This classic Swedish yeast bread recipe turns out a golden loaf with a crispy crust and tender crumb.
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- Unique flavor that's warm and spicy without being too sweet.
- If bread-baking is your hobby this is another semi-challenging recipe to try.
- You can't find the same amazing flavor in commercial loaves - even if you could find one!
Swedish Limpa is a rye bread with a delicate, sweet flavor and just a hint of orange. It is similar to Hawaiian bread - not too sweet but just right.
This is time consuming to make — you'll need to set aside about five hours — but you don't have to be working on it the whole time and it freezes well.
Make a double or triple batch on a Saturday.
This gorgeous Mexican loaf has a similar flavor
🥫 Storage
Like most homemade breads, this delicious rye bread is best eaten the same day as it comes out of the oven.
If you do have leftovers you can wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for a day or two.
To freeze wrap it in plastic wrap then cover tightly with aluminum foil. It will be fine for up to 3 months.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Be sure that you cool the molasses mixture to 100F - 110F before adding the yeast mixture.
- Limpa means "bread " in Swedish so the proper name for this is just "Limpa".
- Keep in mind that rye flour is hard to work with. The bread will not be springy like white bread and if you don't knead it enough you'll be able to use it as a door stop.
- If you pinch the dough between your thumb and forefinger properly kneaded bread will feel the same as your earlobe.
- No place to let the dough rise? Heat your oven for 2 minutes or so then turn it off. When you put your hand in the oven it will feel like downtown Dallas in June - nice and warm! (about 100 degrees). Put the dough in the warm oven to rise.
- Be sure to let the loaf cool completely before slicing.
👩🍳 FAQs
It's a slightly sweet rye bread with a hint of orange flavor.
It's a combination of rye and bread flours. The rye gives the bread flavor while the gluten in the bread flour helps it to rise.
Not at all. This recipe calls for orange zest while others use caraway, anise, or fennel.
📚 Related recipes
- Jewish rye is another delicious bread with a unique flavor.
- Onion cheese yeast bread has caramelized onions and Cheddar kneaded in before baking.
🍽️ Serve with...
- Try it with a schmear of cream cheese for breakfast.
- Warm slices of this bread are a great addition to slow cooker pork and cabbage.
- It makes amazing ham sandwiches!
📞 The last word
This is a little challenging but you can do it! You won't believe how good your house smells as this is baking. And really, consider the coolness factor. It's not everyone that can tell their friends, "Oh, yeah...I made Swedish Limpa over the weekend..."
Give this Swedish Limpa recipe a try and then let us know how you did. I adapted this recipe from one of my old cookbooks, Farm Journal's Homemade Bread, 1969.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Swedish Limpa
Print SaveIngredients
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup Grandma's Molasses, make sure to get unsulfured molasses.
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons buttter
- 1 ¼ cup boiling water
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- ¼ ounce yeast, 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm water, (110F)
- 2 ½ cups rye flour
- 3 cups bread flour, you may need more
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Instructions
- Combine the brown sugar, molasses, salt, and butter in a large bowl.
- Pour the boiling water over the top an stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Let cool o lukewarm (about 110F).
- Sprinkle yeast over the ¼ cup warm water. Stir and set aside to foam.
- Stir rye flour into the brown sugar mixture.
- Stir in yeast, orange juice, and orange zest.
- With the mixer on medium low and the dough hook mix in enough of the bread flour to form a soft dough.
- Knead for 5 to 8 minutes by machine or 10 to 15 minutes by hand. The dough will be slightly sticky and feel like smooth Play-Do. I usually stop kneading when the dough feels like your earlobe.
- Grease a large bowl.
- Put the dough in the bowl, grease the top, and cover with a clean tea towel.
- Let rise in a warm (100F) spot for 2 hours, or until doubled.
- Punch the dough down.
- Divide in half and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Shape into ovals and place on a greased baking sheet.
- Slash tops.
- Cover and let rise 1 ½ hours or until not quite doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
- Remove from oven and let cool before slicing.
Notes
- Be sure that you cool the molasses mixture to 100F - 110F before adding the yeast mixture.
- Limpa means "bread " in Swedish so the proper name for this is just "Limpa".
- Keep in mind that rye flour is hard to work with. The bread will not be springy like white bread and if you don't knead it enough you'll be able to use it as a door stop.
- If you pinch the dough between your thumb and forefinger properly kneaded bread will feel the same as your earlobe.
- No place to let the dough rise? Heat your oven for 2 minutes or so then turn it off. When you put your hand in the oven it will feel like downtown Dallas in June - nice and warm! (about 100 degrees). Put the dough in the warm oven to rise.
- Be sure to let the loaf cool completely before slicing.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Patricia Swanson
I love rye bread-any kind. I saw your recipe and thought it looked like the Limpa rye I ate as a kid. It went together like a champ in my Kitchenaid Industrial sized mixer. It rose as per the recipe. I divided the dough as directed and placed on my USA baking pan coated with avocado oil. At the 28 minute mark, the internal temp was only 185 F. I kept it going for another five minutes. Then it was 198F, so removed it from the oven. I HAD to taste it, so after 15 minutes cooling, I snitched a little piece from an edge. Oh WOW. What a wonderful orange flavor. I love the hint that the dough is right when it feels like your ear lobe. I did that after I had thought is was right. It sure did. Thanks for this terrific recipe.
Marye
I'm glad you liked it! It's one of my very favorites!
Gayle
Wonderful Swedish Rye. The texture and taste are just like the bread I remember.
Julie
Good day, please, if possible, provide the weight of the flours either in grams or ounces. Thank you in advance.
Marye
I'm sorry, that's not how I write my recipes.
Lenore
This is a lot like my Swedish grandmother's recipe, but she used milk instead of water, and she added crushed fennel seed for added flavor. I will make this recipe today!
Sharon
Fantastic bread just like your other bread recipes!
Marye Audet
Aww thanks Sharon!
Helena
What is Swedish about this?
The name maybe but nothing else.
Just curious to know 🙂
Marye Audet
It is a Swedish recipe so it has a Swedish name?
gralan
I've been looking for a recipe for this bread, and even my Great Uncle Alphonse Anderson never used the term Limpa so I never knew that. From my earliest memories pickled herring, Potatos Korv, lefse, and Swedish rye bread were always on the menu at holidays.
Thank you very much.
PS. My Grandparents came over from Sweden, and my Dad spoke Swedish until age 12 when the the community switched to English worship services, no Swedish until after 10pm as the kids were having difficulty with English as their second language in school.
Marye Audet
That's fascinating! I am so glad you like it.