Pumpernickel

An integral part of every culinary tradition is a special bread. Italian ciabatta, American bagel, Mediterranean pita and German pumpernickel. Let’s take a look at the last option. Traditional German bread is made from wholemeal rye flour with tangible whole grains. The manufacturing technology of pumpernickel requires special attention to the product: it must be kept for a day, constantly monitored and changed temperature indicators. As a result, we get a fragrant bar of dark brown grain bread (molasses gives a deep shade), which goes well not only with Bavarian sausages or traditional German beer, but also with local gastronomic derivatives.

What is pumpernickel and will the modern sophisticated consumer like it?

General characteristics

Pumpernickel is a traditional German bread. The product is made on the basis of coarse rye flour. The peculiarity of pumpernickel lies in the volkornbrot. These are unground whole grains that the consumer consumes along with a tender bread crumb. In addition to an extraordinary flavor combination, grains increase the nutritional value and energy value of food.

The Germans claim that bread has a beneficial effect on the digestive process. It helps speed up metabolism, increase the percentage of digestibility of foods, avoid problems with stool and pacify uncontrolled appetite. Such “healing” properties of pumpernickel have been known since the Middle Ages. Despite the modern popularity of the product, it is in special demand in Westphalian cuisine, as it was several centuries ago.

A Brief Historical Reference

The oldest known and operating bakery, which produces traditional German bread, is located in the East Westphalian city of Soest. This bakery was founded in 1570 by Jørgen Haverlant. From the XNUMXth century to the present day, dozens of types of bakery products have been made there, but pumpernickel remains the pearl of the assortment. The modern bakery is still owned by the descendants of the founder Haverlant and provides a nutritious treat not only to Soest, but to a good part of the entire German land.

There are many legends about the origin of pumpernickel. A large number of interpretations leads to invariable disputes, which, due to the insufficient number of facts, baffle both interested onlookers and serious scientists. German researchers claim that “Pumpernickel” is translated from the Westphalian dialect as “farting Nikolai”. The name is associated with the acceleration of the digestive process and the body’s response to the use of a grain product. What justified the choice of the name Nikolai is the second, no less difficult question. Someone sees Nicholas II in him (which is impossible due to a temporary discrepancy), someone claims that the name was chosen for a consonant noun.

Another variation on the origin of the word “Pumpernickel” was suggested by the historian Debler. He claims that the word is associated with “witch trials” in the city of Hesse in the XNUMXth-XNUMXth centuries. Debler believes that “Pumpernickel” was the name of the devil himself in a euphemistic manner. An obvious refutation of the words of the historian was found in written German culture. In the novel “Simplicissimus” (XVII) century, “pumpernickel” denoted black rye bread, which excludes the devilish version.

Chemical composition of the product

Product manufacturing details

The basis for making bread is ground rye flour and whole rye grains. The grains are pre-soaked in hot water for 10-15 hours. It is very important to maintain the temperature of the water in which the rye is located, since the wrong structure of the grain (too hard or, on the contrary, loose) can affect the taste of the final product.

The rye flour dough is placed in a pullman (a special closed baking dish), baked at a temperature of 200 ° C, then the temperature is gradually reduced and the dough is left to “languish”. The temperature is reduced up to 100°C. The alternating baking process lasts from 16 to 24 hours.

The traditional cooking method takes an enormous amount of time and simply cannot exist in the realities of the modern fast-paced world. Moreover, if the manufacturing company followed such a step-by-step recipe, it would not be able to establish daily production and receive even a minimal profit.

Technologists have developed a unique technique for preparing pumpernickel in 12-16 hours, which organically fit into production. In an accelerated version, sourdough or yeast is added to the dough. In order for the bread to get a rich, deep dark shade, concentrated juice or a special sugar beet syrup is introduced into the composition.

The shelf life of pumpernickel is several months, and if the product is rolled up in a tin, the time indicator increases to 2 years.

Cinnamon pumpernickel recipe

Comment on the recipe: this is the fastest and most adapted recipe for German rye bread, which is suitable for both a festive New Year’s table and an on-duty family breakfast.

We need:

• wheat or rye whole grain flour – 1 cup;
• sweetener to taste (honey, maple syrup, Jerusalem artichoke syrup);
• butter – 50 g;
• chicken egg – 1 pcs;
• chopped almonds – 2 tablespoons;
• soda – ½ teaspoon;
• crushed cinnamon – 1 tablespoon.

Preparation

Mix flour with soda, sift the resulting dry mixture. Prepare a deep container, grind the oil, sweetener and cinnamon in it. Stir the spicy butter mixture for 3-5 minutes, then add 1 chicken egg and stir for another 3-5 minutes.

From the obtained components, knead the dough, put it in a convenient form on baking paper (additional lubrication is not required) and send it to an oven preheated to 220 ° C. Check readiness with a toothpick. The approximate baking time for pumpernickel is 20-25 minutes.

Why bread is useful

In addition to the obviously high nutritional value and fast saturation, pumpernickel has a very pleasant component component – fiber. The first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “fiber” is bowel cleansing. But this is not the only positive effect of the plant component.

Fiber is the coarse part of a plant that is not digested or absorbed by the human body like normal proteins, fats or carbohydrates. It is this characteristic that determines a whole range of useful properties of the component.

Our ancestors ate about 5 kilograms of food per day, but, at the same time, did not suffer from obesity, chronic gastrointestinal pathologies and other diseases of the abdominal cavity. Scientists justify such a “paradox” by the abundance of plant foods and the fiber that is extracted from it. Plant components have the most beneficial effect on the body, so the internal flora of primitive people did not know a number of modern gastronomic diseases.

What is fiber good for:

• normalizes blood glucose levels and prevents sudden spikes in sugar;
• reduces the concentration of cholesterol, which prevents the risk of developing pathologies of the heart and blood vessels;
• regulates stool, eliminates constipation;
• guarantees long-term saturation, which leads to a decrease not only in portions, but also in centimeters at the waist;
• harmonizes the internal microflora, which reduces the number of rashes on the face and body (helps fight acne);
• reduces the risk of developing breast and colon cancer by participating in complex chemical processes within the body.

Pumpernickel contains soluble fiber. After getting inside, it turns into a special material, the texture of which resembles a dense gel. It is this type of fiber that protects us from diseases, obesity and infection of the microflora. Scientists also isolate insoluble fiber, which is found in fruits and vegetables. The insoluble plant component is responsible for satiety, metabolism and normal stools.

The daily norm of fiber in the diet of an adult varies from 30 to 50 grams. 1 slice of rye flour pumpernickel contains about 2 grams of fiber. This does not mean that the lack of a vegetable component must be filled with huge pieces of bread. It is necessary to balance the calorie and protein-fat-carbohydrate ratio so that the body receives the maximum benefit and, at the same time, is not overloaded.

Another important element that affects the benefits of traditional German bread is seeds. Absolutely any mixes of seeds that will saturate the body can be added to pumpernickel:

• protein;
• vital amino acids;
• antioxidants;
• oxygen (increase its level in the blood);
• useful fatty acids;
• vitamins;
• minerals;
• nutrients.

How to choose the right bread

To get the most benefit from foods, you need to learn how to choose them correctly. In the space of the former CIS, the attitude towards any kind of bread is especially reverent and respectful. The saying “bread is the head of everything” is fixed in our brains even in the womb and does not leave throughout life. But the consumption of the “wrong” bread can be fraught with illness, imperfect appearance and not the most desirable figure. Adherents of a healthy diet assure that there is no need to completely refuse bread, it is necessary to take into account a few simple rules.

Grains

Choose products that are made only from whole grains. Only those cereals that have not been subjected to long-term processing can enrich the body with beneficial nutrients. So-called “high grade flour” is actually an empty carbohydrate that carries unnecessary calories and sugar. All the benefits of the grain are concentrated precisely in the shell, which is preserved in whole grain flour (it is also wholemeal flour). What’s more, preserving whole grains promotes a higher concentration of dietary fiber and nutrients.

Flour

Every modern schoolboy knows about the dangers of white wheat flour. Choose rye, buckwheat, flaxseed and other vegetable flours that are recognized as a healthy alternative to the beloved white powder. Products from the “correct” flour are absorbed by the body more slowly (they do not provoke sugar / insulin surges), saturate with fiber, useful amino acids, micro- and macroelements.

In rye bread, 1,4 grams of fiber is concentrated (6% of the daily intake of an adult), and in wheat bread – 0,9 grams (4% of the daily intake of an adult).

Do not forget that bread is a so-called “heavy” food that takes a long time to digest and increases the level of stomach acid (may lead to an attack of heartburn). People with gastrointestinal pathologies need to strictly monitor the amount of pumpernickel consumed (and any other bakery product), since its excess can provoke an exacerbation of ulcers, gastritis and other stomach / intestinal disorders.

Yeast and other additives

Scientists are still arguing about the harmful effects of yeast on the human body. There is an opinion that yeast is not amenable to heat treatment and, getting inside the body, disrupts its microflora and provokes the development of infections. In addition to yeast, many chemicals/heavy metals are involved in the bread production process, which have a detrimental effect on humans. Among the additional components are not only vegetable seeds, but also hormones, antibiotics, flavor enhancers, preservatives and other developments of the modern food industry. There is no benefit from such additives, so choose bread with the cleanest and shortest composition, in which every ingredient is familiar to you.

Сonclusion

The most useful option is organic bread, which does not include various food additives and preservatives. Opt for natural sourdough rye/whole grain flour, which eliminates the use of yeast and multi-faceted grain processing. If there is a choice between “clean” bread and a product with seeds / nuts / dried fruits, then always choose the second option. A small slice of such bread can be used as a healthy snack or addition to breakfast.

Read the ingredients carefully and stay healthy!