Swedish Limpa

Name: Swedish Limpa
Yield: Makes 2 loaves
Cuisine: Swedish
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon anise seed or fennel seed; 1 to 2 tablespoons grated orange rind (rind of 1 orange); 4½ to 5 cups all-purpose flour; ¼ cup warm water (105° to 115° F.); ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar; 1½ teaspoons coarse salt; ¼ cup dark molasses; 1½ cups hot water; 1 tablespoon cornmeal, if desired; 2½ cups rye flour; 1 (¼ ounce) pkg active dry yeast; 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Preparation info

Makes
2
loaves

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Scandinavian Classic Baking

By Pat Sinclair

Published 2011

About

Popular during the holidays, limpa bread is moist and hearty, lightly sweetened with molasses and enriched with orange peel, anise seed and/or fennel seed. Most rye breads in Scandinavia are slightly sour, but Swedes prefer it slightly sweet. Serve with butter and jam or preserves or with thin slices of meat and cheese.

Ingredients

¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
¼ cup dark molasses
1½

Europe
Sweden
Bread
Scandinavia
Vegan
Nordic

Method

Mix the brown sugar, molasses, salt, hot tap water and shortening in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. (You can use tap water that feels hot to the touch but not hot enough to cause burns.) If necessary, cool to 115° F. The shortening doesn’t have to melt. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let stand 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved.

Add the yeast to the mixing bowl. Stir in