10 Best Breads in Sweden (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular bread in Sweden? ›

Polarbröd has been the Swedes' favorite bread for many years. But now it is finally proven! According to Demoskop's independent consumer survey, four out of five prefer Polarbröd's Rågkaka and Vetekaka to its competitors. And of course we have to to brag about it.

Limpa is a traditional Swedish bread made with rye and wheat flour. It is a sweetened with syrup, and flavored with a combination of 2-3 spices; caraway, fennel and anis. If you grew up in Sweden the chances are this was the to go loaf of bread at home.

Iceland. Iceland is considered one of the countries with the best bread in the world, much of which can be attributed to the unique methods it employs for its bread-making. The Icelandic rye bread is high in sugar and is baked underground using bubbling lava sand as the heat source.

Tunnbröd (Swedish: [ˈtɵ̂nːbrøːd]; literally "thinbread") is a Swedish version of flatbread. Tunnbröd can be soft or crisp, and comes in many variants depending on choice of grain, leavening agent (or lack thereof) and rolling pin.

A smörgås or sandwich is a typical breakfast or lunch meal for a Swede. Often with one piece of bread or cracker, butter and toppings, the open-face sandwich is delicious. But why the name smörgås and what are common items Swedes like to add to sandwiches?

Swedish Knäckebröd or crispbread likely sits in most Swedish homes. It's essentially a flat-bread that has been baked to a crisp cracker.

From that tradition of passing the bowl, the term “Skål” is now also a toast — ”cheers!”

Turkey, the nation that holds a Guinness World Record for consuming the most bread. With over 230 pounds of average bread consumption, no country comes even close to Turkey when it comes to eating bread.

What kind of bread do Scandinavians eat? ›

The Nordic countries are home to a rich and varied collection of traditional breads, many of them featuring rye, oats and/or barley in addition to standard wheat flour. From soft Swedish Limpa bread to dark and seedy Danish Rugbrød, there is a Scandinavian bread recipe to suit just about eveyone.

Kanelbullar or cinnamon buns are a classic at Swedish coffee parties. During the golden age of home baking, such parties turned into orgies of sweet yeast breads, small cookies, cookies with fillings, pastries and cakes. This tradition lives on in Sweden.

Norway and Sweden call it the “skalk.” That one might be my favorite. It's referred to as the “dupka” in Poland, the “knust” or “knerzel” in Germany and the “kapje” in the Netherlands.

Fresh yeast

White bread was something we rarely ate – most breads in Scandinavia tend to be wholesome, with a mix of whole grains, flakes, seeds, nuts and dried fruit to jazz up the everyday loaf. A family favourite was a pain au levain style rye bread that we picked up from a local bakery in Oslo.