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Slices of Swedish Limpa Bread

Swedish Limpa Bread

Limpa is a classic Swedish rye bread with a tender crumb and a hint of fragrant orange and anise seed. While some rye breads can be tricky to work with, this recipe is incredibly simple. If you are new to baking rye bread at home, this Swedish Limpa is the perfect place to start.
5 from 10 votes
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Course: Bread
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian, Swedish
Keyword: easy bread recipe, homemade bread, homemade rye bread, limpa recipe, Swedish
Prep Time: 6 hours 51 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 10 servings (one loaf)
Calories: 181kcal
Author: Kristi

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 1 cup buttermilk (230 grams)
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 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 (140 grams) I use the Bob's Red Mill brand
  • 2 cups bread flour (280 grams)

Instructions

  • Combine butter, water, molasses and orange zest in a small saucepan and heat to a simmer.  Remove from heat and cool until it is just warm to the touch.
  • Combine buttermilk and baking soda in a liquid measuring cup.  Stir together and set aside.
  • 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 the bread flour and continue to mix on medium low until the dough is fully combined and clears 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 until doubled in size, approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Punch down the dough and remove it from the bowl. Fold it in on itself and pat it 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 the loaf 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 the bread to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Video

Notes

 
  • If you want to use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, add the active dry yeast to the butter/water/molasses mixture once it is just warm to the touch (if the liquid is over 110-120 degrees F, it may kill the yeast).  Let it proof for 10 minutes before adding it to the dough.
  • Score or slash the top of the loaf so the gasses created during baking can escape where you want them to as your loaf expands in the oven. A sharp knife or razor blade works fine for this, or you can use a special tool called a lame that is specially designed for scoring dough. A lame is essentially a double-edged razor blade attached to handle, and it makes scoring your loaves a breeze. If you plan to do a lot of bread baking, a lame is worthwhile investment.
  • Allow the loaf to cool completely before slicing into it. This (along with using a serrated bread knife) will ensure clean slices every time.

Nutrition

Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 309mg | Potassium: 181mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 112IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg