Limpa Bread Recipes

SWEDISH LIMPA (RYE BREAD)

Steps:

• In a saucepan, mix together molasses, water, brown sugar, fennel, and salt. Bring to boiling point, then gently cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add shortening. Let stand until lukewarm.
• Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Add cooled molasses mixture and mix well. Stir in the rye flour. Beat until smooth. Cover and let rise at room temperature overnight, about 9 to 10 hours.
• In the morning add 5 cups white flour, and place remaining 1/2 cup on a pastry cloth or board for kneading. Turn out the dough and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise until double in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Cut dough in half and shape into 2 loaves (round is more traditional). Place in 2 greased 9 inch pie pans. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise until light, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Remove and brush tops with melted butter.

LIMPA BREAD

Steps:

• Combine fennel seeds, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, cracked wheat, butter or margarine, molasses or barley malt, and orange zest in 1 1/3 cup of boiling water. Soak for 1 hour. (This pre-soaks the cracked wheat and pre-releases the other flavors.)
• Add seed mixture along with baking soda, whole wheat or rye flour, high-gluten bread flour, dry yeast, gluten, and buttermilk powder into the pan of a bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the cycle for White Bread and the Light Crust setting. Start.

LIMPA

Steps:

• In a small bowl proof the yeast in the water for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy. In a small saucepan heat the milk with the molasses and the butter until the mixture is just lukewarm and the butter is melted and remove the pan from the heat. In a large bowl stir together the yeast mixture, the milk mixture, the aniseed, the caraway seeds, the salt, the zest, the rye flour, and 3 cups of the unbleached flour until the mixture is combined well, turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead it for 8 to 10 minutes, adding as much of the remaining 1 cup unbleached flour as is necessary to form a smooth and elastic dough. Transfer the dough to a buttered large bowl, turning it to coat it with the butter, and let it rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until it is double in bulk.
• Punch down the dough, turn it out onto a floured surface, and knead it a few times. Divide the dough in half, form each half into a round loaf, and transfer the loaves to a buttered large baking sheet. Let the loaves rise, covered with a kitchen towel, in a warm place for 1 hour, or until they are almost double in bulk.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prick the loaves with a fork to form a decorative pattern and bake them in the middle of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until they are browned and sound hollow when the bottoms are tapped. Transfer the loaves to a rack and let them cool.

SWEDISH LIMPA BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, molasses, butter, orange zest, salt, aniseed and boiling water; stir until brown sugar is dissolved and butter is melted. Stir in cold water; let stand until mixture cools to 110° to 115°., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in molasses mixture; mix well. Add, all-purpose flour and 1 cup rye flour. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes. Stir in enough remaining rye flour to form a stiff dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape into 2 oval loaves. Grease 2 baking sheets and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Place loaves on prepared pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 350° . With a sharp knife, make 4 shallow slashes across top of each loaf. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks; brush with butter.