Mary Moore’s Pumpernickel Bread
Makes 3 loaves
2 packages granular yeast (or 4 1/2 teaspoons)
1 cup lukewarm water
2 teaspoons sugar
3 1/4 cups lukewarm water (second amount)
2 squares (2 oz) unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup molasses
1 Tablespoon margarine
2 cups unseasoned hot mashed potatoes (about 4 potatoes - see below)
3/4 cup corn meal
2 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons caraway seeds (optional)
3 cups unsifted rye flour (usually dark)
1 cup whole bran cereal or all bran
about 9 3/4 cups unsifted white flour - all-purpose
Scrub and trim blemishes from four medium-sized potatoes; boil covered, immersed in water until tender. Drain, peel and mash until there are no lumps. Measure two cups.
In a very large mixing bowl or clean dishpan, soak the yeast and sugar in the one cup lukewarm water for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile heat together, in large pan until lukewarm, the 3 1/4 cups lukewarm water, chocolate, molasses and margarine.
Remove from heat and mix in mashed potatoes, corn meal, salt and caraway seeds. Mix well and stir into risen yeast liquid.
Add rye flour and bran and beat for 5-minutes.
Add three cups white flour and beat until you have a soft dough – at least 5 minutes. Now add four more cups white flour, mixing in well, scrape down sides of bowl, cover and let rise at least one hour.
Sprinkle kneading board with one cup of the leftover flour. Turn dough out on it.
Sprinkle top with 1/2 cup of remaining flour and begin kneading surplus flour into dough until it is not sticky.
Flour your hands with the remaining measured flour, liberally, to make kneading possible. As soon as it will hold its shape (you will need all of this flour) and is uniformly kneaded, shape into roll, cut into three pieces.
Shape them into small footballs and place in buttered standard loaf pans.
Pyrex loaf pans will give a lovely outside crust.
Let rise one hour or until risen one-inch above rims of pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F (approximate 55 to 60 minutes or until when rapped with knuckles, it sounds hollow). Do not underbake rye bread. Switch and turn pans in oven at halftime.
Carefully turn out on racks to cool – but while loaf is still warm, slice off a crust, butter and eat it on the spot.
Note: If desired glaze top by brushing with slightly beaten egg white, while warm.
Source: Mary Moore cooking column Leader-Post newspaper, Jan 14, 1970.