SWEDISH SOUR MILK BREAD

SWEDISH SOUR MILK BREAD image

Yield 2 loaves

Number Of Ingredients 10

2 1/4 cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (175 g) rye flour
2 teaspoons baking powder (preferably aluminum-free)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons anise seeds
2 cups (500 ml) buttermilk
3/4 cup (210 g) dark syrup, or an alternative (see Note)
Note: Dark syrup is made from sugar beets or sugar cane and closely resembles dark corn syrup. You could use dark corn syrup, cane syrup, sorghum, or perhaps light-flavored molasses, which will lend a stronger flavor to the bread than the other options. I would not use all honey or agave nectar as they will take the bread in another direction. If those other ingredients aren't available to you, you could mix honey and molasses (or treacle and golden syrup) in equal parts to temper the sweetness of honey and the robust flavor of molasses.

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 215ºF (100ºC.) Lightly grease a 9-inch (23 cm) square cake pan. 2. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and rye flours, the baking powder, baking soda, and caraway seeds. 3. In a spice grinder, or mortar-and-pestle, grind the fennel and anise seeds into they are close to finely ground, but they can still have a bit of texture to them. Whisk them into the four mixture until they are evenly dispersed. 4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk and dark syrup. Stir the mixture just until the dry ingredients are completely moistened, but don't overmix. 5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. 6. After 30 minutes, increase the heat of the oven to 325ºF (160ºC) and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the bread feels just-cooked in the center when you press it. (If using an instant-read thermometer, it should read 190ºF, 88ºC.) 7. Remove the bread from the oven and as soon as it's cool enough to handle, remove the bread from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack. To serve, cut the bread in half down the center, making two rectangular loaves, then cut slices of the bread. Storage: The bread will keep for up to 3-4 days at room temperature. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months.