Rye Levain Pumpernickel Recipe - King Arthur Baking

Rye Levain Pumpernickel
This recipe appears in the Spring 2016 issue of Sift as Sourdough

Pumpernickel, and it is exactly that. We've renamed it here so as not to
cause confusion with our existing recipe for Sourdough Pumpernickel,
which has similar ingredients but a different technique. This recipe
converts a white sourdough starter to a rye levain, and uses that to build
the starter that raises the bread. The extra step makes a very flavorful,
robust sourdough rye.
PREP BAKE T O TA L YIELD
 19 hrs 30 35 mins 20 hrs 5 1 large or 2

mins mins smaller loaves,
28 servings
Ingredients Instructions
Rye levain 1 To make the rye levain: In a medium bowl, combine all of the
ingredients, cover, and let work at room temperature for 8 hours, or
2 tablespoons (28g) ripe (fed) overnight.
sourdough starter
1/2 cup (113g) water 2 To make the rye starter: In a medium bowl, combine the levain,
coffee, and pumpernickel flour. Cover and let rise on the counter for
1 generous cup (113g) King Arthur 8 hours, or overnight.
Organic Pumpernickel Flour*
3 To make the dough: Put the starter in a large mixing bowl, and stir in
*Also known as whole rye flour.
the water, oil, salt, and molasses. Stir in the whole wheat flour. Cover
and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Rye starter
4 Add the bread flour 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
all of the rye levain The dough will be quite sticky, but resist the temptation to add more
1 cup (227g) brewed coffee, room flour. The dough will develop and change in texture as you let it rise
temperature and work with it. Place it in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 50
2 cups (213g) King Arthur minutes.
Organic Pumpernickel Flour 5 Rising and folding: After the first rise, the dough won't look like it's
risen much, but don't worry. With each rise and fold you give it, the
Dough dough will become more supple and springy to the touch. Turn the
all of the rye starter dough out onto a lightly floured surface, flour your hands, and press
3/4 cup (170g) room- it into a rectangle. Use a bench knife to help you grab the edge and
temperature water fold the dough into thirds. Turn it 90° and repeat the folding process.
2 tablespoons (25g) vegetable oil 6 Return the dough to its bowl, cover, and let rise for 50 minutes
2 teaspoons salt more.
1/4 cup (85g) molasses 7 Repeat the folding process a second time, with another 50-minute
1 cup (113g) King Arthur White rise afterward.
Whole Wheat Flour 8 When this last rise is done, the dough should be quite active. Turn it
3 cups (360g) King Arthur out onto a floured surface to shape. You can make one large or two
Unbleached Bread Flour smaller loaves, whichever you prefer. Shape the dough into rounds or
loaves. For loaves, place the dough in a pair of greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2"
loaf pans. Rounds can be placed in floured bannetons or a bowl lined
with a well-floured tea towel, with the bottom side of the round
facing up.
9 After shaping, cover the dough and set it aside to rise until almost
double. This may take as long as 3 hours if the room is cool, or as
little as 1 hour if the room is warm. You can also "retard" the dough by
covering it with plastic and refrigerating overnight (this will make a
more sour bread). If you choose this route, bring the dough to room
temperature the next day while you prepare the oven. In either case,
the risen loaves should feel full and bubbly when lightly touched with
floured hands: that's when they're ready to bake.
10 To bake the bread: An hour into the last rise, preheat the oven with a
baking stone inside (if you have one). Preheat to 375°F for one large
loaf; or 400°F for two smaller ones.
11 When the bread is ready to bake, pace a small oven-safe skillet with
1" of simmering water in the bottom of the oven, or on the lowest
rack. Invert the round loaves onto the hot baking stones and slash
the tops. Pan loaves can simply be put in the oven on the stone.
Spray the inside of the oven with water.
12 Bake the large loaf for 50 minutes, or smaller loaves for 35 minutes,
until well browned. The center of the bread should read 205°F when
measured with an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven
and cool completely on a rack before slicing; rye breads can be
gummy if you cut them while still warm.
Tips from our Bakers

 Don’t have any starter? Here’s a recipe for homemade sourdough
starter. If you're making it from scratch, you'll need to feed it for 5 to
7 days before it’s ready for baking. Want a head start? Purchase our
classic fresh sourdough starter — it’ll be ready for baking soon after it
arrives at your door. Looking for tips, techniques, and all kinds of
great information about sourdough baking? Find what you need in our
sourdough baking guide.
 What does ripe starter look like? It should double in volume from it's
last feeding within 8 hours, be filled with bubbles, and just beginning
to collapse under its own weight. If you watch it for 30 seconds, you
should see bubbles rising to the surface and breaking, as if in slow
motion.
 This recipe relies entirely on the active yeast in the starter to raise the
bread. If you're not confident in your starter's level of activity, you can
use a teaspoon of instant yeast in the dough as "insurance". The rise
times will likely be shorter; check the texture of the dough as it rises
after 40 minutes instead of 50.
We're here to help. King Arthur Baker's Hotline: (855) 371 2253

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Rye Levain Pumpernickel

This recipe appears in the Spring 2016 issue of Sift as Sourdough

PREP BAKE T O TA L YIELD

 19 hrs 30 35 mins 20 hrs 5 1 large or 2

Tips from our Bakers

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