Limpa means loaf in Swedish, so this recipe is basically a loaf of Swedish rye bread. As far as baking bread goes, it’s a pretty easy recipe. With orange rind and molasses added, it yields a nicely flavored bread that is good with butter, sandwiches and toast. In Sweden it is commonly made around the winter holidays.
The recipe is from a soft-covered cookbook from 1982, “How to Cook With Herbs, Spices & Flavorings” by Doris Townsend. It is one of my favorites as evidenced by the fact that it is falling apart. I have modified the recipe slightly by refrigerating the dough for 24 hours.
If you like baking bread, you know the importance of having a ceramic bowl that is dedicated to yeast breads. For some reason, the dough rises easier.
Salt is important in bringing out the flavors of spices and herbs, but don’t overdo it. You can buy bulk rye flour, as well as all-purpose flour, in bulk at Staff of Life.
Recipe
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1/4–1/3 cup brown sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons molasses
1/4 cup melted butter or vegetable oil
3 teaspoons freshly grated orange peel
1 tablespoon salt
2 1/4 cups medium rye flour
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
In a 1 cup measure, stir yeast into ½ cup warm water. Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Stir until yeast is dissolved and let sit about 10 minutes until bubbly.
In a large bread bowl combine remaining 1 1/2 cups of warm water, brown sugar, molasses, and orange peel. Stir in yeast mixture and rye flour. Beat well. Add 1 cup of the all-purpose flour and mix well. Cover and let sit in a warm place for a few hours.
Stir in salt and melted butter/vegetable oil, and mix well.
Start adding the rest of the all-purpose flour and knead for about 8 minutes until you have a soft mass that hardly sticks to the surface. The dough should bounce back when you stick your finger in it. Put into a butter–or oiled–bread bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. The dough will have doubled in size by then.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the dough on a floured counter and divide into two. Shape into oblong loaves and place both onto a cookie tin. Make half-inch deep slashes every 1 1/2 inches.
When oven reaches 350 degrees, bake the bread for about 50 minutes. You will know it is done when it sounds hollow when tapped.
