Orange and Fennel Rye Bread
I only recently learned that my Lemon and Orange Rye Loaf recipe which I adapted to make this Orange and Fennel Recipe is actually called a Swedish Limpa Bread. This is due to the Citrus infused, spice (fennel and sometimes anise) enriched dough which gives it a distinctively sweet bread. The after taste is rich, and the spice and citrus gives a result of soft, aromatic, slightly sweet loaf. The smell in your kitchen will be inviting and pleasant. Serve with a smoke paprika and tomato soup.
Orange and Fennel Rye Bread
Preparation time: 2 Hours 10 minutes
Baking time: 25 minutes
Yield: 2 small loafs or 1 large Loaf
Ingredients:
200g Strong white bread flour
200g Rye flour
10g Salt
60g Soft butter
60g Castor Sugar
20g Dried Yeast
300ml Water
3 g / ¼ tsp dried fennel
zest of 1 orange
Method:
Put the flours, salt, butter, sugar, yeast and water into a bowl and mix the dough together with your hands for 3 minutes.
Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, add the zest and fennel, and work them well into the dough. The dough will discolour slightly, but this is normal.
Put the dough back into the bowl and leave it to rise for 1 hour.
Line a baking tray. Shape the dough into two loaves and cut signature slashes along the top of each loaf.
Allow the loaves to rise for another 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 220 °C.
Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
