As the weather begins to turn cold, my baking thoughts turn to the spicy, citrusy rye bread known as Swedish Limpa. A tender crumb thanks to the addition of buttermilk and a hint of orange and anise make this an exceptionally warm and comforting bread, perfect for fall and winter.
What is Swedish Limpa?
The word "limpa" simply means loaf in Swedish. Unlike some Scandinavian rye breads which can be dense and seedy, Limpa is slightly sweet with a fine crumb. In the United States there are many recipes for Swedish Limpa, most of which contain orange zest and spices such as anise, fennel and/or caraway. If you are of Swedish decent, chances are there is a recipe for Limpa in a family recipe box somewhere.
An Easy Rye Bread for Beginners
As I've discussed before, rye has a reputation for being a tricky flour to work with. But this simple loaf contains just enough bread flour in addition to rye to avoid any of the pitfalls associated with rye bread baking. If you are new to baking rye bread at home, this Swedish Limpa is the perfect place to start.
My Limpa Recipe
This recipe comes from my great-grandmother, Emma. She grew up on the southern tip of Sweden within sight of the sea. Her father owned the local flour and saw mill and also tended to fruit orchards on their land. As a child Emma travelled all over Sweden by train with her father selling fruit harvested from the family's orchards.
In the early 1900's, Emma immigrated to America, bringing this Limpa recipe with her. I've updated it slightly and added more detailed instructions, but it is very much in its original form. The combination of rye, orange and anise is as addictive as it is unusual. I often find myself craving a slice, slightly warm from the oven, spread with a generous layer of salted butter. And a good, strong cup of coffee, of course.
Food can be such a powerful link between past, present and future. Making this simple Swedish Limpa is a very tangible way for me to connect with my great-grandmother, revisit her stories and honor her legacy. And I am so delighted to carry this recipe forward and share it with you! As the leaves fly and the temperatures drop, give this warm, comforting and easy Swedish Limpa a try.
Swedish Limpa
Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon anise seed toasted briefly in a dry skillet and then ground, or 1 teaspoon ground anise seed
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast see note below
- 1 cup dark rye flour I use the Bob's Red Mill brand
- 2 cups bread flour
Instructions
- Combine buttermilk and baking soda in a liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
- Combine butter, water, molasses and orange zest in a small saucepan and heat to a simmer. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
- Add buttermilk mixture and molasses mixture to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add ground anise seed, salt, yeast and rye flour to the bowl.
- Using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium low until ingredients are combined. Add bread flour and continue to mix on medium low until the dough is fully combined and clearing the sides of the bowl. Increase speed to medium and knead for approximately 4 minutes. If you are mixing and kneading the dough by hand, the process will take longer.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for approximately 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the dough from the bowl and pat into an oval shape that is about 1 ½ inches thick. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise for another 45 minutes to an hour.
- Remove plastic wrap and decoratively score dough with a razor blade or a sharp knife. Place on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes. The internal temperature of the dough should be at least 198 degrees when it is done. Allow bread to cool before slicing.
I just made 6 loaves, usually I give most of them away( I am tempted to eat too much otherwise) I do not use
anise or zest, Bowie's recipe did not have zest in it, however I may try it.
Wow! 6 loaves! And so nice of you to share them. Let me know if you like it with the zest and anise. I wasn't sure that I would but it's actually really good. Thanks for the comment, Marge!
Kristi
Just about to try this recipe. Can you tell me how much fresh yeast I should use if I don’t have dried? Thanks
Hi Alison,
It looks like 1 teaspoon instant yeast (3 grams) = 1/2 block (0.6 ounce size) fresh yeast. So double that amount for the 2 teaspoons called for in the recipe. You will also need to proof the yeast (instant yeast does not require proofing and can go right in with the dry ingredients). You can do this in the butter/molasses/water/orange zest mixture. Just wait to add the yeast until the mixture has cooled a bit (you don't want to kill your yeast). Just warm to the touch should be fine. Hope this helps. Please report back and let me know how it turns out!
Kristi
Thank you for the advice re yeast.....it works well. I love this recipe and it turns out well every time, even though I don’t always get the dough to rise as much as I think it should, the taste is really lovely and it’s very popular.
Hi Alison,
Thanks for checking back in! I'm glad the yeast conversion worked well for you. It really is a delicious bread...it always reminds me of the holidays. Thanks again for your feedback! Happy baking to you!
Kristi
We are lactose free at our house, therefore we cannot get buttermilk. What do you recommend? We have access to lactose free whole milk.
Tack!
Hi!
I would make "buttermilk" out of your lactose free whole milk. Simply add a tablespoon of lemon juice to one cup of milk and stir (vinegar works too). Let sit for 5 minutes and it will be ready to use in the recipe!
Kristi
We made this limpa for our St. Lucia party last night! Usually it is a big affair with lots of folks and lots of tradition. This year, of course, just "family" and a big St. Lucia "Skol" on Zoom at 5pm, with glögg and akavit! The limpa was a huge hit at our house, so fragrant with anise and orange...can't wait to try it this am as toast!
Hi Priscilla,
I'm so glad you enjoyed the limpa! Sounds like you made the most of a 2020 St. Lucia celebration. You are in for a breakfast treat...the toast is amazing! Thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment. It is greatly appreciated!
Kristi