Swedish Rye Limpa Bread

I'm not sure what Limpa means. But what I do know is that the Dassel Covenant Cookbook from 1972 had 9 recipes listed for "Limpa Bread." And as a woman who has married into Scandihoovianess I'm determined to make and love Limpa bread. Whatever that means.

Maybe another more academic type would Google about, reading all available scholarly descriptions on the word limpa. I could learn its roots and origins. Who was the first limpa maker? Why did they eat limpa? When did they eat limpa? Where did they eat limpa?

I would know everything about limpa and would enthrall you with my knowledge. But I didn't do any of those things. But I did make this bread and that counts for something. But the word limpa in no way describes this bread for the average non-Googler, like me.

But sweet does. And the word crusty. And wholesome. So I'm thinking I should rename it to something more modern like Sweet Crust Rye Wholesome Bread. Or maybe I'll just keep it at Swedish Rye Limpa Bread and call it a day.

 

 

Making your own bread is simple. And comforting. There's molasses in this bread. Yum.

 

This is rye flour. I easily found it in the baking aisle. 

 

 

Baking bread with a stand up mixer is sooo easy. I never knead my bread anymore. Not like when I was a little girl and I would knead, knead away. That's how my mom kept me busy. 

 

Hello, little bread ball. 

Hello, big bread ball. 

 

The old lady cookbook never specified if I should bake the loaves in a bread pan or not. So I did. Because that's how I assume you bake bread. But this bread didn't rise much. It can be baked on a cookie sheet because it doesn't spread.

I actually did a lot more rising than the original recipe called for. My bread sat on the counter overnight while doing its final rising and it was still very dense and heavy. So, in the recipe below I'm giving you the option to rise for 1 hour (like the good granny's from Dassel Covenant do), or overnight. That's a big difference, so no telling what's going to happen if you do only one hour. Maybe your loaf will be smaller. And cuter. 

 

Printable Recipe Here

Swedish Rye Limpa Bread

Yield: 2 loaves

1 1/2 cup warm water

4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/4 cup molasses

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon salt

2 1/2 cup rye flour

2 tablespoons lard, melted

2 1/2 to 3 cups white flour

Oil, for coating bowl

Measure the warm water and yeast into the mixing bowl of a stand-up mixer and give it a stir, let stand for 5 minutes until foamy. Add in molasses, sugar and salt, give it a quick stir. Add rye flour and melted lard, mix on medium speed until well combined and dough is smooth. Add white flour and continue to mix on medium speed until combined; knead on medium speed for 3 minutes. Remove dough from bowl and set aside, coat bowl with a neutral oil and place dough ball back into bowl. Cover and let rise for 1 to 2 hours. Flatten out and make 2 round loaves, place loaves into bread pans or on a cookie sheet. Cover and let rise for one hour, or up to overnight. Bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes.