Sourdough Pumpernickel Dark Rye Bread Recipe With Molasses – Baker Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between dark rye and pumpernickel bread? ›

Pumpernickel typically utilizes whole grain rye flour and berries, meaning that it contains all three grain layers: bran, germ, and endosperm. Rye bread is often made with refined flour containing only the endosperm of the grain, while the bran and germ are stripped away.

Pumpernickel bread owes its deep color to the addition of molasses and cocoa powder; it's baked for only a short time in a much hotter oven, uncovered.

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.

“Light rye” is also kind of “greige” but it is fine without the flecky bits. “Light rye” is the equivalent of white flour and “dark rye” is the equivalent of whole meal (whole wheat/spelt) flour – that is to say, “dark rye” has all the bran and the germ in the flour and “light rye” does not.

Which bread is better for you: rye bread or sourdough bread? As long as they're made with whole grains and have limited or no added sugar, both rye bread and sourdough bread are healthy bread options.

“Researchers have found that eating rye can lower the number of harmful gut bacteria that cause inflammation.” So, pumpernickel is one bread to consider if you are also looking to add anti-inflammatory properties to your daily intake.

In colonial times, it was commonly used in tandem with honey as a principle sweetener. Refined sugars were too expensive for most households, so baking with molasses became the norm, appearing in staples like anadama and brown breads, baked beans, and gingerbread.

Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary gives the etymology as being the German word for a rackety goblin, a coarse lout, and rye-bread - possibly from its giving forth a sound like pump when struck.

In the U.S., pumpernickel is crafted into a more familiar rounded loaf. It contains an airier texture, has a crust, and offers additional flavors for an aromatic result. This deviates from the original German concoction, which uses only dark rye flour for a very dense bread. Both are delicious but are quite different.

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.

Is it OK to eat rye bread everyday? ›

The answer is yes but with conditions. Rye bread is a healthy choice for most people. It is a good source of fiber and other nutrients and has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and type II diabetes.

Compared to whole wheat flour, rye flour is said to be the most nutrient- and amylase-dense option for a sourdough starter. Overall, it has a lower gluten protein content than wheat flour, which means it produces slack, sticky, and dense doughs.

A sourdough culture based on rye flour is easier to maintain, it does not go into a slurry like a wheat flour starter when you forget about it, it is easier to stir because it has almost no gluten and it smells very very nice, a bit like fruit. It is also very forgiving in the amount you feed it.

The best flour blend for creating a new sourdough starter is 50% whole-meal flour (whole wheat or whole rye) and 50% bread flour or all-purpose flour. I recommend a 50/50 mix of whole wheat flour and bread flour. Why do you need to use these two types of flour?

While pumpernickel and rye bread are both made from rye flour, they have distinct flavors and textures. Pumpernickel bread is denser and has a stronger, slightly sweet flavor due to the addition of ingredients like molasses or coffee. Rye bread, on the other hand, is lighter in color and has a milder flavor.

Rye bread

High in iron, potassium, calcium, zinc and soluble fibre, rye bread is a dark, dense bread with a distinctive earthy taste. Rye bread is considered more nutritious than wheat bread. As well as being super filling, it also contains more fibre and B vitamins than wheat breads.

The Bottom Line

In general, you want to look for whole-grain bread that has some fiber, protein and not too much sodium or added sugar per slice. Sprouted grain bread hits all those marks and has a hearty texture that I think is delicious when toasted.

German-style pumpernickel, a dark, dense, and close-textured loaf, is made from crushed or ground whole rye grains, usually without wheat flour, baked for long periods at a low temperature in a covered tin.