I am trying to figure out a way to make a pumpernickel pizza dough for a halloween gathering. I tried once using an amalgam of recipes and the dough was utterly dense and lackluster. Does anyone have some recommendations for how to darken Rose’s pizza dough recipe and add rye flavor without sacrificing the light texture of pizza? The flours in the two recipes are literally at the opposite ends of the sprectrum in their protein content which makes me wonder if this is even possible. Additionally, her pumpernickel recipe a sponge is created ideally using “alte brot” and then remaining amount of ingredients are mixed in later whereas the pizza dough begins with mixing all the ingredients together.

Thank you!

Her recipe for pumpernickel:

Sponge:
High Protein Bread Flour
Pumpernickel Flour
Yeast
Caraway Seeds
Water
Cider Vinegar
Malt Powder
Molasses

Flour Mixture:
High Protein Bread Flour
Pumpernickel Flour
Yeast
Vital Wheat Gluten
Caramel Powder
Cocoa
Sugar
Instant Espresso Powder
Vegetable Oil
Salt

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Her recipe for pizza:
King Arthur Low Protein Flour
Yeast
Sugar
Salt
Water
Olive Oil

How about adding caraway and just a little rye flour to a regular pizza dough.  You could darken by using a combination of chocolate and coffee in place of the water and molasses for the sugar.  I *think* pumpernickle often has a little of each.

You might consider using food coloring for the color; for the flavor, could you maybe make crumbs from some rye bread and add that to the pizza dough?  I think that some rye recipes do that.

fairefare, welcome!  Rose and her publishers request that we not post recipes, so I’ve left your ingredients but edited out the gram weights.

Charles T’s suggestion sounds like a great option, you could also try just adding a few of the ingredients that color the dough (cocoa, brown sugar, instant coffee) and scaling them to the quantity of dough that you’re making.  Not sure what your toppings are, but if they are something compatible with pumpernickel (onions, etc), and you still want pumpernickel flavor, you could then sub about 10% of the flour with medium rye flour.  With those changes, you might consider using an unbleached AP flour for a smidge more protein than the Italian-style flour she recommends.

Another option would be to make the pumpernickel as written, except switch to a lower-protein flour and if necessary, reduce hydration a little (may not be necessary as pizza doughs work well with somewhat higher hydration).

I would use the pumpernickel recipe as the base. Use all purpose flour instead of bread flour. Double the oil and add one egg yolk. Beat these into the preferment then incorporate the other dry ingredients.