MAKES ONE 10-INCH LOAF
Did you know that a rough translation of pumpernickel is “devil’s fart”? This bread comes from Germany, where the word pumpern refers to, well, breaking wind; nickel is derived from Nicholas, a name in German folklore that’s associated with goblins and other devilish characters. The word alludes to the effects of this dark, rye-enriched bread on the digestive system.
Don’t let fear of farting keep you from enjoying this loaf, which is the perfect canvas for a sandwich. It has an amazingly complex flavor owing to coffee, molasses, and cocoa powder, and the Baking Steel ensures that it has a perfect texture, airy on the inside but crisp on the outside.
250 grams (2 cups) bread flour
125 grams (1¼ cups) medium rye flour
15 grams (2 tablespoons) unsweetened cocoa powder
6 grams (1½ teaspoons) sugar
8 grams (1½ teaspoons) fine sea salt
2 grams (½ teaspoon) active dry yeast
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons brewed coffee, at room temperature
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons dark molasses
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and yeast.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coffee, olive oil, and molasses, mixing until incorporated. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix using a wooden spoon until totally incorporated.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 5 to 6 minutes by hand (alternatively, 3 to 4 minutes on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook). In kneading, you want to remove any dry clumps and form a nice, tight ball. The dough won’t be quite as elastic as a dough made entirely with a bread flour or even whole-wheat flour; it’s just the nature of rye flour. Go with it. Cover your dough with a damp, clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 24 hours.
4. Turn the risen dough mixture onto a floured work surface.
5. With floured hands, shape the dough into a large ball by folding the sides in and pinching them in the center to form a seam. Place the ball, seam-side up, in a floured breadbasket and cover with a damp towel. Let rest for 2 more hours.
6. Position a rack in the middle of your oven and place the Baking Steel on top. Preheat oven to 425°F for 45 to 60 minutes.
7. Turn the dough onto a floured pizza peel, seam-side down. With a bread lame or a razor blade, make 2 to 3 slits across the dough, cutting ⅛ inch deep.
8. Use the pizza peel to launch your bread onto the hot Baking Steel.
9. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, using the peel to rotate the steel halfway through baking. Since this bread is dark in color, detecting doneness can be difficult. I like to knock on the top of it when I think it’s about done; if it is, it will have a slightly hollow sound.
10. Remove the bread using a pizza peel and transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely.
11. Store in a paper bag for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
EXTRA CREDIT What’s a breadbasket? Also known as a banneton or brotform, a breadbasket is a wicker bowl-shaped basket that contains dough while it rises. It not only discourages the sideways spread of wetter doughs, but imparts a beautiful spiral pattern on top of the dough that contrasts nicely with slash marks and makes your bread look bakery-bought. If you don’t happen to own (or don’t want to own) a breadbasket, a large (about ten inches in diameter) floured bowl will work just fine.