Polydish city guide
Best Pumpernickel in Chicago
“Dense rye bread traditionally made with sourdough starter and coarsely ground rye, now spanning peasant origins to supermarket shelves.”
What the real thing tastes like
Pumpernickel (English: ; German: [ˈpʊmpɐˌnɪkl̩] ) is a typically dense, rye bread traditionally made with sourdough starter and coarsely ground rye. It is sometimes made with a combination of rye flour and whole rye grains ("rye berries"). At one time, it was traditional peasant fare, but largely during the 20th century various forms became popular with other classes through delicatessens and supermarkets. Present-day European and North American pumpernickel differ in several characteristics, including the use of additional leaveners. The less dense North American version may eschew rye grains, have coloring and flavoring agents, add wheat flour, have a glazed crust, be cooked at a higher baking temperature, and have a dramatically shortened baking time.
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Pumpernickel is a dense rye bread born from peasant practicality, built on the foundation of sourdough starter and coarsely ground rye—sometimes whole rye berries too. What once fed farmers' tables has traveled upward through delicatessens into supermarkets, though the journey changed it: European and North American versions have drifted apart, the latter lighter and faster, sometimes spiked with wheat flour, coloring, and glaze.
Order it here when it has
- traditionally sourdough-leavened
- made from whole rye grains
- dense, substantial crumb
- historic peasant authenticity
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