Typically baked during the Christmas season, the festive wort breads/loaves (Swedish: vörtbröd / vörtlimpa) are flavoured with spices like anise, caraway, and fennel seeds, and often orange rinds, raisins or sultanas, and dark beer, in addition to the wort.

Its distinct taste and look is in large part due to the addition of wort to the dough, making it similar to a malt loaf.

[5] The first step for making the bread is to bring molasses, brown sugar, caraway seeds, wort, and water to a gentle boil, then to add shortening or butter and citrus rind.

[7] Some recipes add the molasses mixture to the dry ingredients after the rye flour has been scalded with hot water.

[12] Although not strictly traditional in the origin area of northern Sweden, some variations on the basic recipe may add raisins or prunes.