Best Pain Depice French Spice Bread Recipes

Pain D'epice (French Spice Bread) image

Provided by bexfiles

Categories Breads

Time 1h50m

Yield 1 loaf, 12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 14

225 ml honey
225 g wholemeal rye flour
30 g white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
30 g ground almonds
1 teaspoon ginger peel
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 cloves, ground
1/2 orange, zest of, grated
1/2 lemon, zest of, grated
milk, and
sugar, boiled to a syrup for glaze

Steps:

Warm and melt the honey by standing the jar in a pan of hot water, measure it into the rye flour in a bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon. Leave, covered for 1 hour for the flour to absorb all the liquid.
Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the glaze, and mix with vigour to ensure everything is spread evenly through the dough - this will be very sticky! Knead the dough on a clean work surface for between 5-10 minutes You can dip hands into a bowl of water at intervals to help with the kneading if necessary.
Press the dough mixture intpo a well greased 2lb loaf tin. Make sure it's pushed right into the corners.
Bake the loaf on the middle shelf for about 35 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. When you have removed it from the oven, brush with glaze and return to oven for a couple of minutes to set the glaze.
Let the bread stand in the tin for a few minutes, then invert onto a wire rack. This keeps very well and because it's made using rye it can be better for being left a couple of days before eating. (We never let it wait long though !).

French Spiced Bread image

Provided by Kamel Saci

Yield 2 loaves

Number Of Ingredients 17

2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole almonds
1/2 cup store-bought or homemade candied orange peel
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dried plums
2 cups honey
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons kosher salt
6 (3") cinnamon sticks
3 star anise pods
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Reims N.39 spice mix
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 large eggs
Special equipment:
2 (9x5") loaf pans

Steps:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease loaf pans with melted butter.
Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once or twice, until golden brown and fragrant, 6-8 minutes. Coarsely chop zest, apricots, plums, and toasted almonds. Transfer to a small bowl.
Bring honey, milk, salt, cinnamon, and star anise to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk flour, baking powder, spice mix, and baking soda in a large bowl.
Strain honey mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Add eggs and whisk until incorporated. Using a spatula, quickly fold in zest mixture.
Divide dough between prepared pans, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake bread until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 35-40 minutes.
Let bread cool 10 minutes in pan, then carefully remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack.
Do Ahead
Bread can be made 5 days ahead. Tightly wrap and store at room temperature, or freeze up to 1 month.