Pain d'Épices (Spice Bread)
Makes 1 loaf
This quick bread originates from the Alsace region in France - it can be served with both sweet and savory foods. We tend to top it with cheese (sharp cheddar works well) and serve it with soup for dinner, or it can be toasted and slathered with butter and more raw honey (it has ¾ of a cup in it and no other sweetener) for a hearty breakfast. You could also toast a slice then crumble it over ice cream or baked fruit. It is recommended that you bake it and let it sit for a day to let the flavors develop.
- 4 TBSP unsalted butter
- 3 cups 100% whole wheat flour
- ½ cup rye flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground anise
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup Bluegrass Bee raw honey
- 1 TBSP grated lemon zest
- ¾ cup buttermilk
1) Heat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan with butter and dust with flour.
2) Whisk together the flours, the spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
3) Beat together the butter, egg, honey and zest in a separate bowl with an electric mixer.
4) Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk in three additions, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the loaf is a deep golden brown and a toothpick or tester inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out almost entirely clean. Cool the loaf in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes then carefully turn it upside down to release the loaf. Loaf can be kept at room temperature wrapped or bagged for a week. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy and thanks bees!