Delicious Joululimppu/ Finnish Christmas bread made with rye flour, spices and molasses excellent breakfast bread.
I started my Christmas baking with breads that I was longing to make for a long time. Earlier I had made Stollen, famous Christmas bread from Germany, now I am starting to fill the world’s Christmas bread list.
You can’t go to any store and order that, as you need a bread from another country, so what better way, than to explore it, from your kitchen. That is what I am doing.
I visited Finland while staying in Stockholm, Sweden. I and a few of my friends took the ferry from Stockholm in the evening and reached Helsinki, Finland the next morning.
It was a fun filled trip, my first trip in a ferry, and I loved watching the sunset from the dock and the also sun rise. I also visited few places like Helsinki Cathedral , National museum etc, and was back the next morning in Stockholm. It was short trip but a sweet one.
I was planning to try Finnish flat bread Rieska for long time, but I will do it after my Christmas baking session is over.
Finnish cuisine includes a lot whole meals like rye, barley, oats, and also berries like blueberries, lingonberries, cloudberries, and sea buckthorn, along with fish and poultry. They will try to include rye, barley, oats on their cookies, bread, crackers etc.
Rye is most liked flour in our family, my hubby, princess and even my little 8 teeth wonder man likes rye bread. When I was searching recipes for Swedish limpa bread, I got recipe of Joululimpuu from this site.
I thought, I will wait until Christmas to make this recipe. This is a delicious rye bread, but I didn’t have dark syrup in my hand, so substituted with molasses, dried bitter orange peel got substituted with orange zest. I also added some orange juice which is not in the original recipe. I had learn from King Arthur flour baking site, that if you use whole wheat adding orange juice will reduce the bitterness of whole wheat.
The spice used in this bread is fennel seed and caraway seeds added to the molasses and boiled so that the intense flavor of spices diffuses into the molasses. I learnt that technique with this bread.
I Used melted butter to make is tastier. It is difficult to imagine a Finnish recipe without buttermilk or milk.
So this bread contains buttermilk as one ingredient. Finally bread is brushed with molasses and water syrup in between baking which gives intense color to bread
I sliced the bread after a very hard wait and slathered them with butter, and when I took a bite, I knew that this is bread I was looking for, for a long time.
It is so delicious, that my hubby has given the opinion that this is best rye bread he has ever tasted.
If you like nuttiness and chewiness of rye and season’s flavor of molasses, fennel and caraway seeds, then go for this yummy bread.
It won’t disappointment your taste buds. Try this traditional Christmas bread of Finland for your Christmas table.
Ingredients for making Joululimppu
Weigh the dry ingredients, make spice mixture, extract orange juice, buttermilk.
Instructions
Mix in with flours to form a sticky smooth dough and set aside for fermentation for about 90 minutes.
Once dough is doubled in volume transfer and make a round boule and set aside for second fermentation of about 45 minutes. In between pre-heat oven to 400 F. Bake it for about 20 minutes and brush with syrup and complete baking.
Remove bread from oven when it has internal temperature 190F and set aside for cool completely.
Once cooled well slice and serve with butter.
Variations
- Add dried orange peel to the dough make it more delicious Joululimppu /Finnish Christmas bread.
Joululimppu/ Finnish Christmas Bread
Delicious Joululimppu/ Finnish Christmas bread made with rye flour, spices and molasses excellent breakfast bread.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 189kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup 203g Rye flour
- 2 cup 300g Whole wheat flour
- 3 tablespoon 67g Molasses
- 1 teaspoon 2g fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
- ½ tablespoon orange zest
- 1 cup buttermilk I made using 1 cup of milk + 1 tablespoon of vinegar set aside for 5 minutes
- 3 teaspoon Instant yeast
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 56 g/4 tablespoon melted butter
- Juice of 1 orange
- ¼ cup water
- For brushing
- 1 tablespoon molasses extra
- 100 ml water
Instructions
- In a microwave safe bowl add molasses, spices and orange zest heat it for about 30 seconds and high heat and set aside.
- Extract the orange juice and set aside.
- In a bowl of kitchenaid stand mixer weigh, both flours, instant yeast, salt and set aside.
- Add the molasses spice mixture, buttermilk, orange juice and water into the flour and with paddle attachment mix everything to form a sticky dough.
- Replace dough attachment and knead once the dough for about 10 minutes or using hand 15 minutes to smooth but not sticky dough and set aside.
- Transfer the dough into well greased container and cover and set aside for doubling for about 90 minutes.
- After 60 minutes, punch down the dough and set aside for another 30 minutes of doubling .
- Once the dough is doubled transfer the dough to table and shape it into a tight ball, and transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper for second rise of about 40 minutes. Make sure to prick the dough all over with fork.
- At end of second baking time preheat oven to 400F and bake the bread for about 20 minutes.
- While bread is baking make syrup using one tablespoon of molasses and water and set aside.
- Remove the bread from the oven and brush them with syrup and continue to bake for about 20 minutes or until the bread register the internal temperature of 190 F.
- Let the bread cool in the baking sheet for about 5 minutes and after 5 minutes transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool the bread completely before slicing.
- Enjoy the bread with butter.
- Variations:
- If you can catch hold of dried orange peel that is better
Nutrition
Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 279mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 153IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @nidhinikhil or tag #zestysouthindiankitchenrecipes!
This is Swathi ( Dr. Ambujom Saraswathy Ph.D) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread. All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.
Asiya Omar says
Congrats.Looks Great.
Chef Mireille says
I am not a big fan of the flavor of rye and caraway - but your bread does look perfect!
Alea Milham says
This looks delicious! I love how your travels have influenced your baking!
Sanoli Ghosh says
Very new to me, amazingly baked the bread dear.
Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch says
This bread looks delicious and I love the texture! Have a great weekend!
Latha Madhusudhan says
super super like this baking. Love with this.
Shweta in the Kitchen says
delicious treat for this feastive season
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Amrita Vishal says
New for me and very interesting
anthony stemke says
I love love love rye bread. I usually use white flour with the rye when I bake some but this particular recipe is fantastic.
You are a great baker.
I blogged about that wonderful stollen last Christmas.
Take care dear lady.
Veena Theagarajan says
Bread looking great!
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Madhavi says
Bread looks amazing!!!
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Shree Kanneppady says
Wow,bread luks delicious !
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Hema says
You've become professional Swathi, the bread looks awesome..
El Oteador de los Mercados says
Very tasty that bread. A similar one I have eaten in Boston, but not orange.
Nandini says
The bread's well done! Love the texture!
radha says
Like the baked recipes here. You do take your baking seriously. I have a lot to learn from here.
Reshmi Mahesh says
Awesome post dear...so nicely and detailed explanation and bread looks very yummy..
mjskit says
Love using molasses in bread so any bread recipe with molasses catches my eye. This Christmas looks delicious! I can almost taste it!
cookcookandcook says
Wonderful.. wish I could have some of that.. 🙂 Thanks for linking..:)
Reeni Pisano says
You entice me with this lovely bread Swathi! Would be very welcome here for Christmas!
Suja Manoj says
Healthy substitute,looks soft and yum,adipoli.
Shailaja Reddy says
Homemade & wonderful bread.
Julie says
I have never used rye,this looks very new to me,Swathi..but delicious looks!!
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Jayasri Ravi says
Lovely bread, I use quite a lot of Rye flour in my baking, I would definitely love to try this out.., looks fab dear...
cookingvarieties says
hi swathi, never tried this finnish bread before. looks delicious and cool... thanks for sharing..you must be busy baking celebration cookies now.
Lizzy Do says
Bread with butter is probably my favorite treat! You've made a gorgeous load, my friend!!!
Sangeetha Priya says
Healthy bread, perfectly baked n sliced, love it...
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Saraswathi Tharagaram says
Never heard this before and your are tempting me with your baking..Yummp
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Marlys Folly says
I love Joululimppu... but have never made it myself...My brother and his family live in Finland and I have traveled there many times and had the opportunity to spend Christmas there about 15 years ago. I also spent some time in Sweden.
Our Neck of the Woods says
Looks like a delicious bread! Very interesting recipe.
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kitchen queen says
excellent and perfectly baked yummilicious bread.
divya says
looks perfect n healthy..
Shabbu says
Yummy and perfect bread...
Maha Gadde says
pictures are very beautiful.n bread looks simply superb...I know this tastes awesum...
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Archana Potdar says
This is new to me. Bookmarking it looks delicious.
ANU says
healthy and yummy bread....
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Kitchen Queen says
healthy and yummy bread. do visit my space in your free time.
Rebecca Subbiah says
this looks great man your a great bread maker
Rachana says
Hey Swathi,
How are you doing dear? What a lovely coincidence, my first ferry trip was also from Stockholm to Helsinki.
Wow!!! I gotta make this bread soon. Perfect for the festive season!
Sayantani says
I so want to try rye flour but they are not available in India. exploring cuisines of other countries sure is a fun thing and love doing that. this bread looks perfect like the dark hue of brown.
Angie's Recipes says
Ain't the homemade bread the freshest and best!
Navaneetham Krishnan says
You bake so well Swathi and the bread is fabulous, like the rest of your baking recipes you have shared.
Anu says
Looks just perfect..
Arthy Suman says
I love homemade bread....the aroma of it baking sends you to cloud 9...
Guru Uru says
Every morning can be Christmas morning with tis bread 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Priya says
Wonderful to know about this Finnish christmas bread Swathi, colour of the bread itself looks fabulous.
Veena Theagarajan says
yummy bread! looks soft and healthy too
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Vimitha Anand says
Thats a wonderful bake. Loving ur new venture...
Gauri says
Love the recipe Swathi, the bread has come out really well and has a very nice crust n colour!
I don't think I have seen rye flour here, will find a good substitute!
Kaveri Venkatesh says
Looks super good Swathi..
Vijayalakshmi Dharmaraj says
absolutely new to me akka... never heard this before...
nice one...
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Nivedhanams Sowmya says
That is so delicious!!! am bookmarking this one!!! and ths is soooo new to me!!!
Sowmya
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