Limpa Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Combine fennel seeds, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, cracked wheat, butter or margarine, molasses or barley malt, and orange zest in 1 1/3 cup of boiling water. Soak for 1 hour. (This pre-soaks the cracked wheat and pre-releases the other flavors.)
• Add seed mixture along with baking soda, whole wheat or rye flour, high-gluten bread flour, dry yeast, gluten, and buttermilk powder into the pan of a bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the cycle for White Bread and the Light Crust setting. Start.

Steps:

• Combine caraway seeds, fennel seeds, and anise seeds in a spice grinder; pulse until coarsely ground.
• Heat milk and butter in a deep saucepan, stirring occasionally, until butter melts and milk comes to a bare simmer, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool until milk registers 100 degrees F (38 degrees C) on an instant-read thermometer.
• Stir molasses and yeast into the milk mixture. Let stand until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups all-purpose flour, rye flour, sea salt, and orange zest; stir until dough forms a shaggy mass. Knead in the saucepan, adding more flour if needed, until dough is no longer sticky, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Turn dough out on a floured surface. Knead, adding more flour if needed, until smooth and springy, about 7 minutes.
• Place dough in a large greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a damp kitchen towel or piece of plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm area until somewhat puffy, about 1 hour.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place dough on the baking sheet. Cover lightly with the towel or plastic wrap. Let rise until puffy, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until browned, 35 to 40 minutes. Bread will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Steps:

• In a saucepan, mix together molasses, water, brown sugar, fennel, and salt. Bring to boiling point, then gently cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add shortening. Let stand until lukewarm.
• Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Add cooled molasses mixture and mix well. Stir in the rye flour. Beat until smooth. Cover and let rise at room temperature overnight, about 9 to 10 hours.
• In the morning add 5 cups white flour, and place remaining 1/2 cup on a pastry cloth or board for kneading. Turn out the dough and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise until double in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Cut dough in half and shape into 2 loaves (round is more traditional). Place in 2 greased 9 inch pie pans. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise until light, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Remove and brush tops with melted butter.

Steps:

• In a small bowl proof the yeast in the water for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy. In a small saucepan heat the milk with the molasses and the butter until the mixture is just lukewarm and the butter is melted and remove the pan from the heat. In a large bowl stir together the yeast mixture, the milk mixture, the aniseed, the caraway seeds, the salt, the zest, the rye flour, and 3 cups of the unbleached flour until the mixture is combined well, turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead it for 8 to 10 minutes, adding as much of the remaining 1 cup unbleached flour as is necessary to form a smooth and elastic dough. Transfer the dough to a buttered large bowl, turning it to coat it with the butter, and let it rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until it is double in bulk.
• Punch down the dough, turn it out onto a floured surface, and knead it a few times. Divide the dough in half, form each half into a round loaf, and transfer the loaves to a buttered large baking sheet. Let the loaves rise, covered with a kitchen towel, in a warm place for 1 hour, or until they are almost double in bulk.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prick the loaves with a fork to form a decorative pattern and bake them in the middle of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until they are browned and sound hollow when the bottoms are tapped. Transfer the loaves to a rack and let them cool.

Steps:

• in a large bowl, combine sugar, molasses, 1/4 cup butter, the salt, anise and orange peel. Add 1 cup boiling water; stir until sugar dissolves and butter melted. Add 1 cup cold water. Cool to lukewarm. Check temperature of warm water with thermometer.
• Sprinkle yeast over water in measuring cup; stir until dissolved. Add to molasses mixture; mix well. Gradually add 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 cup rye flour; beat vigorously until smooth and dough leaves sides of bowl. Gradually add 3 cups rye flour.
• Mix in last of flour with hand until dough leaves side of bowl. (Dough will be stiff.) Turn out onto lightly floured pastry cloth or board. Knead until smooth and elastic - about 10 minutes. Place in lightly greased large bowl; turn dough to bring up the greased side.
• Cover with towel; let rise in warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, until double in bulk - about 1-1/2 hours. Grease a large cookie sheet, and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Punch down dough and turn out onto lightly floured pastry cloth or board. Cut in half.
• Shape each half into an oval. With palms of hands, on lightly floured surface, roll each half into a loaf, 12 inches long, tapering ends. Place on prepared cookie sheet, 5 inches apart.
• Cover with towel; let rise in warm place, free from drafts, until double in bulk - 1 to 1-1/4 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With sharp knife, make four diagonal slashes on top of loaf, 1/4-inch deep. Bake on middle shelf 35 minutes; cover with foil last 10 minutes, if necessary. Brush with butter. Serve warm, or cool on rack.