Limpa (swedish beer bread)

2 Loaves

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1.00 pack Yeast, dry
1.00 teaspoon Sugar, granulated
½ cup ;Water, warm (100 F.)
2.00 cup Beer; heated to lukewarm
½ cup Honey; to 1/2 cup
2.00 tablespoon Butter; melted
2.00 teaspoon Salt
1.00 teaspoon Cardamom, ground (opt)
1.00 tablespoon Caraway seeds; crushed, or
¾ teaspoon Aniseed; crushed
2.00 tablespoon Orange peel, fresh or candied; chopped
2½ cup Flour, rye
3.00 cup Flour, unbleached
adapted from *Beard on Bread*

Directions

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water in a large bowl and proof for five minutes. Combine the beer, the honey (adjust for how sweet you like your bread) butter, and salt, and stir well. Add to the yeast mixture. Add the spices and orange peel. Mix the flours, then add three cups of this mixture to the liquid and beat briskly. Cover with a tea towel, and let rise in a warm, dark place for about an hour. Stir down and add enough of the remaining flour to make a pretty stiff but still sticky dough. Turn out on a very well-floured board, and work the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Add more flour to the board as needed. While the dough will not lose its tackiness completely it will smooth out a lot. Shape it into a ball, oil the surface, and place in an oiled bowl. Cover with the tea towel again and let rise a second time, about one hour. Punch down, shape into two balls, and put on a greased baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Brush with melted butter, cover loosely with waxed paper, and refrigerate for three hours. Remove from the fridge and let sit on the counter, uncovered, for ten to fifteen minutes. Bake in a 375 F. oven until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom; about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool before slicing.

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