Honey and Spice Bread

With the cold weather that comes with this time of year, I can't think of a better plan at any time than turning on the oven and making some treat that we can then enjoy as a family (none of that eating it all without sharing, okay? We know what you're like, hahaha). And one of my latest discoveries has been the recipe for this delicious honey and spice bread.

It is a recipe of French origin and is a a cross between bread and cake Although, while its texture is similar to bread—rather dense, moist, and very juicy—the preparation method is actually closer to how we usually make sponge cakes, since we will use baking powder.

As you can probably guess from its name, this bread is loaded with spices, such as the cinnamon, nutmeg, anise, or ginger, so from the moment it starts baking, this bread becomes a true delight for the senses, with the wonderful aroma it gives off and that will spread throughout the house.

Despite the amount of honey used in its preparation, it is not an overly sweet bread, which makes it fantastic with both sweet and savoury 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 true delight!

And of course, although you can make it in any pan, such as a Bundt pan, I love making it in my mold by Emile Henry , not only because I’m in love with the pan, but also because it releases beautifully, bakes evenly, and the slices we get when cutting the cake, being square, are perfect if we want to use them for spreading.

Rectangular Wavy Emile Henry Mold, table knife Pallarès stainless steel, Caractère Revol porcelain plates, ramequins Emile Henry and ceramic sauce boat 150ml ArtisanSt.

Ingredients

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

Stand Mixer KitchenAid Artisan 5KSM175, Emile Henry Wavy Rectangular Mold, Pallarès stainless steel table knife, ceramic sauce dish 150ml ArtisanSt., Emile Henry ramekins, Olive wood honey spoon Bérard and Bérard olive wood flour scoop

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180º.
2. With the help of a mortar, grind the anise seeds and set aside.
3. In the bowl of the Kitchen Aid we 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. After that, grate the orange zest with a Microplane grater and add it to the bowl.
5. We attach the KitchenAid paddle attachment, add the honey, and mix on low speed.
6. Once we have a smooth mixture, gradually add the milk while continuing to beat at low speed.
7. When the ingredients are well combined, add the lightly beaten egg and continue mixing until it is incorporated into the dough.
8. After that, add the butter (which should be at room temperature) and continue beating until fully incorporated.
9. Once the dough is smooth, stop mixing.
10. In the next step, grease the mold with a brush and pour in the batter.
11. We sprinkle the pearl sugar over it and put it in the oven.
12. Bake at 180º for 50 minutes.
13. After this time, once we have checked with a skewer or cake thermometer that it is fully baked, we remove the honey and spice loaf from the oven.
14. Once we can handle the mold without burning ourselves, remove it from the mold and let the honey bread cool on a wire rack.

Wavy Rectangular Baking Dish Emile Henry, ceramic sauce boat 150ml ArtisanSt. and Emile Henry ramekins

There’s nothing more comforting than baking this honey bread on a cold afternoon and letting the aroma of the spices fill the house... Although the smell is so fantastic that you run the risk of no one at home even letting the bread cool before finishing it off. You’ve been warned, haha!