Fruited Mock Pumpernickel Loaf

I grew up eating pumpernickel and had high hopes for this bread, but was disappointed to discover it didn’t taste like pumpernickel at all. That’s not to say it wasn’t good – it was, but not what I was expecting.

The bread was prettily speckled with apricots and dates, which were the standout in this recipe. I’ve never used dried fruit in a savory bread before and they added a nice, full-bodied sweetness that blended well with the rest of the loaf.

The slices turned out quite large, although with all the fruit this bread isn’t the best candidate for building a sandwich – it’s better suited to vegan margarine, peanut butter, or better yet, homemade nutella.

Fruited Mock Pumpernickel Loaf
From The Complete Gluten-Free Cookbook

1 cup sorghum flour
½ cup pea flour (I used garfava)
1/3 cup cornstarch
½ cup tapioca starch
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tbsp xanthan gum
2 tsp bread machine or instant yeast
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tsp instant coffee granules
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs (I used the book’s egg-free option and added 1/3 cup ground flaxseed with 1/3 cup warm water)
1 ¼ cups water
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp fancy molasses
1 tsp cider vinegar
½ cup snipped dried apricots
½ coarsely chopped pitted dates

In a large bowl, combine the sorghum flour, pea flour, cornstarch, tapioca starch, brown sugar, xanthan gum, yeast, salt, coffee granules and cocoa. Mix well and set aside.

In a separate bowl, using a heavy duty electric mixer with paddle attachment, combine eggs, water, oil, molasses and vinegar until well blended. With the mixer on its lowest speed, slowly add the dry ingredients until combined. Stop the machine and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer on medium speed, beat for four minutes. Stir in apricots and dates.

Spoon into prepared pan. Let rise, uncovered, in a warm, draft-free place for 60 to 75 minutes, or until dough has risen to the top of the pan. Meanwhile, preheat over to 350 degrees F with rack set in the bottom third of the oven.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting with foil partway through, or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Remove from the pan immediately and let cool completely on a rack.