Swedish Limpa with Sourdough

Sweden is the country which I love too much; it gave me independence, as I was staying alone there. I was able to go to work and stay in apartment, I did that in Japan too still I like Sweden.  While staying there I was familiar with some of Swedish food, not all as I don’t have much time to cook. I make something for my lunch and dinner. For breakfast menu is always oat meal so nothing too specially to cook. There will be Christmas party in our department, where I encountered most of traditional Swedish food, such as Perperikor, Princess Cake, cardamom bread, their boiled potato etc. 

At that time I may taste Swedish Limpa but not remember the extract taste of it .So this time I decide to bake one. It is one of the festive bread with molasses, brown sugar, orange juice and orange zest, cardamom, caraway, anise seeds. Usually Swedes like sour bread, but this one they want it sweet. But I decide to use sourdough so it got some tangy taste. I used some instant yeast to speed up the action.  My hubby like it, it has exotic smell of all the spices when it gets baking in the oven. However my little one doesn’t seem to be impressed much may be because of tanginess. 

Limpa in Swedish means just round, so it is round bread. Usually it is made with 60% of all purpose flour and 40% rye flour. Further it contains molasses, spices (cardamom, caraway) and orange zest.  I made the Swedish limpa like this with whole wheat flour using  Peter Reinhart recipe, I made soaker, but I was not able to make within 24 hours and so decide  throw them and made without any soaker. So I can say I adapted recipe and added some molasses and brown sugar. You need to increase the amount of both sweetener to get   decent sweet bread, mine is barely sweet. Here goes the recipe. 

One year ago: Parker  House Rolls

Two year ago:Cream of mushroom soup

Print recipe from here

What you need

For the starter:
White whole wheat flour: 191g/1.5 cup
100% whole wheat and rye sourdough starter: 78g/ ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon
Water: 127g/ ½ cup+ 2 tablespoon

 

Final dough:
The entire starter
Rye flour: 142g/ 1 cup+ 1 tablespoon
White whole wheat flour: 142g/ 1 cup
Salt:  9g/ 1 ½ teaspoon
Instant yeast: 2g/ ½ teaspoon
Light olive oil: 15g/ 2 tablespoon
Anise seed: 2g/ ½ tablespoon
Caraway: 3g/ ½ tablespoon
Cardamom: 5no
Brown sugar: 1 tablespoon
Molasses: 37g/ 2tablespoon
Orange Zest: 6g/ 1 tablespoon
Water:  170g/ ¾ cup
Orange juice: 49g
How I made

Day before baking

Mix the ingredients in the starter together in a bowl for a minute until the ingredients to form soft dough. Knead for about 2 minutes. The dough will be tacky. If you need more water or flour, add them a teaspoon at a time. Rest for 5 minutes; knead with wet hands for a minute. 

Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature and use.

On the day of baking

In a bowl of kitchen aid stand mixer add all the ingredients for final dough and Knead everything well for 5-7 minutes until you have not-too-sticky, supple dough. Form into a ball, let it rest covered with a kitchen towel for 20 minutes and knead for another minute. Add tbsp of flour or a tsp of water at a time to adjust the consistency if you need to. 

Roll the dough into a ball and swirl it around an oiled bowl to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let it rise for 3 hours and 15 minutes until 1.5 times its original size.  

After the first rise punch down and shape the dough into a boule (ball). And place it in baking sheet lined with parchment paper cover and let it rise for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until it rise about 1.5 times of it original size. 

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425F with an empty pan in the top rack and another rack in the middle. 

When you are ready to bake, make a score on the top of boule and dust with flour and then mist with water.  And place it in the middle rack with the baking sheet, and pour a cup of hot water into the pan on the top rack.

Reduce the heat to 350F and bake for 45minutes or until the loaf registers 200F in the center. You can rotate it once at the 20 minute mark. 

Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before serving. 

 Preparation time:  8 hours for starter + 5. 35 minutes

Yield: 1 boule

Verdict: Yummy

Will you make it again: Yes I will.

I am linking this tasty bread to Hearth and  Soul blog hop #83 hosted here
Also to
Yeast spotting
Bread baking-46 Place You love to Visit hosted by  Noor of Ya Salam cooking originally started by Zorra of Kochtopf