Pumpernickle From Starter/discard
Baked Goods, Breads
Ingredients
Rye starter:
1 cup starter
3/4 cup rye flour
1/4 cup bread flour
1 cup water
Soaker:
1 cup pumpernickel crumbs (*1)
3/4 cup water
Bread:
1 T. Kosher salt
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. cocoa powder
1 T. espresso powder
1 T. molasses
1 cup pumpernickel soaker
3-3 1/2 cups bread flour
spray bottle
4x9 Pullman pan
Pizza stone
Kitchenaid with dough hook
Description
Authentic pumpernickel is very dense and achieves its color and flavor by being cooked all day in low heat, often in a fired oven.
American pumpernickel is fluffier, gets its color and flavor from additions, and is cooked shorter times, at higher temperatures.
This is a cross between the two that I developed after reading a lot of recipes and testing them out.
Directions
Day 1: Take 1 cup of your starter and make the rye starter. (*2)
For your soaker, put the pumpernickel breadcrumbs (altus) in a bowl with the water and stir together.
Cover both with plastic wrap and let sit overnight. 
Day 2: Into the starter, add the molasses, espresso powder, cocoa, salt, sugar, and soaker.
Mix thoroughly. Incorporate a little bread flour at a time until it forms a loose, doughy ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured board. 
Knead, adding just enough flour to prevent sticking, just until you can make a ball. Rye dough won’t make a springy ball, and never completely loses its stickiness.
Place into a lightly oiled container and let rise until double, anywhere from 2 hours to 5 hours.
Turn the dough out onto your floured board. Press and stretch out into a rectangle, then roll up pinching the seam into the roll. 
Put in your pan, seam side down. If it comes more than half way up, cut some off the end and discard.
Press out. Spritz with water and cover with the lid.
Let the bread rise until an inch from the top, anywhere from 1-4 hours. (From the knuckle to the tip of your thumb is about 1 inch).
While you are waiting, put your pizza stone in the oven and heat it up to 400 degrees. After the stone is hot, turn the heat down to 200 degrees.
If the dough has risen too much, use scissors to snip excess off across the top and discard. If it is already touching the lid when it goes in, dough will be squeezed out the openings. Spritz with water and close the lid. 
Put the pan on the stone, and bake for 3 hours.
Turn off the oven and let it sit undisturbed for 3 hours.
Remove the loaf, put on cooling rack, wrap loosely with a towel, and let sit until completely cooled. Don’t be concerned if it seems soggy, it won’t stay that way. 
Keeping it in the towel, move your loaf to a container or bag. Remove the towel the next morning.
Don't forget to save 1 cup of the bread, cut or torn into pieces, for the next loaf. Put them in a container and store in the freezer until you are ready to use them.
Notes
*1 Buy a small loaf of bakery pumpernickel or rye to make crumbs for your first loaf.
*2 If you don’t plan to make the bread right away, mix the starter and put it in the fridge. Let it warm and become bubbly before using. Mix the soaker no sooner than the night before using.