TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Pain d'ÉpicesFrench Honey Spice Bread
- Total
- 2 hr
- Difficulty
- ★★☆☆☆
- Serves
- 12 servings
- Prep 25 min
- Cook 35 min
- Rest 1 hr
A honey-and-flour spice bread from Champagne and Alsace, with anise seeds, cinnamon, cloves and citrus zest mixed into the dough and baked in loaf pans.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
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Ingredients (12 servings)
100Authenticity- Wildflower honey500 g
- Cake flour500 gSift before use.
- Baking powder12 g
- Anise seeds10 g
- Ground cinnamon1 g
- Ground cloves0.5 g
- Grated orange zest0.5 orangesAvoid the white pith.
- Unsalted butter10 gFor the pans.
- Milk30 mlFor glazing.
- Granulated sugar15 gFor glazing.
Method
Boil and skim the honey, then mix with sifted flour
- 1 Sift 500 g cake flour into a large bowl.
- 2 Put 500 g honey in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it boils, skim off the foam and remove from the heat.
- 3 Pour the hot honey into the center of the flour and mix with a wooden spoon until no flour is visible.
Ready when
Continue when the dough is a single heavy, sticky mass without dry flour.
Caution
Boiling honey is extremely hot; splashes can cause burns.
Cover with a cloth and rest for 1 hour
- 1 MeanwhileDuring the rest, grate the zest of half an orange and butter 2 loaf pans, each 18 cm long.
- 2 Cover the dough with a cloth and rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
Ready when
Continue when the dough has cooled enough to handle.
Knead in the baking powder and spices; fill the pans
- 1 MeanwhileWhile kneading, preheat the oven to 190°C (374°F).
- 2 Check that the dough is cool enough to handle. Add 12 g baking powder and knead it in firmly by hand.
- 3 Add 10 g anise seeds, 1 g cinnamon, 0.5 g cloves and the orange zest; knead until evenly distributed.
- 4 Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and press into the pans. Wet your hands with water and smooth the tops.
Ready when
Continue when spices are distributed throughout and the tops are level.
Bake at 190°C for 30 minutes
- 1 Bake on the middle rack at 190°C (374°F) for 30 minutes. Cover with foil during baking if the tops darken too much.
- 2 Insert a skewer into the center. If dough sticks to it, continue baking in 5-minute increments.
Ready when
Continue when the skewer comes out without dough and the tops have risen and turned dark brown.
Brush with sweetened milk, unmold and cool
- 1 Warm 30 ml milk with 15 g granulated sugar in a small saucepan until dissolved, then brush over the baked tops.
- 2 Open the oven door and place the loaves just inside the opening for a few seconds to dry.
- 3 Remove from the pans and cool on a rack.
Ready when
The loaves are ready when the tops are glossy, dry and no longer sticky to the touch.
About this dish
In Reims in Champagne, pain d’épices makers formed a guild in the 16th century, recognized by Henri IV in 1596. The town had a custom of giving spice bread to distinguished travelers. Marie Antoinette received it, as did Marie Leszczyńska while traveling to marry Louis XV.
In Gertwiller, Alsace, the first maker’s name was recorded in 1727, and around 1900 the village had 8–9 makers. Gertwiller stalls appeared at village festivals, or messti, across Alsace, where lovers gave each other heart-shaped pain d’épices.
For children’s afternoon snacks, it is eaten plain or topped with butter or chocolate. At year-end festive tables, it accompanies foie gras.
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