Pumpernickel – German Rye Bread

Step 1

The evening before, mix the ingredients for the starter until they are well mixed. Cover and leave it to rest overnight (I usually leave it in the cold oven).

Step 2

Boil 200ml of water before pouring them over your rye berries. Cover and leave to stand overnight.

Step 3

The next day, place the rye berries in a medium casserole with about three times the amount of water and bring to boil. Keep it simmering for a good hour or until soft, but make sure they are always covered with water.

Step 4

Discard all the water and leave the rye kernels to cool.

Step 5

Combine the rye meal and chops in a large bowl and mix. Add the levain, the soaker and the sunflower seeds. Add the remaining ingredients (but leave a little water for later) and knead until the dough comes off the sides of the bowl. You might need to add the remaining water during that process, depending on your rye. Dust with a little flour, cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Step 6

Grease two s25cm loaf tins or similar (I used four large jam jars). Whatever you use, it needs to fit into your largest casserole.

Step 7

Knead the dough a second time, vigorously, on a lightly floured surface. Divide it and place it into your baking tins, pressing it down to fit the tin - no worries, this dough is not going to rise! Cover and rest for another 2 - 3 hours.

Step 8

Preheat the oven to 150 ° C / 300F. Sprinkle a little water on the surface of the dough, then wrap the tins carefully with aluminum foil to ensure no steam can enter or leave the tin. Place them into your casserole and fill the casserole with 2 cm / 1 in of water. Close the lid and place it in the oven on the lowest rail.

Step 9

Bake for 1 hour, then turn down the heat to 100C / 212 F and bake the bread for another 13 hours (ideally overnight). This will allow the bread to slowly develop its aroma through the Mallard reaction, caramelising the rye and giving the bread its slightly sweet taste.

Step 10

Leave the bread in the switched off oven for another hour; turn it out of the tins or jars after 30 minutes and place it back into the oven, to dry. Ideally, give it two days before slicing it. Trust me, it's worth it!