Joululimppu (Finnish Christmas Bread) is a spiced, subtly sweet rye bread and is baked in a round shape scored cross on top. It's dusted tight flour and sliced in a basket lined with a kitchen towel.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Hearty, aromatic Joululimppu (Finnish Christmas Bread) is just the loaf to enjoy for a Christmas dinner or holiday breakfast. It’s just sweet enough to feel like a special occasion treat, but this robust bread is satisfying paired with a holiday turkey or roast.

Rye flour gives this Finnish Christmas Bread a nutty earthiness with a pleasant tang and a dark, rich color.
Finnish Christmas Bread is brimming with the irresistible flavors of fennel, aniseed, and mörk sirup, literally “dark sirup,” a molasses-like ingredient that’s sweet with a touch of bitterness.

Jouluimppu is just one of the delectable traditional festive breads and pastries we’re featuring this season. I love mixing it up with a holiday treat that is new to me, and you can’t go wrong when it’s a festive, time-tested, home-baked treat that tastes and smells like the holidays.

What is Joululimppu (Finnish Christmas Bread)?
Tools You Need
Key Ingredients and Why
How to Make Joululimppu (Finnish Christmas Bread)
Can I Make Joululimppu in Advance?
How to Store Joululimppu
FAQs
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
More Holiday Bread Recipes

What is Joululimppu (Finnish Christmas Bread)?

Joululimppu (Finnish Christmas Bread) is a spiced, subtly sweet rye bread that’s traditionally baked in Finland at Christmas. The bread’s warm spices and molasses-like syrup evoke the holidays and cozy winter treats.
This Finnish Christmas Bread is baked in a round shape and is sometimes marked on top with a cross for religious holidays, a braided design, or a simple x.
Joululimppu, which translates to “Yule loaf,” is served sliced with butter or festive spreads such as mustard, ham, and cheese.

Tools You Need

Stand mixer with a dough hook (optional)
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups and measuring spoons
Tea towel
Baking sheet and parchment paper
Dutch oven
Wire rack

Key Ingredients and Why

Rye flour
- Rye flour gives this Joululimppu a wonderfully complex flavor with nuttiness, tang, and malty sweetness notes. It has a dense, chewy texture and a robust crust.
- Rye flour is made from the rye berry’s endosperm. Light rye bread is made with white rye flour made by grinding the rye berry’s center endosperm. Dark rye bread can be made with flour from the berry endosperm center and cocoa powder or molasses for color, or made with flour from the berry endosperm’s part that contains more coloring pigments.
- Rye grows well in Finnland’s cold climate. Since it thrives in harsh environments and is resistant to spoilage, rye bread is a staple in Finnish cuisine.
Fennel seeds
- Fennel seeds give the bread a licorice-like, slightly spicy flavor. They also provide a pleasant, mild crunch.
Bread flour
- Bread flour has 12%-14% protein, more than 8%-11% in all-purpose flour (plain flour).
- So bread flour can naturally and easily develop more gluten, resulting in a stronger and more elastic dough.
- Since bread flour (which is wheat flour) has a higher protein content than rye flour, it’s better at forming gluten. This contributes to a pleasant, chewy texture and a better rise. Learn all about different baking flours here.
Instant yeast
- Instant yeast does not require sponging and gives a quicker, more efficient rise than active dry yeast.
- Mix instant yeast with flour first to avoid direct contact with salt so the yeast won’t get deactivated.
- If you use active dry yeast: for every teaspoon of instant yeast, use 1 ¼ teaspoons of active dry yeast. Bring the liquid in your recipe to blood temperature and mix in active dry yeast. Let it sit at room temperature for roughly 5 minutes until foam forms on top.
Salt
- Salt enhances the flavor, prevents the dough from rising too fast, strengthens the gluten, improves the extensibility, and acts as a natural preservative to extend the bread’s shelf life.
Aniseed
- Aniseed, or anise, has a distinct licorice flavor which gives the bread both warmth and sweetness. Aniseed has a stronger flavor than fennel seed. The seeds give the bread a pleasantly rustic look.
- It’s a signature spice in Scandinavian cuisine, and it’s used in other holiday foods piparkakut, Finnish gingerbread cookies, and Glögi (Mulled Wine).
Mörk sirap or molasses
- Mörk sirap has a deep smooth sweetness with a hint or bite and bitterness that gives the bread depth of flavor.
- You can purchase mörk sirup or use dark molasses as a substitute

Butter
- Butterfat contributes to the moisture of the bread.
- Butter gives Joululimppu richness and a tender crumb.

How to Make Joululimppu (Finnish Christmas Bread)

Scald the rye: Combine rye flour, fennel seeds, and boiling water. Cover and let sit for at least three hours, and preferably overnight.
Mix the bread dough: Combine rye scald, bread flour, yeast, salt, aniseed, water, mörk sirap or molasses, and butter. Knead in a stand mixer or by hand until smooth and elastic.
Shape and proof:
- Cover the dough in the bowl with a tea towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Shape the dough into a ball, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with an oiled bowl, and let rise for 90 minutes. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
Bake the bread: Place the parchment paper and dough in the Dutch oven. Dust with flour and score an “X” on the top. Cover with the lid and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 400°F (200°C), remove the lid and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Can I Make Joululimppu in Advance?

Yes, you can make the Joululimppu in advance.

Partially prepare and refrigerate:
- Prepare the dough, and follow the recipe through Step 2.
- Cover the dough and place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. This slow fermentation process also enhances the flavor of the bread.
- When ready to bake, take the dough out of the refrigerator, and continue with the recipe at Step 3. This rise may take longer since the bread has been chilled. The dough should double in size.
Prepare in advance and freeze:
- Bake the bread and let it cool completely.
- Wrap well in cling film and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to two months. When ready to use, let it defrost at room temperature.

How to Store Joululimppu

Store leftover Joululimppu in an airtight container at room temperature for three days or freeze for up to two months.

FAQs

What is scalding, and why is it necessary to scald the rye?
- Scalding, or combining boiling water with rye flour and fennel in this recipe, softens the flour and seeds slightly.
- This process works on the starches and proteins to yield bread with a moister, more tender crumb and enhanced flavor.
Can I make this bread vegan?
- Yes, you can substitute extra virgin olive oil, avocado, or coconut oil for the butter at a 1:1 ratio.
How would I make this bread without a Dutch oven?
- You can replace a Dutch oven with a large metal bowl and a thick baking pan (preferably cast iron) to create steam:
  - Preheat the oven (with a thick baking pan) to 450°F (230°C) and place a large metal oven-proof bowl directly over the dough on your baking tray the moment it goes into the oven. Turn the oven temperature down immediately to 400°F (220°C) and bake for 20-25 minutes. This bowl will create steam around your loaf.
  - Then carefully remove the metal bowl and continue baking at 400°F (200°) for the remaining time.

- Alternatively, you can also use a cake pan with hot water and a thick baking pan (preferably cast iron) for steam:
  - Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) and place a cake pan or shallow baking tray in the oven with hot water on the lower rack under the preheated baking pan. Then slide your dough onto the preheated baking pan and turn the temperature immediately down to 400°F (220°C) and bake for 20-25 minutes.
  - The steam from the hot water gives the bread a nice oven spring, a bright color, and a chewier crust.
  - Carefully remove the cake pan of water after roughly 25 minutes and continue baking at 400°F (200°C) for the remaining time.
  - Once the crust is crisp, deep golden brown, and sounds hollow when tapped, remove from the oven.

How do I make sure my Finnish Christmas Bread is not overly dense?
- To ensure your bread is not too dense or heavy, be sure it rises sufficiently during the first and second stages.
- In addition, it’s important to follow the recipe carefully and use the correct amount of bread flour. The addition of wheat bread flour balances the density of rye flour.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

Mörk sirop is somewhat similar to molasses but less bitter and can be found online. You can also try to approximate it by dissolving 4 tablespoons of brown sugar with 1 tablespoon of boiling water and 1 teaspoon of corn syrup.
For added flavor, you can knead ¼ cup (1¼ oz/35 g) of finely diced candied citrus peel into the dough.
This bread is comforting and just perfect spread with some Homemade Butter.
If you enjoy making holiday breads, be sure to check out my recipes for Panettone, Stollen, and Croatian Bishop’s Bread!

More Hearty Bread Recipes