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OK so maybe this is a long shot but here goes.

Many years ago when I was a cheesehead I used to visit the windy city regularly, and one of the highlights was to visit the predominantly German section of town where the delis/groceries were located. One of which was Kuhn's Deli on N. Lincoln. We're talking specifically about circa '85 here give or take, and I see that particular location is no longer. Pity, that.

In any case, I used to get a way great bread loaf there called "Schinkenbrot", and it was a whole un-sliced dark rye, shaped much like a football. Very dense and chewy, with what looked like whole kernels of rye. They weren't caraway seeds.

Not completely black in color, rather a very dark brown. Don't think Kuhn's baked this, but they sold it and I got a loaf every time I went down there.

To date it's one of the finest breads I've ever had and I've never had any luck in finding that particular loaf since. Google hasn't been my friend. Found some sites but they don't offer the version I once had.

I'm left thinking that this was a small local German bakery. Does it still exist?  Any Chi town folks know of this?


Cheers,

RR
 
Could it have been Polish? Largest Polish community outside of Warsaw Poland in Chicago. Plenty of rye breads up there.

I'll run your description by a pipe brother I know up there that also loves foods, and see what I get back.
 
Carlos":jl9vrdf4 said:
A Google turned up a Kuhn's Deli in Des Plaines.  Have you checked there?  They list:

Dimpflmeier Canada Schinkenbrot 1 Lb. Sliced & Packaged
5.98
Schinkenbrot is a Black Forest rye.
Thanks Carlos. Doesn't look like the same one but might give it a try and see.


Cheers,

RR
 
Here is the description.

Schwarzwalder Schinkenbrot (Black Forest bread for ham) is a fulsomely flavored one-pound loaf made with coarse rye flour, crushed rye, whole wheat flour, water, yeast and salt. A nice companion to ham and full- flavored meats, cheeses and a glass of any good wine or beer.
I love a good rye bread. Eat rye every day at home. Chicago, actually, many of the surrounding communities, offer some superb ethnic foods. I am going to be up there soon, and less than 4 miles from Kuhn's. If I can get free for a bit, I may run over there.
 
Carlos":dof9u9y0 said:
Here is the description.

Schwarzwalder Schinkenbrot (Black Forest bread for ham) is a fulsomely flavored one-pound loaf made with coarse rye flour, crushed rye, whole wheat flour, water, yeast and salt. A nice companion to ham and full- flavored meats, cheeses and a glass of any good wine or beer.
I love a good rye bread.  Eat rye every day at home.  Chicago, actually, many of the surrounding communities, offer some superb ethnic foods.  I am going to be up there soon, and less than 4 miles from Kuhn's.  If I can get free for a bit, I may run over there.
Well if you're going to be that close you should stop in and see if they are in stock on the Schinkenbrot. I googled Dimpflmeier Canada Schinkenbrot and the closest place that stocks it is in California!

To me, Schinkenbrot had much in common with Pumpernickel but different somehow. Both are very dense, chewy, and hugely flavorful. But Schinkenbrot had what appeared to be whole rye kernels baked into it where Pumpernickel had caraway seeds.

The Dimpflmeier Schinkenbrot ingredient list on their site doesn't list whole rye kernels, rather it's rye flakes. Both Pumpernickel and Schinkenbrot are made with sour dough cultures. And both are great in their own way.

The Dimpflmeier Schinkenbrot is sliced and looks like a half loaf, where the one I used to buy was an unsliced whole loaf shaped kind of like a football - being skinny at each end and fat in the middle with a flat bottom. That way I could use my bread knife and slice off whatever thickness I wanted at the time. It was sold already packaged in a cellophane bag, rather than on display naked in a case.

It was ideal for whatever one wanted to put on it, go ahead and name it - from sammiches to toast. Went real good with sardines w/hot sauce and pickled onions. Pickled Herring and raw onions also was a treat. These were open faced sammiches on toasted Schinkenbrot.

Another one of my favorite sammiches was lightly toasted Schinkenbrot sliced thick (say 3/8" or so), Limburger cheese, raw onions, fresh grated horseradish, and thick sliced home grown 'maters, plus a good few additions of fresh ground black pepper from a pepper mill.

Lordy, now I'm Jonesin' for one of those!


lickout-smiley.gif




Cheers,

RR
 
Carlos":53p4672u said:
:lol:   Well, even if they don't have it.  There must be a bakery up there that does.
Hopefully.

I sent a query to Khun's re: Schinkenbrot and they responded that they carried it. I'll call them and see if they ship, and also ask about the loaf I used to get. Hopefully one of them will be able to know about this, that is if they were around in the mid-'80s at the location on N. Lincoln.



Cheers,

RR
 
Called Kunh's today. They do ship, but the minimum order is $25 + shipping and a loaf of Dimpflmeier is $5.95. They have 3 in stock. Doesn't look like I'm going to be able to do this, as there's not enough other items I want.

Today, my brewer told me of a German deli in Seattle and I called them up. They knew of Dimpflmeier Schinkembrot but don't carry it. The German woman I spoke with suggested Vollkornbrot (full bread) which she said had similar characteristics with whole grains and they carry it. They're not that far from me so I'll me checking this out in due course.

In the meantime I got in some Mestemacher Pumpernickel which was available at my local grocery. Looks promising.

:tongue:



Cheers,

RR
 
"Volkornbrot", if the same as the Afrikaans meaning, I would say is whole wheat bread. But I might be wrong.
I love a good rye bread. My wife is Lithuanian and there you get the most beautiful sourdoughs ever. Wonder if the one you describe isn't similar?
 
CharlG":prd9wvin said:
"Volkornbrot", if the same as the Afrikaans meaning, I would say is whole wheat bread. But I might be wrong.
I love a good rye bread. My wife is Lithuanian and there you get the most beautiful sourdoughs ever. Wonder if the one you describe isn't similar?
Full corn bread, made with whole broken pieces of grain be it rye or wheat. That's more or less what I was getting with the Schinkenbrot I enjoyed many years ago.

Still need to get myself to the German Deli near Sea Tac and check out their Vollkornbrot. The Mestemacher Pumpernickel I got is just fine but not near as good, to me at least.

Carlos":prd9wvin said:
I'll try to report on Sunday.
I'll be looking forward to your report Carlos. Back at the previous location on N Lincoln they also carried a sausage brand called Stiglmeier, based in IL. My buddy I used to travel there with swore that they were as good as anything one got in the old country. Me, I dunno on accounta I'm one of those weird vegi terrorists!

Many years ago I baked my own bread on occasion, and once made a very dense dark rye loaf with coca powder and caraway seeds. That was some of the most flavorful and chewiest bread I've had anywhere. Just a small loaf lasted me a long time as it was a meal unto itself!

:rabbit:



Cheers,

RR
 
So this is what I came home with. The Schinkenbrot is chewy. Not a soft rye that you can fold, as it will break. Not a crusty rye. Decent flavor. Nine slices in a loaf. It is wrapped tightly and then slid into that outer bag. A decent rye bread. But I prefer a soft rye usually. I'll let you know about the other later.



 
Great.........now y'all done made me hungry for real rye bread. Those are some good looking loaves you got there Carlos, enjoy.

Jim
 
Looks pretty dang good to me Carlos. Are there whole grains incorporated into it? That's what I remember from the Schinkenbrot I bought at the former store. That one was a whole loaf, not sliced, shaped kinda like a football. Must've weighed 3 lbs!

Now get you some Limburger cheese, raw onions, fresh grated horseradish, Braunschweiger if you like, and have you a feast!


Cheers,

RR
 
Are you referring to the nutty things in the bread?  You can see them in the photo.  They are the meats from some kinda grain or nut.  Good stuff.  Pricey.  But everyone has their own favorite type of rye bread.
 
Carlos":a2eredeb said:
Are you referring to the nutty things in the bread?  You can see them in the photo.  They are the meats from some kinda grain or nut.  Good stuff.  Pricey.  But everyone has their own favorite type of rye bread.
Ya, now that you mention it I can see them.


Cheers,

RR
 
I wanted to revive this thread due to recently visiting the German Import Deli in the Seattle area.

Han's Deli and Grocery is located in Burien, WA just a mile or so from Sea Tac airport. They have a well stocked small German import grocery and Deli which boasts fresh sausage, cheese, and much else.

I was on a mission for German rye bread, and was not disappointed. They had fresh baked loaves of a rustic bread called LANDBROT from Andy's German Bakehaus in Vancouver, BC.

It's a dark German Rye, very chewy and flavorful. Much in the style of the Schinkenbrot I was originally seeking. It doesn't have the whole corns of Schinkenbrot I remember but otherwise is a good match. Next time I'm in the area I'll be getting in a larger loaf, as this one was a small pre-sliced loaf.

Han's also had other imported German loaves with whole corns, sunflower seeds and such but those were all in the shrink-wrapped small rectangular thin sliced loaves. I've had those kind before and while they're OK in and of themselves they don't have the same kind of flavor I'm looking for.

So I now have a new favorite bread!

:cheers:



Cheers,

RR
 
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