Pumpernickel (; ) is a typically dense, slightly sweet rye bread traditionally made with sourdough starter and coarsely ground rye. It is sometimes made with a combination of rye flour and whole rye grains ("rye berries").

At one time, it was traditional peasant fare, but largely during the 20th century various forms became popular with other classes through delicatessens and supermarkets. Present-day European and North American pumpernickel differ in several characteristics, including the use of additional leaveners. The less dense North American version may eschew rye grains, have coloring and flavoring agents, add wheat flour, have a glazed crust, be cooked at a higher baking temperature, and have a dramatically shortened baking time.

Etymology

thumb|A very dark, dense wholegrain pumpernickel

Contemporary English pumpernickel is a loanword from German Pumpernickel (compare also German Pompernickel and Bompernickel), referring to a black bread from Westphalia. The word is found in English-language literature as early as 1738. Before its use to refer to the bread, the German word was used to mean "lout" (and can later be found in southern German-speaking areas in use for "vivacious child" or "small, plump person or child"). The German word is constructed from two elements: Early modern German pumper meaning 'fart' (recorded in 1558 in this sense) or "to knock, fall noisily", from which the sense of "fart" derived (Middle High German pumpern). The second element, Nickel, is pet form of the name Nikolaus. An earlier word for the bread is attested in English as cranck broat, meaning "sick bread". It is known there as Fries roggebrood or 'Frisian rye bread', as this variety of rye bread originates in the Dutch province of Friesland, and is significantly different from, for example, Brabants roggebrood, rye bread made with yeast, from the province of North Brabant.

North America

The term "pumpernickel" is often used in North America, especially in the United States, to refer to an airy style of dark-colored wheat-and-rye sandwich bread or bagel originally popularized by Ashkenazi Jewish delis. These products often forgo the sourdough starter, long bake times, and steaming, and instead use baker's yeast and short dry bakes that do not allow for the same degree of Maillard browning as traditional German methods. To compensate, ingredients such as molasses, caramel color, coffee, and cocoa powder are added for both color and flavor. Some shops and bakeries, especially those in Canada, do use recipes that produce a traditional dense loaf.

See also

  • List of breads
  • Rugbrød
  • Schwarzbrot
  • Jewish rye bread
  • Pumper Nic

References

  • pumpernickel at the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
  • How to make an American pumpernickel bread
  • How to make authentic German pumpernickel bread
  • Description of Schupp "bon pour Nicol" quotation