It's hard to know whether to call this bread Swedish or gian, because the everyday breads in these two countries are so much alike. My Swedish and Norwegian friends make rye bread using light rye flour and various flavorings. Some bakers use only caraway, some only orange, and others a combination of orange with fennel, anise, or caraway seeds. The combination of all four flavors is the most deluxe and festive blend. In Finland, this deluxe bread is served during the Christmas holidays and is called Joululimppu. Because this bread is made with light or medium rye flour it has a fine texture.
The amount of rye flour and sweetness varies from recipe to recipe. This one can be made with an optional amount of sugar but we prefer the less-sweet option. I bake it in the wintertime in four-loaf batches, because baking several loaves is no more trouble than baking just one. In this method, the dough is simply mixed with a wooden spoon until most of the flour is blended in. I do this in the evening, and, because winter nights are cool, I can let it stand on the kitchen counter until morning without overproofing. In the morning the kneading is easy and the dough rises quickly. If your climate is warm, you can let the dough stand unkneaded as long as 3 to 4 hours. This delayed-kneading method gives the flour time to absorb liquid, the yeast time to "work" without developing a yeasty flavor, and the flavors of the ingredients time to meld together.
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in the molasses according to amount of sweetness desired, milk, oil, brown sugar to taste, salt, spices, and orange peel. Mix in the rolled oats and rye flour; beat well. Slowly stir in as much of the bread flour as possible to make a stiff dough. There should be no "dry" flour remaining in the bowl, but dough will be lumpy. In cold climates, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature overnight. During this time the dough will rise to the top of the bowl. In warmer climates, or in the summertime, let stand 3 to 4 hours in a cool place. Sprinkle top of dough with about J cup all-purpose flour. With spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until smooth. If the batch is too big to handle, divide the dough into 2. parts and knead each part separately. Knead 5 to 10 minutes until smooth and satiny. Grease four 8- or 9-inch round cake pans or four 9 x 5-inch loaf pans. Divide kneaded dough into 4 equal parts. Shape each into a round or oblong loaf. Place loaves in pans with smooth sides up. Cover and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 7 hour. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake 35 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. If bread browns too rapidly while baking, cover with foil to finish baking. Remove from pans onto cooling racks. Brush hot loaves with warm molasses or dark corn syrup to glaze. *You can grind the seeds and the orange zest (peeled with potato peeler) in an electric coffee grinder to make the job easier. click here to know how to make chex mix
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