What Goes Well With Pumpernickel Bread? – Recipes With Pumpernickel

You may have seen pumpernickel bread whilst shopping and been curious about trying some. The distinct dark brown colour is definitely eye-catching after all. However, after impulse buying, you may now be wondering what goes well with pumpernickel bread?

Table of Contents

• What is Pumpernickel Bread?
• The Benefits of Pumpernickel Bread
• Recipes With Pumpernickel Bread
  • Pumpernickel Toast
  • Sandwiches
  • Stuffing
  • Croutons

What is Pumpernickel Bread?

Pumpernickel bread is distinctly German, much like how brioche is French or challah is Jewish. This type of bread originated in the Westphalia region of Germany. The city of Soest, located within the Westphalia region is home to the oldest pumpernickel bakery in the world. This bakery dates back to 1570, meaning that this bread is a foodstuff that is deeply ingrained in German history.

The ingredient list for this loaf is surprisingly small. All you need is water, rye flour and whole flour.

However, this does not mean that the baking process is a simple or easy one. To make a loaf of pumpernickel can take over a day. This is because the grains must first be soaked overnight. Then during the baking (or steaming in this case) or the loaf, it must be kept on a low heat for around twenty-four hours.

The resulting loaf is one that has a distinct taste that is both slightly sweet and sour. However, this is different from regular rye bread due to the stronger flavours of pumpernickel, along with its extra sweetness.

The Benefits of Pumpernickel Bread

Along with tasting delicious, pumpernickel bread actually has some significant health benefits. For one, it has quite a low glycemic load meaning that it has a low carbohydrate content.

This bread is slow to digest due to containing high amounts of resistant starch. As a result, it can help to maintain regular blood sugar levels and improve digestion.

Additionally, pumpernickel bread is rich in healthy plant compounds called lignans. These lignans have a proven link with reducing the risk of prostate and breast cancer.

Recipes With Pumpernickel Bread

Like a lot of different bread types, this German bread can be an incredibly versatile loaf. Due to its distinct taste and texture of, any recipe that naturally calls for bread can easily be distinguished with a bit of pumpernickel.

Pumpernickel Toast

Perhaps the most obvious choice when talking about bread is to toast it. Pumpernickel toast can make an excellent breakfast. When paired with some of the following ingredients you’ll constantly be after more slices of toast:

• Cream Cheese or Cottage Cheese: combine with sliced onions and tomatoes along with some sliced smoked salmon. Top with a sprinkle of black pepper
• Orange marmalade, honey or really any spread made with fruits over a layer of butter is delicious on a slice of pumpernickel toast. A sprinkling of nuts would top this off nicely
• Peanut Butter: crunchy peanut butter, in particular, is an excellent choice for a couple of slices of pumpernickel toast

Sandwiches

Another classic option is to make sandwiches using pumpernickel bread. Particularly strong tastes such as mustard or aged cheese make for excellent topping choices. Naturally, of course, combining these with deli meats will only enhance things.

Stuffing

The unique flavour of pumpernickel can replace near enough any other bread when making stuffing. In combination with onions or apples, this stuffing is a particularly amazing treat when served with turkey or pork.

Croutons

If you’ve got a few slices of pumpernickel bread that have been sitting around for a few days, you could always make croutons with them. Once you try these with a salad or soup dish of your choice, I can guarantee you’ll be reluctant to go back to using any other kind of bread.