Pumpernickel today (Picture)

[Delmonico]

It's sourdough again, sourdough is so fantastic for rye bread, both in flavor and the way it makes the texture so much nicer than using yeast. It's raining and humid here today, it didn't crack and split like the stuff I've been making, I had a loaf at work last night and I commented on that. Joe told me not to worry , he said if you go to the fancy store that makes expensive artisan bread , most of it is that way. Gee I didn't realize I was being fancy, I thought it was just plain ol' homemade bread.

[jzgrlduff]

Mmmmmm. What exactly is Pumpernickel, rye and what? What's the dark part?

[Princess Zoe]

I was think of my Grandma when I see pumpernickle.

[Delmonico]

Mmmmmm. What exactly is Pumpernickel, rye and what? What's the dark part?

This is American type pumpernickel, half rye and half white flour with caraway seeds and molasses the molasses gives it the darkness and sweetness . True German type is coarse ground rye, with no molasses raised with sourdough and cooked slow for a long time, relying on what is called a Maillard reaction for color, this is similar to caramelizing, this reaction is what darkens it and gives it the sweetness since the lactic acid does prevent all the starch from being converted to sugar. It takes about 12 hours to bake. The lactic acid in sourdough stops an enzyme in the rye flour from changing the starch into sugars, thus allowing the rye to raise better.

BTW pumper in German means fart and nickel means devil or goblin.

Yes, I know, I'm not happy with making something, I have to know why it works and the history.

[Delmonico]

I was think of my Grandma when I see pumpernickle.

There is nothing that makes me happier in my cook camps when someone tells me. "I haven't had that since Grandma passed away." I guess I specialize in "Grandma foods." I learned to cook from both Grandma's and my Mom, plus some stuff from a lot of others. Took me years to figure out how to make white bread like Grandma Carman, my brother wanted it bad and she never used a recipe, just mixed it like I do. Turns out it was the water, it only works when I use water from the well at the farm, you ought to have seen the look on my brothers face that night in deer camp. The water in our well has a slight but not dangerous nitrate level, we just always carry drinking water and get more at the neighbors which comes out of a different water table and is not elevated. The answer was always 20 feet away in the hydrant.

[joflake]

Aw, can you send me some of that. I'm seriously going to have to look into learning how to make sourdough.

[Delmonico]

Aw, can you send me some of that. I'm seriously going to have to look into learning how to make sourdough.

Check your PM box.

I'll post my info in the recipe board also, I print it for hand outs.

[georgie]

Looks good!

[joflake]

Check your PM box.

I'll post my info in the recipe board also, I print it for hand outs.

There is no fresh bread in my pm box! Dang, I thought breakfast!

[Delmonico]

There is no fresh bread in my pm box! Dang, I thought breakfast!

Well that's Garth's fault, I tried to send a loaf but it wouldn't take.