Swedish Limpa

By norsegal8

This orange- and spice-scented Swedish loaf is a favorite among Scandinavians. It's especially delightful toasted and spread with sweet butter.

Ingredients

• 2 to 2 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour
• 1/2 cup King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 cup pumpernickel
• 1/4 cup dark corn syrup
• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons EACH caraway, fennel, and anise seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon orange oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups water
• 4 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil

Preparation

Step 1

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients until a rough dough forms, then knead (about 10 minutes by hand, 5 to 7 minutes by machine) until the dough is smooth and satiny. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour. It'll become somewhat puffy, but probably won't double in bulk. You may also prepare the dough to this point in a bread machine programmed to the dough cycle.

Shape the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly, and place it on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a dough rising cover or lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow it to rise for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or till it's puffed up noticeably.

Bake the limpa in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 minutes, tenting it with aluminum foil for the final 10 minutes if it appears to be browning too fast. Yield: 1 large round loaf.

Tip: Because this loaf has a tendency to spread as it rises and bakes, we like to cradle it in our cloche baker to ensure an even loaf. This also gives the bread a heartier crust. To make this bread in your cloche, allow the dough to go through its second rise in the cloche. Bake the loaf in a preheated 400°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, remove the cover of the cloche, and continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the top crust is golden brown.