Honey and Spice Bread

With the cold that accompanies us at this time of year I can't think of a better plan at any time than to turn on the oven and prepare some treat that we can later enjoy with the family (don't say you'll eat it all without sharing, okay? We know each other, hehe). And one of my latest discoveries has been the recipe for this delicious honey and spice bread.

This is a recipe of French origin and it is a hybrid between a bread and a cake since, although its texture is similar to bread, rather dense, moist and very juicy, the method of preparation is closer to how we usually make cakes, because we will use baking powder.

As you can imagine from its name, this bread is loaded with spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, anise or ginger, so from the moment it's baked this bread becomes a true delight for the senses, with the wonderful scent it gives off that will spread through the whole house.

Despite the amount of honey it contains in its preparation, it is not an overly sweet bread, so it's fantastic to accompany both sweet and savory foods. I love it with butter and orange marmalade, but I encourage you to try toasting a couple of slices of spice bread and serving it with foie gras… A real delight!

And of course, although you can prepare it in any pan, such as a bundt pan, I love to make it in my Emile Henry mold , not only because I'm in love with the pan, but also because it unmolds wonderfully, the cooking is even and the slices we get when cutting the cake, being square, are perfect if we want to use them for spreading.

Emile Henry fluted rectangular mold, Pallarès stainless steel table knife, Revol caractère porcelain plates, Emile Henry ramekins and ArtisanSt. 150ml ceramic sauce boat

Ingredients

• 150 g rye flour
• 150 g wheat flour
• 250 g honey
• 60 g butter
• 350 ml milk
• 1 egg M
• Zest of one orange
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (type Royal )
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon anise seeds
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon pearl sugar for decorating

KitchenAid Artisan 5KSM175 food processor, Emile Henry fluted rectangular mold, Pallarès stainless steel table knife, ArtisanSt. 150ml ceramic sauce boat , Emile Henry ramekins, Bérard olivewood honey spoon and Bérard olivewood flour spoon

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180º.
2. With the help of a mortar and pestle grind the anise seeds and set aside.
3. In the bowl of the Kitchen Aid mix the two types of flour, previously sifted, the baking powder, the baking soda, the salt and the spices (including the anise that we have ground).
4. Next grate the orange peel with a Microplane grater and add it to the bowl.
5. Attach the paddle accessory to the Kitchen Aid, add the honey and mix on low speed.
6. Once you obtain a homogeneous mixture, gradually add the milk while continuing to beat on low speed.
7. When the ingredients are well integrated, add the egg, lightly beaten, and continue mixing until incorporated into the batter.
8. Next add the butter (which should be at room temperature) and continue beating until incorporated.
9. Once the batter is uniform stop beating.
10. Then grease the pan with the help of a brush and pour in the batter.
11. Sprinkle the pearl sugar over it and place in the oven.
12. Bake at 180º for 50 minutes.
13. After this time, and once you have checked with the help of a skewer or cake thermometer that it is well cooked, remove the honey and spice bread from the oven.
14. Once you can handle the pan without burning yourself, unmold and let the honey bread cool on a rack.

Emile Henry fluted rectangular mold, ArtisanSt. 150ml ceramic sauce boat. and Emile Henry ramekins

There is nothing more comforting than baking this honey bread on a cold afternoon and having the aroma of the spices fill the house... Although the smell is so fantastic that you run the risk that at home they won't even let the bread cool before finishing it. Consider yourselves warned, hehe!