Pain Depices Recipe French Spice Bread

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!

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 !).

PAIN D'ÉPICES - SPICED FRENCH GINGERBREAD LOAF WITH HONEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/360°F.
• Warm the milk and then add the honey, sugar and butter stirring well.
• Put the flour, baking powder, ground ginger and quatre -épices in a mixing bowl, make a well in the middle, break the egg into it, and add the milk mixture. Mix well (or just throw the whole lot into a food processor). Add the crystallised ginger and mix well once again.
• Pour into a well buttered 23-cm loaf tin and bake for 25 minutes. Lower the heat to 150C/300F and cook for a further 15 minutes. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.
• Store wrapped in clingfilm to keep it moist.

FRENCH PAIN D'EPICES

Steps:

• BAKING PANS: One large loaf pan (9 x 5), greased or Teflon, or two small (7 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch) pans. Metal or glass. If the latter, reduce oven heat 25 degrees.
• In a small mixing bowl pour water and add sugar, honey, baking soda and a pinch of salt. Stir until it is dissolved. Mix in the rum, anise seed and cinnamon.
• Measure flour into a large mixing bowl and pour in the liquid-stirring slowly but thoroughly to make a smooth batter. Drop in the almonds, citron and orange peel. Stir several times to mix throughout the batter. Preheat oven to 450°F Butter the tins and line with wax paper or parchment paper. Butter again.
• Pour the batter into the tin or tins. With a rubber scraper or spoon form a shallow depression down the center of the loaf, with the batter slightly higher along the sides. This will compensate for the rise of the center during baking.
• Place the bread in a very hot oven for 10 minutes; REDUCE the heat to moderate (350 F)for an additional 50 or 60 minutes. The loaf will test done when a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and dry.
• Remove bread from the oven. Turn the tins on their sides and carefully pull out the loaves by tugging gently on the wax paper. Let the loaves cool (preferably overnight) before slicing thinly. Makes 1 large or 2 small.
• The Complete Book Of Breads.Bernard. Clayton, Jr.

PAIN D'EPICES - BURGUNDIAN SPICE BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250F / 120°C.
• Heat the milk, sugar and honey in a saucepan, stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring it just to the boil, and then set aside until tepid.
• Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the center. Add three quarters of the cooled honey mixture and stir with a wooden spoon, gradually drawing in the flour to make a smooth batter.
• In a small bowl, mix the candied peel, spices and salt. Stir in the remaining honey mixture and add it to the batter, stir until smooth. Cover and refrigerate the batter for 8-12 hours.
• Butter the loaf pans (2 medium loaf pans - 20x8x8 cm), you can also line them with grease-proof paper and butter the paper.
• To complete the batter, mix the egg yolks and baking soda with the water in a small bowl. Stir this mixture into the batter.
• Spoon the batter into the pans, filling them half full - the batter rises quite a bit during baking - a cover them loosely with foil.
• Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil. Continue baking for approx 1 ½ to 1 ¾ hours more, or until a skewer inserted near the center comes out clean.