This kefir bread loaf requires no yeast and no kneading. You just mix all the dry ingredients together, stir in the kefir, and it's ready to go in the oven. Made with a lovely blend of flours (wheat, rye and graham) as well as a whole array of lovely other additions such as oat flakes, hemp, flax and pumpkin seeds.
This kefir bread recipe is inspired by a traditional no-knead bread made in Sweden that goes by the name filmjölkslimpa, literally sour milk loaf. Filmjölk is a dairy product found in Sweden that is made of fermented milk. Instead of yeast, this bread is leavened with bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) that reacts with the acidity of the milk. It is a sort of soda bread, or quick bread.
Since I really wanted to have this sour milk bread recipe on my blog, I thought I'd make it with an ingredient that was a little more widespread than very nordic filmjölk. Enter kefir: a fermented milk product that has the right acidity to make this work. Even outside of Sweden.
Try it with some olive oil butter spread!
Ingredients & equipment
- Wheat flour
- Rye flour
- Graham flour
- Rolled oats
- Hemp seeds
- Flax seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Honey
- Kefir
For detailed quantities, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
This bread might be the easiest loaf you'll bake this year. You just need a mixing bowl and a spatula. And a loaf pan lined with baking paper.
How to make kefir bread loaf
1. Combine all the dry ingredients - the flours, soda, salt, oats and seeds in a mixing bowl and stir to mix around. Reserve a couple of tablespoons rolled oats for the topping.
2. Pour in the honey and kefir and fold in until homogeneous. Pour into a loaf pan lined with baking paper and top with a handful of extra rolled oats.
3. Bake in the preheated oven at 175°C (347°F) for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Take out of the loaf pan and let cool completely under a cloth before slicing.
Kefir bread loaf tips
There is no single universal filmjölkslimpa recipe out there. Every Swedish household has their own. Traditionally, a dark syrup is used in place of honey. It is actually called "bread syrup" and I have only seen it in Sweden. Syrup is quite a popular ingredient in Swedish baking (it also features in Swedish ginger thins). To make this recipe more international, I used honey. But you can use golden syrup or maple syrup even. Swedish bread syrup contains malt, which gives the bread a deeper rounder flavour.
Containing no yeast, this kefir bread does not require any resting time for rising and fermentation. It needs, though, a longer baking time. And it does rise, because the soda and kefir react, creating a swelling even in this no yeast bread. Give it the time it needs in the oven - a higher temperature might only burn the top without guaranteeing that the middle will be done.
More breads
Bread comes in many forms, so if you liked this Swedish sour milk loaf, you may want to try some other types of breads. Like cornbread, a staple in North American cuisine. Or farinata, a chickpea pancake made in northern Italy. A favourite where I come from, Piemonte, is grissini. Or a classic, pizza dough from scratch for one person. Click on the pictures below to unlock more recipes and thank you for being here and supporting my blog!
If you tried this recipe, let me know your thoughts in the comments. If you're planning to try it another time, pin this recipe to Pinterest. Please consider subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Instagram and on Pinterest.
Kefir Bread Loaf
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Loaf pan
- Baking paper
Ingredients
- 160 g wheat flour
- 140 g graham flour
- 80 g rye flour
- 80 g rolled oats + 2 teaspoon for topping
- 50 g hemp seeds
- 40 g flaxseeds
- 30 g pumpkin seeds
- 1,5 teaspoon baking soda
- 0,5 teaspoon salt
- 50 ml liquid honey
- 500 ml kefir
Instructions
- Combine all the dry ingredients - the flours, soda, salt, oats and seeds in a mixing bowl and stir to mix around. Save a couple of tablespoons of rolled oats for the topping.
- Pour in the honey and kefir and fold in until homogeneous. Pour into a loaf pan lined with baking paper and top with the extra rolled oats.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 175°C (347°F) for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Take out of the loaf pan and let cool completely under a cloth before slicing.
