast, or as a side with your dinner.

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Tips

  • Keep yeast stored in an airtight container and in the refrigerator. Heat, moisture, and air kills the yeast and prevents bread dough from rising.
  • Use bottled water instead of tap water to make your breads. The yeast can be killed by too much chlorine as may be found in some tap water, which will keep your dough from rising. You can also boil and cool tap water to eliminate most of the chlorine.
  • To prevent the molasses from sticking to your measuring spoon, coat the spoon in a tiny amount of cooking oil.

How to Store and Freeze

  • Hard, crusty loaves, once sliced, should be stored in paper bags. Soft-crust loaves should be stored at room temperature in airtight plastic storage bags or a plastic wrap and foil wrapping. The refrigerator causes bread to dry out more quickly and is not recommended unless the weather is warm and humid. Homemade bread will last for 2 to 3 days when stored in a cool, dry place.
  • To store bread in the freezer, slice it and then wrap it in plastic wrap or foil. Place the wrapped bread in a zip-close storage bag and freeze. Use frozen bread within 6 to 8 weeks for best flavor and quality.

Is My Yeast Active?

If you aren't sure if your yeast is fresh, it's easy to test. Put about 1/2 cup of warm water—around 100 F—into a 1-cup or 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Add 2 1/4 teaspoons of room temperature yeast (either instant or active dry) and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Stir for a few seconds and then let it stand for 10 minutes. It should begin to foam and form bubbles.If no bubbles form, the yeast may be dead. If you don't use yeast frequently or buy it in bulk, store it in the freezer.

Why is Bread Scored?

Scoring helps to prevent the bread from expanding unevenly or bursting out in spots as the loaf bakes. Score loaves with a very sharp knife just before they go into the oven. Make several shallow cuts evenly across the loaf or in a criss-cross pattern.

Helpful Links

  • How to Score Bread
  • Proofing Bread for Baking
  • The Science Behind Kneading Dough
  • How to Punch Down Bread Dough
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
205Calories
3g Fat
41g Carbs
6g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories205
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g3%
Saturated Fat 1g4%
Cholesterol 1mg0%
Sodium 535mg23%
Total Carbohydrate 41g15%
Dietary Fiber 3g12%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 0mg1%
Calcium 37mg3%
Iron 1mg7%
Potassium 267mg6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

  • Yeast bread
  • pumpernickel
  • lunch
  • american
Make Your Own Pumpernickel Rounds With This Simple Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes pumpernickel bread? ›

Pumpernickel bread is usually made with a high proportion of rye flour and a small amount of wheat flour. It's the rye flour however that's of particular interest. Traditional Old World black pumpernickel bread uses coarse rye flour that's ground from the entire rye berry. This flour is sometimes referred to as 'meal'.

Is pumpernickel the healthiest bread? ›

Pumpernickel is often considered a bit healthier, more nutrient-dense bread option compared to many rye varieties (since the bran and germ provide some great fiber, protein, and micronutrients).

What do you put on pumpernickel bread? ›

Pumpernickel recipes (29)
  1. Cheesy Spinach Dip in a Pumpernickel Bread Bowl. ...
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  3. Toasted Swiss on Pumpernickel and Rye. ...
  4. Mac and Cheese on Pumpernickel. ...
  5. Sloppy Joe and Potatoes on Pumpernickel. ...
  6. Ham and Eggs on Rye Pumpernickel Bread. ...
  7. Chopped Ham on Pumpernickel.

Does pumpernickel bread have gluten in it? ›

Pumpernickel is not gluten free. Pumpernickel is a type of bread made from rye which contains gluten.

Which is healthier pumpernickel or rye bread? ›

Pumpernickel is a type of rye bread known for its dark brown color and sour and sweet flavors, which are generally stronger than in other types of rye. Since it is a rye bread, pumpernickel is considered to be a healthy choice, although it differs slightly in health benefits compared to other types of ryes.

Is pumpernickel bread high in sugar? ›

There are 80 calories and just over 15 grams of carbohydrate in a medium slice of pumpernickel measuring about 5" x 4" and about 3/8" thick. A slice of this bread also provides about 2.1 grams of fiber and less than one gram of sugar.

Can diabetics eat pumpernickel bread? ›

They are high in fire, keep you feeling fuller for longer than refined carbohydrates and take longer for the body to break down so blood glucose levels do not 'spike' then drop rapidly.”But if pumpernickel bread doesn't whet your appetite, wholegrain, granary, spelt and rye bread are also recommended.

What do Germans eat with pumpernickel bread? ›

German pumpernickel is often sold sliced in small packets in supermarkets, where it may be paired with caviar, smoked salmon, sturgeon, and other expensive products on an hors d'oeuvres tray.

Is peanut butter good on pumpernickel bread? ›

Try pairing. Pumpernickel with: ✨ Smoked salmon + cream cheese. ✨ Peanut butter + jam.

What kind of bread do they serve at Longhorn Steakhouse? ›

honey wheat bread

Is pumpernickel bread inflammatory? ›

So, pumpernickel is one bread to consider if you are also looking to add anti-inflammatory properties to your daily intake. It also has a low glycemic load, so it's easy on the blood sugar, according to Richards.

Can dogs eat pumpernickel bread? ›

Can dogs eat pumpernickel bread? The short answer is yes, but with caution. While dogs can safely eat bread in moderation, pumpernickel bread comes with its own set of considerations due to its unique ingredients like rye flour and whole wheat flour.

Is Pepperidge Farm dark pumpernickel bread healthy? ›

This serving contains 1 g of fat, 3 g of protein and 15 g of carbohydrate. The latter is 1 g sugar and 2 g of dietary fiber, the rest is complex carbohydrate. Pumpernickel bread, dark pump by PEPPERIDGE FARM INC contains 0 g of saturated fat and 0 mg of cholesterol per serving.

How is pumpernickel bread different? ›

The critical difference between pumpernickel and rye bread is that rye bread is a catch-all term to describe any bread made with rye flour, whereas European pumpernickel bread is a specific type of dark rye bread made with rye meal, usually without any wheat.

What is the difference between dark rye and pumpernickel bread? ›

While light, medium, and dark rye flours are sifted to remove some of the nutrient-rich bran and germ, pumpernickel flour is unsifted and should be made from the entire rye kernel.

What makes pumpernickel bread unique? ›

While white and wheat breads are made from wheat flour, pumpernickel is predominantly made from rye flour—specifically, it's made with “pumpernickel flour,” which is made with rye berries. Some recipes also call for brown sugar, molasses, and even cocoa powder.

Is pumpernickel bread healthier than wheat bread? ›

Pumpernickel bread, a rich source of fiber, contains more filling resistant starch compared to breads made with wheat or barley flour. Due to the concentration of both fiber and resistant starch, whole grain breads lead to steadier blood sugar levels after you eat them, since they are not digested as rapidly.

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