Shtumpernickel
......................................................
Bread flour: 300 gms
Rye flour: 150 gms
Cocoa: 2 tbsp
Wheat gluten: 2 tbsp
Dry yeast: 2 tsp
Molasses: 1 tsp
Warm water: 1 cup
Salt: 1 tsp
Oil: 2 tbsp
......................................................
WHAT YOU NEED: Large bowl, bread tin or tray, damp cloth, oven
......................................................
1. Sift the dry ingredients (wheat & rye flour, cocoa, gluten, salt, and dry yeast) in a large bowl.
NOTE: If you're not using instant (i.e. dry) yeast, or if you're not sure if your yeast is still active, you might need to proof it: dissolve it in warm water and add before proceeding to the next step.
2. Make a little well in the flours, add the molasses and a tablespoon of oil (I prefer not to use olive oil, as the flavour doesn't go well with the pumpernickel... I use corn or sunflower oil instead) and rub in.
3. Add warm water little by little, and knead into dough till it is smooth and elastic, but not sticky.
4. Roll the dough into a ball, oil the surface, cover, and set aside in a warm, draught-free corner of your kitchen. If you're not using your oven for something else, that would be a good place to keep the dough.
5. Let it rise till approximately doubled: pumpernickel takes longer than regular bread dough, and I usually let it rise for about three or four hours the first time.
6. Punch in the dough and knead it again. Shape it as desired and set it on the baking tray, covered with a damp cloth, to rise for another hour or so.
7. Turn the oven on, and once it's hot enough, toss the bread in. Check on your bread after half an hour or 45 minutes. If it sounds hollow when tapped, it is done.
8. Turn over on the rack and let it cool a bit. Slice and serve warm with thick slabs of cheddar cheese.
NOTE: This is not REAL pumpernickel. REAL pumpernickel is a sourdough that takes a day to rise, and is baked at low temperatures for a long time, and as a result is denser and darker (no need for cocoa!). REAL pumpernickel is how early Prussians showed wimpy Western Europeans how tough they were. Ja, ja.
......................................................
