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Limpa, a flavorful Swedish bread, is wonderful for open-face sandwiches or morning toast. Aromatic seeds, rye flour, and orange juice give it a distinctive flavor.

Loaf of baked limpa bread cooling on a wire rack.

The longstanding joke in my family is that my grandfather was always two. As kids we could never get a straight answer out of him regarding his age, and that tradition continued when his great-grandkids were born.

Limpa is another tradition he kept up, baking it into small loaves that sliced into perfect snack-size bites.

Flavored with fennel, caraway, molasses, and orange, itโ€™s a step above your regular white bread.

Grandpa never shared with me his personal recipe, but I always feel like I am channeling him when I make this limpa bread.

If youโ€™ve tried my honey oatmeal bread or French bread and are looking for a great sandwich bread that is full of flavor, add this limpa to your to-do list!

Ingredients for limpa bread

To give the bread its unique flavor, youโ€™ll need a few special ingredients in addition to the bread basics.


Ingredients for limpa bread on a tile surface with labels.

Rye flour – Rye flour is made from rye kernels (berries) instead of wheat. It has a nutty flavor and is perfect for when you want to add more dimension to baked goods.

There are four main kinds of rye flour: white, medium, dark, and pumpernickel. 

For this recipe, I use Bobโ€™s Red Mill Dark Rye Flour. Medium rye also works well.

All-purpose flour – To prevent the loaves from being too dense and heavy, I use all-purpose flour as well, in approximately equal proportion to the rye.

Yeast – I use instant yeast in this recipe. 

If you use active dry yeast, you will want to let it rest with the warmed ingredients to activate before mixing in any flour. Make sure the liquid is not too hot or it will over-activate the yeast.

Orange juice – Instead of water, this uses orange juice as the liquid to give the bread a lovely citrus flavor. I recommend a no-pulp version here.

Molasses and brown sugar – I use two kinds of sweetener for a deeper flavor. The molasses also gives it a nice color and works well with the orange juice and seeds.

Butter – Added fat helps create a soft and tender texture inside with a crisp crust. Salt is also added to the bread, so use unsalted butter.

Fennel and caraway seeds – Anise and similar flavors are very popular in Swedish baking. Fennel and caraway are both similar to anise, but impart slightly different flavors.

If you only have one or the other, you can simply 2 teaspoons instead of 1.

However, if you only have aniseed, reduce the total seed amount to 1 teaspoon, as the flavor is stronger.

Two slices of limpa bread on a gray plate with rest of loaf on a bread board behind.

How to make Swedish rye bread

In a small saucepan, combine the orange juice, butter, molasses, brown sugar, fennel seeds, and caraway seeds.

Set over medium-low heat and warm gently, just until the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.

Remember! Do not let the liquid get too hot, or it will kill off the yeast. If needed, let it cool before adding the yeast until it feels about the same temperature as your inner wrist, approximately 100ยฐF.

Pour the liquid mixture into a large mixing bowl and whisk in yeast and salt.

Saucepan filled with orange juice, butter, molasses, and brown sugar with seeds being added.
Yeast in a blue pinch bowl over a mixing bowl of warmed liquid ingredients for limpa.

Stir in all of the rye flour with a wooden spoon or dough whisk. You can also mix the dough in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook if you prefer.

Add 1 cup of all-purpose flour, mixing in fully before adding more. You only want to add enough flour to make the dough come together, but still be a little sticky.

Adding flour to bread dough in mixing bowl.
Adding more flour to bread dough in mixing bowl.
Mixed limpa bread dough in glass mixing bowl.

Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

Dust a work surface with flour and turn out dough from the bowl. Dust your hands and the top of the bread with more flour and knead gently for about 5 minutes.

Add flour as you knead to prevent sticking. The dough should feel soft and stretchy. Shape into a smooth ball.

Limpa dough on wooden kitchen island before kneading.
Kneaded ball of limpa bread dough on wooden island.

Keep in mind that bread is dependent on your environment and ingredients, so you may need more or less flour to achieve the desired texture.

Lightly coat a large bowl with nonstick spray or oil. Place the bread in the bowl and cover with a kitchen towel, plastic wrap, or thin plastic shower cap.

Set in a warm place and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. 

In the winter I like to put mine into the microwave, or you can use an oven that has been warmed and turned off.

Once risen, deflate dough. Divide into 2 pieces and either shape into freeform loaves and place onto a rimmed baking sheet, or place into greased loaf pans.

Cover and let rise again for 1 hour.

While the bread is rising, preheat the oven to 375ยฐF. 

Limpa dough divided in half on a wooden surface.
Unbaked shaped limpa bread loaves on a lined baking sheet.
Slashing limpa bread loaves before baking.

Once the bread has risen, use a serrated knife to slash the tops (or leave smooth). 

Place the bread in the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the loaves are dark and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the bread center registers between 190ยฐF and 210ยฐF.

Let cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Two loaves of limpa cooling on a wire rack.

Serving suggestions

Honestly, I like to eat this simply toasted with salted butter on top, but you can enjoy it in lots of other ways!

Serve with gravlax (cured salmon) and dill on top for an open-face sandwich.

Shape into four smaller loaves and cut thinly for crostini to serve with egg salad or your favorite dips like beer cheese dip.

Serve alongside a dinner of Swedish meatballs and dill potatoes.

Use for a Reuben sandwich or an amazing grilled cheese.

Torn slice of limpa bread with butter on it held close to camera to see interior texture.

This flavorful limpa bread is such a treat. Give it a try!

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below!
It means so much when you enjoy my recipes, so let me know how it goes and leave a comment if you have any questions.

Loaf of baked limpa bread cooling on a wire rack.

Limpa Bread

This rye bread is filled with flavor thanks to the addition of orange juice, seeds, and molasses. It's ideal for open-face sandwiches.
Author : Megan Myers
5 from 38 votes
Print Pin Recipe Review
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Resting time 2 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Servings 20
Calories 148 kcal

Ingredients
  

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan, combine orange juice, butter, molasses, brown sugar, fennel seeds, and caraway seeds. Heat just until butter is melted, sugar is dissolved, and liquid feels about the same temperature as your inner wrist. If needed, let cool to reduce temperature.
  • Pour into a large mixing bowl and whisk in yeast and salt. Stir in rye flour, then add all-purpose flour gradually until dough is soft and pliable. It should still be somewhat sticky. Let rest for 20 minutes.
  • Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for approximately 5 minutes, adding more flour to prevent sticking as needed. Shape into a smooth ball. Set in a large greased bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, approximately 1 hour.
  • Deflate dough dough, divide in half, and shape into loaves. Place loaves on lightly floured baking pan or in greased bread pans. Cover and let rise 1 hour.
  • While dough is rising, preheat oven to 375ยฐF. Once ready to bake, slash tops with a floured serrated knife and place bread in oven.
  • Bake for 40 minutes, or until loaves are dark and crusty. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a loaf should read between 190ยฐF and 210ยฐF.

Notes

  • Makes 2 loaves.
  • If using bread pans, adjust baking time as needed to fully bake.
  • You can shape into 4 smaller loaves or even individual rolls. Reduce baking time as needed; rolls should take about 25 minutes.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 148 kcalCarbohydrates: 28 gProtein: 3 gFat: 3 gSaturated Fat: 2 gCholesterol: 6 mgSodium: 353 mgPotassium: 196 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 9 gIron: 1 mg

Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate based on online calculators. Any nutritional information found on Stetted should be used as a general guideline only.

Tried this recipe?Please leave a rating and comment below!
Limpa, baked

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About Megan

I learned how to cook by exploring seasonal ingredients, and you can too! Meal time shouldn’t be stressful or complicated, and with fresh ingredients and easy methods, Iโ€™m here to help you enjoy the time spent in the kitchen.ย Read moreโ€ฆ

5 from 38 votes (37 ratings without comment)

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77 Comments

  1. That looks GREAT!

    I have the exact same cannister for my flour, labeled EXACTLY the same way (same label font, label tape, etc.)

    Reply

  3. I just read a quote that said something like every great dish is formed in memory first. That’s where this post is from. Wonderful memories of times spent with a loved grandfather.

    Now I have to go find some Sprat. It looks and sounds delicious. And the bread? I love the color of the sliced loaf. I can see me just piling the Janssons Temptation on the bread and eating it open faced. Mmm.

    Reply

  4. You sure did your grandfather proud Megan. This is so well written adn evocative, and the dishes so intriguing. Well done. You certainly hit this one out of the park. Good luck although I am sure we will see you in Round 3!

    Reply

  7. I love swedish food actually, it is the polar opposite of indian food and I relish it for that. one of my very best friends growing up was swedish (her mom immigrated), and there were midsommers with the pole, cardamom infused pastries, st lucia and lots of fish. this looks delicious and I think you did a wonderful job.

    Reply

    1. @Erika – Ha! I didn’t think to look at the 99 cent store but it seems like a perfect place to find it! Yep, it’s a gratin but without cheese. I thought I would miss the cheese but it’s good without!

      Reply