Bake a Swedish loaf: an easy recipe with an overnight option

Limpa is a Swedish everyday loaf: soft, gently sweet and as useful for breakfast as an evening sandwich. Here is a flexible basic recipe, an overnight method for morning baking, and ways to keep the finished bread fresh.

Ingredients for two loaves

• 50 g fresh yeast
• 5 dl milk
• 0.5 dl light syrup
• 2 tsp salt
• 50 g butter, melted
• 5 dl finely milled rye flour
• 8 dl plain wheat flour

How to bake the loaves

1. 1
   Make the dough

   Warm the milk to lukewarm and dissolve the yeast. Add syrup, salt and melted butter, then work in the flour to make a supple dough. Knead for around 10 minutes by machine.

2. 2
   First rise

   Cover and leave for about 40 minutes, until roughly doubled. The dough's rise matters more than the clock alone.

3. 3
   Shape and prove again

   Divide in two, shape into loaves and place in greased 1.5-litre tins, or shape free-standing loaves on a tray. Allow about another 30 minutes to rise.

4. 4
   Bake

   Bake at 200 °C for about 35 to 40 minutes, until baked through. A hollow sound when the base is tapped is one clue. Cool the loaves on a rack before wrapping.

An overnight rise for morning baking

Use cold milk instead of warm, reduce the yeast to 15 g and refrigerate the dough for 8 to 12 hours. In the morning, shape the loaves, let them rise at room temperature for about an hour, then bake as usual once properly proved. The slower rise also gives the flavour more time to develop.

Variations

A coarser loaf: replace half the wheat flour with coarse rye and add a handful of sunflower seeds. Old-style flavour: add more syrup and a teaspoon of crushed bitter orange peel, approaching a Swedish syrup loaf. With cultured milk: replace the milk for a tangier flavour. For a completely yeast-free route, see the kavring recipe.

Keeping the loaf fresh

Homemade bread has no added preservatives and benefits from good storage. A breathable wax-lined bag helps keep suitable bread fresh for 7 to 10 days, while ordinary plastic storage often gives a shorter quality window. Actual results depend on the loaf and conditions. Bake both at once and freeze one while fresh: see bake once, eat all week and freezing bread properly.

Frequently asked questions