Devil's fart

The request for a pumpernickel recipe got me to thinking about what exactly IS pumpernickel. Turns out it's not so clearly difined. Some say it's just highly flavored dark rye bread. According to the Wikepedia,

"Traditional German pumpernickel contains no coloring agents (such as molasses), instead relying on the Maillard reaction to produce the characteristic deep brown color, sweet dark chocolate coffee flavor, and earthy aroma. Loaves produced in this manner require 16 to 24 hours of baking in a low temperature (about 250°F or 120°C) steam-filled oven."

Anyone have any experience baking bread with this technique?

Also, one theory about the name says that it's based on the German "pumpen" or flatulence and Nickel from one of the various names for the devil.

Interesting.

And before you say anything, if I can't be a food geek here, then where?

The request for a pumpernickel recipe got me to thinking about what exactly IS pumpernickel. Turns out it's not so clearly difined. Some say it's just highly flavored dark rye bread. According to the Wikepedia,

"Traditional German pumpernickel contains no coloring agents (such as molasses), instead relying on the Maillard reaction to produce the characteristic deep brown color, sweet dark chocolate coffee flavor, and earthy aroma. Loaves produced in this manner require 16 to 24 hours of baking in a low temperature (about 250°F or 120°C) steam-filled oven."

Anyone have any experience baking bread with this technique?

Also, one theory about the name says that it's based on the German "pumpen" or flatulence and Nickel from one of the various names for the devil.

Interesting.

And before you say anything, if I can't be a food geek here, then where?

This is the very simple version I give to my students. It works.
Pumpernickel



Difficult as it may be to believe, this bread is, I have read, named after a 15th century German baker named "Pumpernickel." The story has it that he made a very coarse, dark bread with rye flour during a period when there was no wheat flour available. We make it quite differently now.

Ingredient Quantity

Dry Yeast 1 Ounce
Warm Water 2 Cups
Molasses 1/2 Cup
Caraway seed 2 Tbsp.
Shortening, melted 2 Tbsp.
Rye flour 2 1/2 Cups
Salt 1 Tbsp.
All-purpose flour 4 Cups


Method:

1. Dissolve yeast with warm water in mixing bowl.

2. Add molasses and caraway. Add shortening.

3. Mix flours and salt thoroughly together before adding to mixing bowl with other ingredients.

4. Run mixer slowly while adding flour mixture to bowl.

5. Placed dough in a buttered bowl covered with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled.

6. Sprinkle a sheet pan with cornmeal. Make two round loaves. Brush with water and allow to rise until doubled.

7. Bake at 450º for about 15 minutes. Lower heat to 400 and bake about 20 minutes more.


Note: This bread may be made with various flours - whole wheat etc. Also, one may use rye meal instead of the rye flour.

I love the various theories about the derivation of this word. There's a punctured balloon about the French naming it after horse food on their march to Moscow at Words@Random.

The same source prefers a variant of the theory you cite:

Pumpernickel 'a coarse, dark, slightly sour bread made of unbolted rye', is from German, as one might expect. The word was originally used in German as an insulting term for anyone considered disagreeable. Its elements are pumpern 'to break wind', and Nickel 'a goblin; devil; rascal', originally a nickname from Nicholas. Pumpernickel, in other words, literally means 'farting bastard'.

See also the entry at [url=http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/pumper.htm[url]Snopes[/url]. [I like the little Snopes reference page which will lead you to the search engine.]

The OED has no truck with either theory:

[G., also pompernickel (in use 1663); also (earlier) a lout, a booby. Origin uncertain.]

Bread made (in Germany) from coarsely ground unbolted rye; wholemeal rye bread: associated esp. with Westphalia.
[The name was app. unknown in F. Moryson's time: cf. Itin. (1617) III. 50 That West-Phalians deuoure..browne bread (vulgarly cranck broat, that is, sicke bread).]

1756 NUGENT Gr. Tour, Germ. II. 80 Their bread is of the very coarsest kind, ill baked, and as black as a coal, for they never sift their flour. The people of the country call it Pompernickel.

Regards, Bob[/url]

I love the various theories about the derivation of this word. There's a punctured balloon about the French naming it after horse food on their march to Moscow at Words@Random.

The same source prefers a variant of the theory you cite:

Pumpernickel 'a coarse, dark, slightly sour bread made of unbolted rye', is from German, as one might expect. The word was originally used in German as an insulting term for anyone considered disagreeable. Its elements are pumpern 'to break wind', and Nickel 'a goblin; devil; rascal', originally a nickname from Nicholas. Pumpernickel, in other words, literally means 'farting bastard'.

See also the entry at [url=http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/pumper.htm[url]Snopes[/url]. [I like the little Snopes reference page which will lead you to the search engine.]

The OED has no truck with either theory:

[G., also pompernickel (in use 1663); also (earlier) a lout, a booby. Origin uncertain.]

Bread made (in Germany) from coarsely ground unbolted rye; wholemeal rye bread: associated esp. with Westphalia.
[The name was app. unknown in F. Moryson's time: cf. Itin. (1617) III. 50 That West-Phalians deuoure..browne bread (vulgarly cranck broat, that is, sicke bread).]

1756 NUGENT Gr. Tour, Germ. II. 80 Their bread is of the very coarsest kind, ill baked, and as black as a coal, for they never sift their flour. The people of the country call it Pompernickel.

Regards, Bob[/url]

I, for one, am not comfortable citing Bond films as linguistic reference. If the OED hasn't pinned it down, I think anything we think or say is all blather.

Howard,

I believe your reference is McGee and I have made the bread in that way- steamed it for 12 hours. Incredibly dense, rich and flavorful.

Howard,

I believe your reference is McGee and I have made the bread in that way- steamed it for 12 hours. Incredibly dense, rich and flavorful.

Thanks for the update Christina, can you tell me a little about the details, for example, to steam did you just keep a pan of water in the oven?

Yes, Howard. Sat the loaf pan directly in a larger pan of boiling water.

I reviewed my recipe and notes last night- the recipe that Larry posted is the one I used. I used large grain bulghur and stone ground flours. It looked dry and pale and I thought it would be a bust but I covered the loaf pan with foil and baked at the lowest temp of my oven-just above warm. I was mistaken about the time - I did 5 hr- not 12. The color darkens considerably. The texture is very dense and moist and the flavor is wonderful. I make it for open faced sandwiches for a smorgasbord party and whenever I pickle a tongue.