Westphalian pumpernickel
Vegetarian
Pumpernickel
Black, dense, faintly sweet rye bread made from soaked cracked rye and rye sourdough, baked covered at low heat for many hours so the starches slowly caramelise — no colouring needed.
Westphalian pumpernickel is a German bread from Germany, ready in about 66 hours 50 minutes and made with cracked rye and sourdough starter. It serves 24 and is rated intermediate to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 16 h
- Rest
- 2 h 30 min
- Total
- 66 h 50 min
- Serves
- 24
- Level
- Intermediate
- Calories
- 107
Day 1: scald and sour overnight (12–16 h). Day 2: mix, proof and a low, steamy bake of at least 16 hours (start it in the afternoon and it runs overnight). Day 3: rest at least 24 hours before slicing.
Method
Step 1
Day 1 evening: pour the boiling water over the cracked rye (opens in a new tab) and salt, stir, cover tightly and leave to cool and soak overnight. In a separate bowl mix the sour rye flour (opens in a new tab), water and starter into a paste; cover and leave at room temperature.
- 8 min
Food safety: Take care pouring boiling water.
Step 2
Day 2: combine the soaked rye, the bubbly sour, the remaining rye flour (opens in a new tab) and molasses (opens in a new tab). Mix with a sturdy spatula (opens in a new tab) for 5 minutes into a heavy, sticky paste, adding the extra water only if it won't come together.
Step 3
Oil a 900 g (2 lb) loaf tin (opens in a new tab). Pack the paste in firmly with a wet spatula (opens in a new tab) and smooth the top. Cover and proof 2–3 hours in a warm place until it has risen by about a quarter and small holes or cracks show on the surface.
Step 4
Cover the tin very tightly with oiled foil (or a second upturned tin) so steam stays in. Put a roasting tin of hot water on the oven (opens in a new tab) floor. Bake 1 hour at 150 °C (fan 130 °C), then turn down to 110 °C (fan 100 °C) and bake for at least 15 more hours — 16 hours or more in all — topping up the water if your oven allows.
- 960 min
- 110°C · after 1 hour at 150 °C; fan 100 °C; at least 16 hours in total
- Oven (opens in a new tab)
- Roasting pan (opens in a new tab)
The long, low, moist bake is what turns the crumb dark brown and sweet — don't shortcut it with heat.
Step 5
Cool in the tin, then turn out, wrap in a cloth or baking paper and leave at least 24 hours before slicing very thinly with a sharp knife.
About this dish
- Origin
- Westphalia, Germany · Well documentedTraditional Westphalian pumpernickel is pure rye baked for 16 hours or more in steam chambers; commercial versions elsewhere are often coloured with cocoa, coffee or caramel instead.Also popular in NetherlandsMore food from Germany
- Dish
- Breakfast · Lunch · Breads & flatbreads
- Cooking method
- Oven-baked, Fermented, Slow-cooked
- Taste
- earthy, sweet, sour
- Diet
- Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carbWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · DASH-style - Good for
- Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly
- Cook more with
- Cracked rye · Sourdough starter · Rye flour · Molasses
- Techniques
- Roasting · Baking · Boiling · Fermentation
Allergens
- Contains: Wheatfrom cracked rye, rye flour, sourdough starter
- Contains: Glutenfrom cracked rye, rye flour, sourdough starter
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
107 kcal per serving
Estimated1 serving ≈ 52 g · recipe makes 24
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 11%
- Carbohydrate 83%
- Fat 6%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 107 kcal | 205 kcal |
| Protein | 3.1 g | 6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 23.3 g | 44.8 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 19.3 g | 37 g |
| Sugars | 1.2 g | 2.4 g |
| Added sugars | 0.9 g | 1.8 g |
| Fibre | 4.1 g | 7.8 g |
| Fat | 0.7 g | 1.3 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.1 g | 0.1 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 163 mg | 313 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 0.4 g | 0.8 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 153 mg
- Calcium
- 12 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 31 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 0 µg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 12 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- Cracked rye: Whole rye grain data used for cracked rye (rye chops / kibbled rye), which is the same grain broken into pieces.
- Sourdough starter: Modelled as a 100%-hydration starter: equal weights of flour and water, so half of white flour's values per gram.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- If your oven won't go below 120 °C, bake there after the first hour and keep the tin tightly sealed with plenty of water below; still allow 16 hours in total, as the long bake is what makes it true pumpernickel.
Common mistakes
- Loose foil — the bread dries and forms a hard crust instead of the soft, moist pumpernickel crumb.
Serve with
- Thin slices with cream cheese and smoked salmon, aged cheese or as canapé bases.
Storage
- Keeps 10 days or more wrapped in the fridge. Freezes very well.
Variations
- Seeded pumpernickel: Add 75 g sunflower seeds to the scald.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
Baker’s notes
Customise in Bread & BakeryTimeline and readiness cues
Mix and knead · about 20 min
Mix, rest 30 minutes (autolyse), then add salt. Strengthen with sets of stretch-and-folds instead of long kneading.
First rise (bulk) · about 14 h
Risen 50–75%, domed and bubbly at the edges, wobbles when the bowl is shaken. Warmer kitchens are faster.
Final proof · about 2 h 30 min
Slow, partial spring-back from a floured poke. Cold-proofed dough can go straight from the fridge into the oven.
Bake · about 16 h at 150 °C
Deep golden; bread sounds hollow when tapped underneath, or reads 93–96 °C inside (enriched breads 88–90 °C).
Cool · about 24 h
Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.
- Start to finish: about 56 h 50 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.
The dough
| Ingredient | Role | Weight | Baker’s % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cracked rye | Flour | 450 g | 63.4% |
| Rye flour | Flour | 250 g | 35.2% |
| Water | Water | 600 g | 84.5% |
| Molasses | Sugar | 30 g | 4.2% |
| Sourdough starter | Starter | 20 g | 2.8% |
| Salt | Salt | 10 g | 1.4% |
- Total flour
- 710 g
- Hydration
- 85.9%
- With milk, eggs…
- 85.9%
- Wholegrain
- 98.6%
Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”. The starter’s own flour and water are included once in the totals.
- Wet dough (over 75%) — sticky; use wet hands and folds instead of kneading. Ciabatta, focaccia and open sourdough.
- Salt 1.4% — on the low side (1.8–2.2% is typical for bread).
- 98.6% wholegrain — absorbs more water and gives a denser, nuttier loaf.
- 1.4% of the flour comes from the starter (20 g at 100% hydration: 10 g flour + 10 g water, already included above).
If something goes wrong
Dense, heavy loaf
Likely causes
- Under-kneaded (weak gluten)
- Under-proofed
- Old or dead yeast/starter
- Too much wholegrain flour without extra water
What to do
- Knead to the windowpane stage
- Proof by the poke test, not the clock
- Test yeast in warm water with sugar; feed the starter and use it at its peak
- Add 5–10% more water for wholegrain flours and give them a rest
Gummy or wet crumb
Likely causes
- Under-baked
- Sliced while hot
- Hydration too high for the flour
What to do
- Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
- Cool completely on a rack before slicing
- Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
Spreads flat / no oven spring
Likely causes
- Over-proofed
- Weak shaping (no surface tension)
- Oven not hot enough
- Too much water for the flour
What to do
- Shorten the proof; bake when the poke springs back slowly
- Shape tightly so the skin is taut
- Preheat fully (30+ minutes; with a stone or Dutch oven, 45)
- Lower hydration or use bread flour
Pale crust
Likely causes
- Oven too cool
- Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
- Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)
What to do
- Check the oven with a thermometer
- Brush with egg wash or milk
- Shorten the fermentation
Burnt bottom
Likely causes
- Tray too close to the heat
- Dark tray absorbs more heat
- Too much sugar in the dough
What to do
- Bake on the middle shelf
- Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
- Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
Crust too hard or thick
Likely causes
- Baked too long at too low a temperature
- No steam at the start
What to do
- Bake hotter for a shorter time
- Add steam for the first 15 minutes (tray of boiling water, or a covered Dutch oven)
- Cool under a tea towel for a softer crust
Too sour
Likely causes
- Long, cool fermentation
- Starter used after its peak
- High proportion of wholegrain or rye in the starter
What to do
- Ferment warmer (24–26 °C) and shorter
- Use the starter at its peak
- Feed the starter with white flour, at a higher ratio (1:5:5)
Dough didn't rise
Likely causes
- Dead yeast (expired or killed by hot liquid)
- Kitchen too cold
- Salt in direct contact with fresh yeast
- Starter not active
What to do
- Liquid should be lukewarm (no hotter than 40 °C)
- Proof somewhere warm (an oven with just the light on)
- Mix the salt into the flour, not onto the yeast
- Feed the starter until it doubles in 4–8 hours
Over-proofed (sour smell, collapses when scored)
Likely causes
- Too warm
- Too much yeast
- Left too long
What to do
- Knock back, reshape and proof again briefly (yeast doughs)
- Use less yeast or a cooler proof
- Set a timer and check early with the poke test
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