Limpa Bread

I'll keep the post short and sweet as I'm too tired to think. We let Danny see the meteor shower last night/this morning from a blanket set out in the yard. Fun, but I'm dragging my behind today. In addition to seeing shooting stars, I had the fun experience of grasshoppers bounding off my face, which by the way, hurts.

So this bread-it smells heavenly. Really, if you've never baked a limpa bread I suggest you go do so immediately, if only for the way it will make your home smell. I made a few changes to the recipe by using bread flour and adding ground cardamom, but feel free to use AP flour. I also reduced the amount of yeast called for.

From the Better Homes and Gardens Homemade Bread Book:

You Will Need:

3-4 cups bread flour or AP flour
3 teaspoons granulated dry yeast
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
2 1/2 cups medium rye flour

In a large mixer bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups bread flour with yeast, caraway, and fennel. Heat milk, brown sugar, molasses, butter and salt until warm. Whisk until sugars are dissolved and butter has melted. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Add to flour mixture and add orange peel. Beat on low speed of the mixer for 30 seconds, then on high for 3 minutes scraping as needed. By hand, stir in rye flour and as much bread flour as needed to make a stiff dough. Knead until smooth. Place in a buttered bowl and let rise until doubled. Punch down, divide in two and let rest ten minutes. Grease a baking sheet. Shape loaves (round is also OK) and place on sheet. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm spot until almost doubled-about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake 40-45 minutes. I baked mine to an internal temperature of 200 degrees F. and it took 50 minutes. Cool before slicing.