pumpernickel loaves: tuesdays with dorie

this weeks challenge was pumpernickel loaves.  the recipe was contributed to the pbs series and the book by lauren groveman and you can find it on her website by following this link.  rye and pumpernickel bread have always been a favorite of mine.  actually, to be honest, i am a huge fan of toast and rye and pumpernickel breads are my favorite breads to toast.  i could literally eat an entire loaf, sliced and toasted and slathered with butter.

the recipe was a bit different from the usual pumpernickel recipes.  sure it called for rye flour and caraway seeds.  it wouldn't be pumpernickel without them.  but this recipe also called for yogurt, espresso powder, unsweetened chocolate and prune lekvar.  because i was curious to try the combination, i followed the ingredient list closely with one exception; i did not have any prune lekvar and did not have time to make it so i used what i had, pumpkin butter.  funny thing is, it was unnoticeable!  i plan to make this bread again but may just use plain pumpkin puree.  to see what the other bakers came up with, visit the tuesdays with dorie page.

the ingredients were not the only unusual feature of the recipe.  once the loaves are shaped, the recipe calls for suspending them in towel slings.

not being a big caraway fan, i did not put any seeds on the outside of the loaf.  it just got the egg white glaze to give it a shine.

now that's some fine bread with butter!

time to step away from the table...

buy a copy of the book, baking with julia by dorie greenspan and bake along with us!