a loaf of pumpernickel bread
How Exactly Does Pumpernickel Bread Get Its Signature Color?

NEWS

By JONATHAN KESH
sliced pumpernickel bread
Pumpernickel bread is easy to identify because of its deep brown color. There are two different ways this bread turns brown: the traditional German way or the American way.
sandwich with pumpernickel bread
The classic German recipe involves baking rye flour or rye berries at low temperatures of around 250 degrees F for a long time (up 14 hours), browning the bread as it cooks.
loaf of pumpernickel
The American version isn’t cooked as long. Instead, it's artificially colored with molasses or cocoa powder, which also has the side-effect of sweetening it.