So tonight, I made some homemade Finnish Limpa Bread (Flat bread) for a cousin that is watching my boys tomorrow. I've always been asked for recipes and have given them out a few times, but tonight it hit me, why not start a blog! Then when I make things that I love, I can share so someone else can love them too!
So here is my recipe for my Finnish Limpa Bread, which my mother gave me many years ago.
1. Dissolve 3 packages of dry active yeast in a 1/2 cup of warm water. (Warm water to me runs about 115 degrees on a thermometer.)
2. Mix together-
4 cups warm water
2 tsp salt
2 cups whole wheat flour or graham flour (I usually use whole wheat)
2 Tbsp molasses
2 Tbsp sugar
1/3 cup shortening
When all mixed together, add the yeast and let sit for 20 minutes. The mixture should look all bubbly and almost foamy. It's doing what it is suppose to.
3. Take 8 cups flour (you can use white, you can use wheat, whatever floats your boat) and add it cup by cup to the foamy mixture. I usually get to about 6 cups and then will need to knead it. Sometimes I don't use all 8 cups, sometimes I use a bit more. Depends on what you want. At about 6 cups, I will sprinkle my counter with flour and knead it until its to the right consistancy (not very sticky but not tough). When ready, set it in a bowl, put a towel over it and put it someplace warm.
4. Fun part! Now, take the bowl with the bread and take off the towel. It should be about an hour later. The bread should be twice it's size. Then punch it down. It should deflate. Use your sprinkled flour counter and take the bread out of the bowl. It might stick a bit to the sides, scrap it clean if you want. Then get the bread into one big ball and cut it into 4 loaves. I like bigger loaves so 4 is good for me but you can do 6 or even 8.
5. Once the bread is seperated, take the dough and form into the loaves you want. I make mine oval. Put on a greased cookie sheet (I put 2 on a sheet) and cover with a towel again. Let it rise again to whatever size you want. If you like a flatter bread, then let it rise to like a 1/2 inch and poke it with a fork. When it has raised to the size you want, put it in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.
6. The secret that I've found is to not cook it too long. I check mine at 25 minutes and if it is brown on top, I knock it like a door. If it sounds hollow, it's done. Take it out, put it on a cooling rack. I like a softer crust so I rub butter on the crust right when it comes out, but if you like it a little crispier, leave it be.
7. Enjoy!
