French Spiced Bread Recipes

PAIN D'EPICES RECIPE - FRENCH SPICE BREAD

Steps:

• Start by preheating your oven to 150˚C (300˚F), then line a loaf pan with baking paper or grease with butter.
• Pop your rye flour into a large mixing bowl along with the ground ginger, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, baking soda and baking powder. Pour in the honey, give it a quick stir with a spoon, then blend using a handheld beater or stand mixer with paddle attachment on low speed.
• Gradually stir in the following ingredients, one at a time: milk, sugar, egg, softened butter and salt.
• Once the mixture is well combined, pour it out into a loaf pan. Don't forget to smooth out the top with the back of a spoon.
• Bake for 45 mins or until a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean, then bask in the aromatic deliciousness of a slice of your freshly cooked pain d'epices!

FRENCH SPICED BREAD

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.

HERB-SEASONED FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Slice french bread into 1 inch slices. Combine remaining ingredients, mixing well; spread butter mixture between bread slices.
• Wrap loaf in aluminum foil; bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

PAIN D'EPICE (FRENCH SPICE BREAD)

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 !).