Simple Swedish Limpa Bread
This is a distinct and delicious bread. Boiling the seeds first really mellows their flavor. This Limpa bread recipe has been passed down and around in our family for generations. The result is an immensely flavorful, fragrant loaf of bread.
Limpa is the kind of bread that fills the kitchen with warmth as it bakes — lightly sweet, subtly spiced, and deeply comforting. The softened seeds weave their flavor throughout the loaf rather than standing out sharply, creating a beautifully balanced bite that feels both rustic and refined.
This bread is perfect sliced thick with butter, toasted the next morning, or served alongside soups and simple meals. It’s not just a recipe, but a tradition — one that invites you to slow down, savor the process, and enjoy the quiet pleasure of homemade bread shared with people you love.
Swedish Limpa Bread Ingredients:
- 2 cups orange juices
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup dark molasses
- 2 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
- 2 teaspoons anise seed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups cold water
- 3 teaspoons yeast
- 4 cups rye flour (medium)
- 5-6 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
Combine first six ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil; boil for approximately 5 minutes.
Let cool some, then add the salt and cold water.
Test the temperature, then add the yeast.
Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the rye flour and as much white flour as needed to make a soft dough.
Knead well.
The bread dough will be sticky.
Let rise until double.
Shape into 4 loaves (Traditionally in round loaves, but loaf pans work also) and let rise again until double.
Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes.
Note: This is an authentic Swedish Limpa bread baked in the old world tradition with brown sugar and molasses. Limpa bread has a dense texture and a sweet flavor with a hint of anise and orange. Try using Limpa bread for a turkey sandwich or toast it with orange marmalade.
A familiar recipe from my kitchen years ago, brought forward and shared again.