Swedish Style Limpa

Today I am baking some homemade Swedish style limpa, if not my favorite, then at least one of my favorite breads of all time! Limpa simply means loaf, so you might say I am baking a loaf of loaf, although in Sweden when somebody says limpa everyone knows what loaf they are referring to, so you might as well say I'm baking "the loaf"!

At any rate limpa is a semi sweet rye bread with an essence of caraway and anise. We use to bake limpa at our bakery and it was one of our best sellers. This recipe varies slightly from that one but is nevertheless it is a great bread. This recipe will yield one large loaf or two medium sized loaves, I am baking two as they freeze well so I will have another one ready to go once I finish the first, and if you have any dough left over it makes a great starter if you bake your own kavring. I like to score my bread but this is by no means necessary the reason’s why one does so is mainly 2 fold; to keep bread for cracking or splitting open and secondly for presentation purposes. Also when the bread is ready not only should it have a nice color but when taped should sound hollow. Practical uses for limpa are reserved mainly for sandwiches both open face and closes

Shopping List

Bread flour

Rye flour

Instant yeast

Butter

Dark syrup

Molasses

Dark brown sugar

Bottled spring water, optional 

Caraway seeds

Anis seeds

Sea salt

My Mad Method

Ready to serve!!!

Combine 350g bread flour, 125g rye flour, 2.5 TBS instant yeast, 1/2-1/3 TBSP sea salt, 1 TBS each caraway seeds & anis (powder)

Blend together

Combine 3dl very hot water, 1.5 TBSP butter, 1dl dark syrup, 1 TBSP Molasses, & 1/2 TBS sugar mix to melt butter

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients mix to form a nice dough, if to dry add more liquid if to wet add more flour

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and proof under a kitchen cloth in a warm place for about 30 minutes

 The dough is now ready to be worked

Divide the dough into two roll the dough and form as a loaf, proof the dough again for another 20-30 minutes

When the loaves have doubled in size, brush them with water to keep the outside from browning to quickly. Bake in a 220c preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until done (see above), cool on a wire wrack