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1
The day before making the bread, make the starter.
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2
Mix together the barm, rye flour, and water in a bowl.
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3
It will make a wet, pasty barm.
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4
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature for 4 to 5 hours, or until the sponge becomes bubbly and foamy.
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5
Immediately put it in the refrigerator overnight.
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6
Remove the rye barm from the refrigerator about 1 hour before making the dough to take off the chill.
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7
To make the dough, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and yeast in a 4-quart mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer).
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8
Add the rye barm, bread crumbs, and oil and stir until the ingredients form a ball (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment).
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9
Add water if the dough ball doesnt pick up all the flour or more bread flour if the dough seems too wet.
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10
Sprinkle high-gluten, clear, or bread flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter.
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11
Knead the dough for about 6 minutes (or mix on low speed with the dough hook for 4 to 5 minutes).
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12
Add flour as needed to make a smooth, pliable dough.
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13
It should be tacky but not sticky.
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14
(Note: Rye bread will become gummy if you mix it too long, so try to make all your adjustments early in the mixing process and minimize the mixing or kneading time.)
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15
The dough should pass the windowpane test (page 58) and register 77 to 81F.
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16
Lightly oil a large bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil.
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17
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
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18
Ferment at room temperature for 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size.
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19
Sprinkle a small amount of flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter, taking care to degas it as little as possible.
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20
Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and shape them into either boules or batards for freestanding loaves (pages 7273) or sandwich loaves (page 81).
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21
Line a large sheet pan with baking parchment and sprinkle with cornmeal, semolina flour, or coarse whole-rye flour, or lightly oil two 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch bread pans.
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22
Transfer the dough to the pan(s), mist the dough with spray oil, and loosely cover with plastic wrap or a towel.
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23
Proof at room temperature for approximately 90 minutes, or until the dough crests 1 inch above the lip of the bread pans at the center, or rises to 1 1/2 times its original size for freestanding loaves.
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24
If you are making freestanding loaves, Prepare the oven for hearth baking as described on pages 9194, making sure to have an empty steam pan in place.
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25
Preheat the oven to 450F.
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26
Score the loaves.
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27
If you are making loaf-pan breads, preheat the oven to 350F with the oven rack on the middle shelf.
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28
Place the loaf pans on a sheet pan.
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29
If you are baking freestanding loaves, transfer the dough to the baking stone (or bake directly on the sheet pan).
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30
Pour 1 cup hot water into the steam pan and close the door.
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31
After 30 seconds, open the door, spray the oven walls with water, and close the door.
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32
Repeat twice more at 30-second intervals.
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33
After the final spray, lower the oven setting to 400F and continue baking for another 15 to 30 minutes.
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34
Check the breads, rotating them 180 degrees, if necessary, for even baking.
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35
The finished loaves should register 200F in the center and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.
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36
If you are baking in loaf pans, transfer the sheet pan with the loaf pans to the oven.
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37
Bake for about 20 minutes, then rotate the sheet pan 180 degrees for even baking.
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38
Continue baking for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the loaves register 185 to 195F in the center and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.
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39
Remove the finished loaves from the pans and cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing or serving.
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40
Enriched, standard dough; indirect method; mixed leavening method
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41
Day 1: 4 to 5 hours rye starter
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42
Day 2: 1 hour to de-chill starter; 6 minutes mixing; 3 1/2 hours fermentation, shaping, and proofing; 30 to 70 minutes baking
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43
This version uses a mixed-method combination of wild-yeast starter and commercial yeast.
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44
The starter serves as both a pre-ferment and a soaker, improving the flavor enormously, while the commercial yeast gives a reliable final rise and diminishes the sour characteristics.
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45
If you prefer extra-sour bread, you can leave out the instant yeast and treat the dough as the sourdough bread described on pages 233235, remembering to factor in the longer fermentation cycles.
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46
The rye flour is turned into a rye barm in order to acidify the rye flour.
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47
This not only activates enzymes for flavor, but also makes the rye more digestible.
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48
Although not all rye breads are made this way, as a general rule, rye bread is always improved by using an acidic starter even when the final leavening push is provided by commercial yeast.
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49
Cocoa is a traditional coloring agent for this bread, but you can also use one of the alternatives given, or simply leave it out altogether.
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50
Pumpernickel Bread %
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51
(RYE STARTER)
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52
Barm: 165%
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53
Coarse rye flour: 100%
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54
Water: 141%
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55
Total: 406%
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56
(FINAL DOUGH)
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57
Rye starter: 192%
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58
High-gluten flour: 100%
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59
Brown sugar: 11.1%
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60
Cocoa powder: 5.6%
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61
Salt: 4.2%
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62
Instant yeast: 1.6%
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63
Bread crumbs: 44.4%
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64
Vegetable oil: 11.1%
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65
Water (approx.
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66
): 22.2%
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67
Total: 392.2%
