# The Wonders of Pumpernickel **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 23, 2014, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272 "2014-08-23T04:04:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![butterfiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b3f665/32.png) [@butterfiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butterfiles)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/1 "2014-08-23T04:04:41Z")
Pastured butter on toasted pumpernickel. What else have you done with the wonder that is pumpernickel? I have half a loaf left. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/2 "2014-08-23T04:10:11Z")
> [@butterfiles](#): > > Pastured butter on toasted pumpernickel. > > What else have you done with the wonder that is pumpernickel? I have half a loaf left. Creamed chipped beef on pumpernickel toast. Or, oddly enough, bologna and American cheese sandwiches. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/3 "2014-08-23T04:22:14Z")
Toasted pumpernickel, thick layer of braunschweiger, sliced raw white onion, chopped pickles, yellow mustard. Serve with home fries and a pint (or 3) of pilsner. Best eaten while watching playoff hockey. I’d recommend brushing your teeth soon afterward if you want to keep your friends. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/4 "2014-08-23T05:46:17Z")
Or thinly sliced, toasted pumpernickel with cheddar cheese and pickled garlic. (Brushing also recommended, but probably insufficient. :D) ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/5 "2014-08-23T08:42:07Z")
Pumpernickel bagel, toasted, with onion cream cheese and lox. ---
**Author:** ![butterfiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b3f665/32.png) [@butterfiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butterfiles)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/6 "2014-08-23T09:52:24Z")
Anyone had pumpernickel with smoked fish (salmon or trout)? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/7 "2014-08-23T14:38:51Z")
> [@butterfiles](#): > > Anyone had pumpernickel with smoked fish (salmon or trout)? Yes, very good. If I don’t have a bagel around I’ll have lox or smoked salmon on any kind of bread. If I have pumpernickel I’ll use that. The same goes for most types of sandwiches. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/8 "2014-08-23T14:43:19Z")
Corned beef and pickles. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/9 "2014-08-23T14:43:32Z")
Pumpernickel is so DARNED good, I don’t need anything on it; right out of the bag into the mouth. (Of course, some swiss cheese, roast beef, and spicy mustard certainly couldn’t hurt. Oh, man, grocery store, here I come) ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/10 "2014-08-23T14:47:09Z")
all of the above plus grilled muenster and roasted tomato on pumpernickel egg salad zippy! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/11 "2014-08-23T14:52:12Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Corned beef and pickles. Corned beef with coleslaw and Russion dressing. ---
**Author:** ![butterfiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b3f665/32.png) [@butterfiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butterfiles)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/12 "2014-08-23T18:25:44Z")
> [@chela](#): > > all of the above plus grilled muenster and roasted tomato on pumpernickel > > egg salad zippy! Wow grilled muenster sounds good… ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/13 "2014-08-23T18:37:30Z")
> [@butterfiles](#): > > Pastured butter on toasted pumpernickel. > > What else have you done with the wonder that is pumpernickel? I have half a loaf left. Honestly, I think you nailed it in one. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/14 "2014-08-23T18:38:01Z")
Fry lump of burger dusted with garlic salt and pepper. Smash, flip, set aside. Add half a sliced onion to grease, cook till soft, set aside. Add bit of butter to the pan, throw in two slices pumpernickel with cheese on top, fry till toasty. Assemble sandwich. Brown mustard and mayo if desired. Also, cream cheese and apricot jam is really good on pumpernickel. Plus ham, if you got it. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/15 "2014-08-23T23:23:22Z")
All of these sound fine. I can’t improve. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2014, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/16 "2014-08-23T23:40:19Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > All of these sound fine. I can’t improve. Don’t you believe it, friend! Thick slice of beefsteak tomato, lightly salted? Oh, man, back to the grocery store. Later! ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/17 "2014-08-24T00:12:39Z")
Grilled ham and Swiss, or a nice juicy hamburger on pumpernickel instead of a bun. Or just toast it and put butter and jelly on it. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/18 "2014-08-24T00:27:53Z")
Does anyone have a recipe for a really good pumpernickel, that they’ve made and can tell me about? As a baker I have a lot of bread baking recipes, but even the German and Central European ones tend to have bread recipes that are lighter in texture. I want the good, tough, pumpernickel that can be sliced really thing, toasted, and slathered with unsalted butter. ---
**Author:** ![NeonMadman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58f4c7/32.png) [@NeonMadman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeonMadman)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/19 "2014-08-24T01:16:41Z")
One of my favorite sandwiches since childhood - simply peanut butter on pumpernickel. Nothing else. It’s heavenly. ---
**Author:** ![Uther\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Uther\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uther_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2014, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272/20 "2014-08-24T02:05:32Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Does anyone have a recipe for a really good pumpernickel, that they’ve made and can tell me about? > > As a baker I have a lot of bread baking recipes, but even the German and Central European ones tend to have bread recipes that are lighter in texture. > > I want the good, tough, pumpernickel that can be sliced really thing, toasted, and slathered with unsalted butter. The traditional pumpernickel from Westphalia is very difficult to make, because it is not really baked in the strictest sense of the word but more or less steamed. They use only very coarse rye flour, no wheat, and whole rye berries. The rye must soak for hours in hot water. They do not add either yeast nor sourdough, instead the unleavened loaves are steamed in a special mold in 100 centigrade hot steam over 24 hours. The dark brown color and the sweetish taste results from slow caramelization the Maillard reaction. The crust stays soft and the bread is quite moist. Today, many bakers add rye flour, rye-based sourdough and even the local (basically molasses-like) sugar beet syrup and bake it only c. 16 hours. I don’t have a real recipe, though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wonders-of-pumpernickel/696272.md?page=2)