Pumpernickel Raisin Bread Recipe

This pumpernickel raisin bread is hearty, lightly sweet, and just indulgent enough to feel like a treat while still being a genuinely wholesome loaf. Raisins and a handful of chocolate chips are tucked into a dark, flavorful dough built from pumpernickel flour, molasses, cocoa powder, and a hint of espresso.

It makes exceptional breakfast toast and is the kind of bread that makes people ask what’s in it.

Dark Rye Raisin Bread

Don’t have pumpernickel flour? Use dark rye flour instead. The texture will be slightly different but no less wonderful.

Dark rye flour is usually a grind of rye berries that includes the entire berry (bran, germ, and endosperm) but often has some of the bran sifted out. There is no industry standard so it is likely to vary brand to brand.

Pumpernickel flour is again a ground from the entire rye berry but nothing is sifted out. It can sometimes be labeled ‘whole rye flour.’ It has a coarser grind than rye flour.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

This is not an especially difficult recipe, however there are a number of ingredients and pumpernickel flour is a bit different to work with, which can feel intimidating to beginner bread bakers. If you’ve made a yeasted bread before you’ll be fine here.

Flavorful & Colorful

This loaf of homemade has flavor for days thanks to mix of wonderful ingredients that also add to the dark color.

Brown sugar adds a depth of sweetness and flavor that isn’t overpowering but is again darker than white sugar to color the dough.

Molasses adds color and a bittersweet flavor to the final loaf.

Cocoa powder adds color and while some of the bitterness may remain no one will actually notice it here.

Espresso powder again adds color and a hint of bitterness that is lovely but no one eating it is going to actually note a coffee flavor. Skip it you don’t have it.

Chocolate Chips

The addition of chocolate chips to this bread recipe was inspired by the book Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread Cookbook.

The original recipe includes a pre-ferment and more and the day I first wanted to make this I was in a bit more of a rush and so I share the quicker version with you.

This is not loaded with chocolate chips but there is just enough of a mix of chocolate and raisins to make it feel quite indulgent.

Feel free to skip them if it just isn’t your thing.

How to Toast Chocolate Chip Bread

Don’t put these slices in your toaster if you’ve added the chocolate chips. The melted chocolate is likely to make a huge mess inside there.

Instead place slices on a parchment lined baking sheet and broil a few minutes on each side. Likely about 5 minutes, but check for your preferred level of darkness.

Alternatively, toast on a pan in a toaster oven.

How to Store

Keep the baked and cooled loaf in an airtight bag or container at room temperature where it should stay fresh for up to 4 days.

To freeze, place the cooled loaf into an airtight bag and freeze for up to 6 months. You can also slice first and freeze individual slices so you can grab just what you need. Let thaw on the counter before serving.

If you enjoy baking with pumpernickel flour, my pumpernickel rolls are worth trying next. And if you love raisin bread, my cinnamon raisin challah is another great option.

Troubleshooting

The dough is very sticky and hard to knead. Pumpernickel flour absorbs liquid more slowly than bread flour. Give the dough a few extra minutes before adding more flour. It will come together. Add bread flour a tablespoon at a time if it remains truly unworkable, but expect this dough to be slightly tacky even when properly kneaded.

The loaf didn’t rise much. Pumpernickel and rye doughs are naturally denser than white bread doughs and won’t double the way a white loaf does. The recipe notes “not quite doubled” for the first rise, which is normal. Don’t wait for a dramatic rise or you may over-proof the dough.

The bread is very dense. A little density is expected and desirable here. If it’s unpleasantly dense, the dough likely needed more kneading or the yeast wasn’t fully active before mixing. Make sure the yeast foamed properly in the warm water before adding anything else.

The chocolate chips sank to the bottom. Toss the chips lightly in a tablespoon of flour before adding them to the dough. This helps them stay distributed through the loaf.

The crust is very thick and hard. Rye and pumpernickel breads develop a thicker crust than white loaves. If you prefer a softer crust, brush the loaf with butter immediately after it comes out of the oven and tent loosely with foil while it cools.