Recipe: Pumpernickel Bread

Pumpernickel Bread
Source: The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas; 1972
alt.bread.recipes/Tom (redhart9)/2004

I used to make this pretty frequently, and it always came out dense, moist, and suitable for baking in small loaves for thin slicing.

1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. caraway seeds
1 Tbsp. powdered lemon peel, or 2 Tbsp. fresh grated)
1 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. molasses
1/3 cup currants
2 cups milk
2 cups rye flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup pure wheat bran (not ready-to-eat cereal)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup gluten flour

Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water. Scald milk. Add the butter, lemon peel, salt, molasses, and currents to hot milk, and cool mixture to lukewarm.

Mix in the yeast and water mixture, the rye flour, and half of the whole wheat flour. Stir until smooth. Add the bran, the wheat germ, and the gluten flour, to make a stiff dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, using the remaining whole wheat flour as needed. Let rise once until double, and punch down. Form into two loaves, and let rise until almost double.

Brush with cold water, and bake in a preheated f 375 oven about 50 minutes or until done.

My note: I don't think the author intended the 1/2 cup gluten flour to be vital wheat gluten, but rather a high gluten flour. I recall substituting a few tablespoons of vital wheat gluten, and filling up the amount with white bread flour.