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The sourdough starter gives moisture to this dark, dense
pumpernickel bread. This bread is delicious anytime of day. It is so good, that it has become
one of my favorite bread recipes. I make a loaf every week. Some people will say this is not
true sourdough bread because I add some instant yeast. I add the yeast to speed
up the rising time. I still have the sourdough taste, and no one has ever seemed to know the difference.
For more great Low Fat Recipes, Low Calorie Recipes, Low Carbohydrate recipes, and Diabetic Recipes, check out
my
Diet Recipe Index. Also check out my
Nutritional Chart for fat grams, fiber grams, and calories for all your favorite foods.
Bread Making Hints:
Secrets to using the bread machine,
About yeast in bread making, and
Sourdough Starter - How to make a Sourdough Starter.
More great
Bread Recipes,
Sourdough Bread Recipes and
Quick Bread Recipe for all your bread making.
Sourdough Raisin Pumpernickel Bread
Recipe Type:
Sourdough Bread,
Sourdough Starter
Yields: 1 large loaf
Prep time: 15 min
Rise time: 1 to 3 hours
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 4 hour
Ingredients:
1 cup
sourdough starter, room temperature*
1/2 cup lukewarm strong
coffee (110 degrees F.)
1/2 cup lukewarm water or milk (110 degrees F.)
1 tablespoon vegetable or
olive oil
1 tablespoon
molasses
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon Dutch process
cocoa
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
2 cups bread flour or unbleached all-purpose
flour**
1 cup light rye flour
3/4 cup pumpernickel dark rye meal
2 teaspoons instant active dry
yeast
1 to 1 1/2 cups raisins (according to your preferences)
Cornmeal
 * If you don't presently have a sourdough starter, either make your own
sourdough starter or purchase
Packaged Sourdough Starter Mix by mail-order.
** The thickness of your sourdough starter can determine how much flour needs to be used.
If you think the dough is too moist, add additional flour (a tablespoon at a time). The same is true if the dough is looking dry and gnarly. Add warm water (a tablespoon at a time).
Preparation:
Bread Machines:
Add all the ingredients except raisins and cornmeal in the bread pan of bread machine.
Process according to manufacturer's instructions for a dough setting.
Don't be afraid to open the lid and check the dough. It should form a nice elastic ball. During the last part of the kneading cycle,
add the raisins; close lid and continue kneading process. When the bread machine has completed the dough cycle, remove the dough from the pan to a lightly floured surface;
cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Stand Mixers: In a large bowl or in the bowl of a 5 quart stand mixer, add all the ingredients except raisins
and cornmeal. Using dough hook, mix everything together into a uniform dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until elastic, adding drained raisins,
about 15 minutes. In an electric mixer, it should take about 9 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
After resting, knead dough on a lightly floured board by pulling the dough towards you and then pushing down and forward with the palms of your hands
(kneading gives the bread the elasticity and lets it rise).
Place the dough in a lightly-oiled large bowl. Place a damp towel over the bowl and then cover with plastic wrap
(the humidity in the bowl helps in the rising process). Let rise until it doubles in volume (when you can put your finger in the dough
and it leaves and indentation and doesn't spring back out) approximately 4 to 8 hours (depending on the temperature and the starter used, the rising time can vary as much as 2 hours).
Oven Bread Rising: Sometimes I use my oven for the rising. Turn the oven on for a minute or so, then turn it off again.
This will warm the oven and make it a great environment for rising bread. If you can't comfortably press your hand against the inside of the oven door,
the oven is too hot. Let it stand open to cool a bit. Sourdough rises more slowly than yeast bread; Always remember, the longer the rise time, the more sourdough flavor.
Cool or Refrigerator Bread Rise: If I don't have the time to wait for the rise to finish or I know that I will be interrupted before the
completed rise, I do a cool rise. A cool rise is when the dough is place in the refrigerator and left to rise slowly over night approximately 8 to 12 hours. I
usually do this after the first rise and the dough has been shaped into a loaf. As this is a longer rise time, it improves the sourdough flavor in your finished bread.
After dough has risen, remove from bowl, and place on a lightly floured board.
Shape dough either into a loaf shape or a 10-inch disk; place on a jelly roll
pan or cookie sheet that is dusted with cornmeal (I use the
Silicone Baking Mats instead of cornmeal). Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size,
approximately 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
After rising, dust the top of the bread with rye flour and slash the bread with a bread razor or a very sharp knife making
three 1/2-inch deep diagonal slashes. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until nicely browned. (A good check is to use an instant
digital thermometer to test your bread. The temperature should be between 200 and 210 degrees.)
 This
is the type of cooking and meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking. I get many readers
asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking and baking. I, personally, use the
Thermapen Thermometer shown in the photo on the right. Originally designed for professional users, the
Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is used by chefs all over the world. To learn more about this excellent
thermometer and to also purchase one (if you desire), just click on the underlined:
Thermapen Thermometer.
Remove from oven and place the bread on a wire rack to cool. Let baked loaf cool for 30 minutes before cutting (this is because the bread is still cooking while it is cooling).
Makes 1 large loaf.
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