topic Re: Swedish Limpa Bread in Recipes

Swedish Limpa Bread

sfnative — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 20:11:29 GMT

Someone had asked for this bread, so here it is. Our family is especially fond of it at Christmas, as we always include foods from our cultural backgrounds. As a child, my parents and grandparents would take us to eat at "A Little Bit of Sweden" in downtown S.F. Oh, my, but I loved that restaurant. There were no menus! Just imagine that an 8 year old in the 50s could walk up to the smorgesbord (sp) and take whatever she wanted as many times as she wanted. I was in food heaven! I always chose Limpa Bread and pickled herring first. Everyone at the table but my grandfather thought that odd for a child. Great memories.

Swedish Limpa Bread

¼ cup light brown sugar, packed

1/8 cup dark molasses

1/8 cup butter or margarine

½ Tbs salt

½ tsp anise or caraway seed

1Tbs grated orange peel

1 pkg active dry yeast

2-1/2 cups unsifted unbleached flour

2 cups rye flour

½ cup boiling water

½ cup cold water

¼ cup warm water (105-115F)

Cornmeal

1 Tbs butter or margarine, melted

Note: This recipe has been halved from the original for two reasons. A full recipe maxes out a Kitchen aid in terms of volume.

1. In large bowl, combine sugar, molasses, 1/8 cup butter, salt, anise/caraway and orange peel. Add the boiling water; stir until sugar dissolves and butter melts. Add cold water. Cool to lukewarm. Check temperature of warm water with thermometer.

2. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in measuring cup; stir until dissolved. Add to molasses mixture; mix well. Gradually add unbleached flour and ½ cup of the rye flour; beat vigorously until smooth and dough leaves side of bowl. Gradually add 1 cup of rye flour.

3. Mix in last of flour by hand until dough leaves side of bowl. This dough is stiff at this point. Knead until smooth and elastic – 10 minutes. **I keep the dough in my Kitchen Aid and let the machine do the kneading. Place in lightly greased large bowl; turn dough to bring up the greased side.

4. Cover with a light towel; let rise in warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, until double in bulk-about 1.5 hours. Grease a large cookie sheet and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Punch down dough and turn out onto lightly floured pastry cloth or board.

5. Shape the dough into a long oval with palm of hands, on lightly floured surface, roll the dough 12 inches long, tapering each end. Place on prepared cookie sheet. With sharp knife, make four diagonal slashes in top of loaf ¼” deep.

6. Cover with towel; let rise in warm place, free from drafts, until double in bulk; 1- 1.5 hrs. Preheat oven to 375. Bake on middle shelf 35 minutes; cover with foil last 10 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with butter. Serve warm or cool on rack.

McCall’s: September 1981

Re: Swedish Limpa Bread

Flika13 — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 21:37:00 GMT

My Swedish grandmother taught me to make cardamom bread and limpa. Her recipe uses buttermilk. It makes wonderful toast or put a piece of ham on it- Wow! I'm from Belmont :-).

Re: Swedish Limpa Bread

Chrystaltree2 — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 21:45:34 GMT

I am not of Swedish descent but your Limpa bread brings back memories from childhood because when I was 8 or 9, my Aunt Bea lived in a neighborhood that was heavily Swedish. There was a Swedish bakery on the corner of her street and when my sister and I spent the weekend at her house, we would all walk to the bakery to buy Limpa bread for Sunday breakfast and Swedish cookies. We would have it warm with our morning tea. Gosh, I haven't thought about that in years....

Re: Swedish Limpa Bread

JeanLouiseFinch — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 22:06:43 GMT

Oh boy, I haven't had this in years! We had a bakery in the old neighborhood that sold it.

My Swedish grandma used to make Julekaka every year. That's the tradition my sister and I like to keep going.

Re: Swedish Limpa Bread

sfnative — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 09:48:55 GMT

On 12/9/2014 Blubird said: My Swedish grandmother taught me to make cardamom bread and limpa. Her recipe uses buttermilk. It makes wonderful toast or put a piece of ham on it- Wow! I'm from Belmont :-).

Blubird,

Love Belmont! So pretty. Husband grew up in the Emerald Lake area of Redwood City and had many adventures there when in grammar school.

Re: Swedish Limpa Bread

debcakes — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 16:27:36 GMT

Thank you. Thank you That is exactly the recipe I had but lost. It is delicious.

Re: Swedish Limpa Bread

sfnative — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 21:26:20 GMT

On 12/10/2014 debcakes said:
Thank you. Thank you That is exactly the recipe I had but lost. It is delicious.

Yay!