Hi;

I am making pumpernickel mainly following the method outlined in:
http://samartha.net/SD/procedures/PPN01/index.html
I am dividing the 18.2Kg recipe by 10 to get a 4 pound recipe.

Starting with about 1800g, I end up with 1500 to 1600 gram bread, with
other words, on a typical run, I start with a dough hydration of 70%,
and end up with a bread hydration of 45%.

My pumpernickel is pleasant to eat, however, it is quite different
from German pumpernickel. The German pumpernickel I buy in American
German-food stores (500g, plastic wrapped, rye, water, salt, yeast as
only ingredients) is darker than my pumpernickel, somewhat softer and
moister, it has a slightly sweet smell and taste, but of course not as
fresh as my own homebaked pumpernickel. My pumpernickel smells more
like rye in comparison.

I am interested in how much water loss other people experience making
pumpernickel, and also how sour the dough gets prior to baking, i.e.
can you hear the CO2 escaping through the dough, is it a sharp whiff
when smelling it?

I have tried using extra aluminum foil to retain more water, but I end
up with a "doughy" bread.

Jan Fure