Limpa bread is a traditional Swedish rye bread flavored with molasses, aniseed, and orange zest. It is moist and flavorful and can be paired with butter, cream cheese, jams, and preserves. It can be made at home by combining various ingredients and baking it in the oven.
Limpa bread is a traditional Swedish rye bread flavored with molasses, aniseed and orange zest. When done well, Limpa bread is moist and extremely flavorful with a rich, almost intoxicating odor. This bread is extremely popular in Sweden and areas with large Swedish populations; if you happen to be lucky enough to live near Swedes, you can probably find a bakery that makes Limpa bread. This bread can also be made at home.
There are numerous uses for Limpa bread. The slightly sweet flavor pairs well with butter as a breakfast food or snack, especially when the bread is still warm. Vört Limpa, as it’s known in Sweden, is also a popular offering during the holiday season, though it can be enjoyed any time of year. The bread also goes well with natural sweet creams such as cream cheese, jams and preserves; if you make Limpa bread at home, you might want to try pairing it with your sweet preserves for a simple and delicious treat.
To make Limpa bread, combine 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup rye flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 packet dry yeast, 2 teaspoons orange peel, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon each chopped fresh aniseed or fennel and cumin. Mix the ingredients to make sure they are well combined; for a richer rye flavor, you can adjust the ratio of rye to wheat flour slightly, though you may want to make the bread once or twice before experimenting too much.
In a saucepan, heat three-quarters of a cup of water with three tablespoons of molasses and two tablespoons of butter. Add the hot moist ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix to form a soft dough. Add up to a half cup of flour to make a stickier, softer dough, and turn the dough out onto a floured board for kneading. Let the dough rise in a greased bowl until doubled in size, which generally takes about an hour and a half.
Punch down the dough and then form it into a loaf-like shape and let it rise in an oiled pan until it doubles in size again. Slice the Limpa bread several times so it expands evenly and bake it in a 350-degree Fahrenheit (177-degree Celsius) oven for about 20 minutes before brushing it with a mixture of water and molasses and sprinkling with more fennel and cumin seeds. After another 10 minutes, brush the bread with molasses again and remove the bread from the oven after it sounds hollow when tapped; this generally takes another 10-15 minutes to cook.
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