Honey Spice Bread Recipe (2024)

By Martha Rose Shulman

Honey Spice Bread Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(137)
Notes
Read community notes

If you go to a French honey stand or shop, or one of the many honey fairs that occur during the summer in Provence, pain d’épices – spice bread – will always be one of the items for sale along with the honey, as honey is a key an ingredient in these breads. This recipe is based on one by French Pastry School founder Jacquy Pfeiffer. His recipe, which does not contain any butter or oil, results in a very moist bread. You will need a small loaf pan, no bigger than 4 x 8 inches, or you can make mini-muffins.

Featured in: Quick Breads That Are Sweet, Savory and Whole Wheat

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Ingredients

Yield:About 40 mini-cakes or 1 small loaf, serving 12.

  • 175grams (½ cup) honey
  • 20grams (2 tablespoons) brown sugar
  • 62grams (½ cup) whole wheat flour
  • 62grams (½ cup) rye flour
  • 5grams (1 teaspoon) baking powder
  • 1teaspoon ground anise
  • ¼teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • ½teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • ½teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2grams (¼ teaspoon) salt
  • 55grams (1 extra large) egg
  • 50grams (3 tablespoons) milk

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

97 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 84 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Honey Spice Bread Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a small (8 x 4-inch or smaller) bread pan and dust lightly with flour. Line with parchment if desired. Alternatively, use buttered and floured mini-muffin molds or silicone mini muffin molds.

  2. Step

    2

    Place the honey and sugar in a small saucepan, insert a thermometer and heat to 158 degrees while stirring with a rubber spatula.

  3. Step

    3

    Sift together the whole wheat flour, rye flour, baking powder, spices and salt and transfer them to the bowl of your mixer.

  4. Step

    4

    In a small bowl whisk together the milk and whole eggs. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the milk and egg mixture. Stop the mixer and, using a rubber spatula or a plastic bowl scraper, scrape up any flour sticking to the bottom of the bowl. Add the warm honey mixture and mix on medium speed until incorporated. Scrape into the bread pan or spoon about 1 to 2 teaspoons into each mini-mold, filling them ¾ full.

  5. Step

    5

    Bake mini-cakes for 15 to 20 minutes, loaves for 40 to 45 minutes, until deep brown and a tester comes out clean. Remove from the heat, unmold and cool on a rack. If making a loaf, for best results, once cool wrap tightly in plastic and allow the cake to rest for a day.

Tip

  • Advance preparation: The bread keeps well for a week and freezes well for a month or longer.

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Yoorie

Triple the recipe for a 5x9 pan, but only double the spices. Easy on the anise.

Iz

David Lebovitz's version of pain d'epices in his cookbook "My Paris Kitchen" is much better than this one.

Johnathan

Double this recipe makes 3 mini loaf pans (3.19 in x 5.63 in x 1.95 in), perfectly. A nice twist on a spice cake when paired with clotted cream.

Nicolas

Poor recipe, extremely dry and did not rise. Does not taste like what it claims to be. Avoid.

JDM

Extra large egg w/o shell 58 grams. Large 50 grams

eelvander

Doubled everything and still made a cake that fit a 9 x 13 loaf pan. Came out beautifully though. Used high-quality honey.

Lance

Absolutely delicious. A great recipe.

Carolyne

Very small amount of batter, but DELICIOUS taste! I did not use cloves as I find them overpowering. The honey taste is amazing.

Jacqueline

Speaking as a French native who grew up eating pain d'epice as a regular after school treat, this is not very good. I followed the directions exactly down to weighing the ingredients * careful, 62g rye flour is WAY more than 1/2 cup!*. Too dry, and even at only 1/4 tsp cloves dominate. Disappointing. Perhaps the weight measures should be ignored and stick to volume? Curious to hear what other bakers thought.

Yoorie

Triple the recipe for a 5x9 pan, but only double the spices. Easy on the anise.

Johnathan

Double this recipe makes 3 mini loaf pans (3.19 in x 5.63 in x 1.95 in), perfectly. A nice twist on a spice cake when paired with clotted cream.

Jean

I adapted amounts to my Zojirshi breadmaker, used the dough cycle and baked it at 350 for 25 minutes. Substituted Chinese 5 spice for some of the included spices and added a tsp of vanilla. Great gift/hostess gift bread

Iz

David Lebovitz's version of pain d'epices in his cookbook "My Paris Kitchen" is much better than this one.

Clara

The amount of batter was no where near enough for the loaf pan that I used (20cmx10cmx6.3cm), I ended up needing to double it. Regardless, it was a great recipe and smelled amazing!

Michelle

I cooked this in my 9x5 size loaf pan, it turned out about half as tall as the banana bread I make. Of course, this has only 1 cup of flour, total, which I found odd. Also, noticed the directions refer to eggS but the ingredients list only one. I checked it after 20 minutes and it was done. I had to improvise on the spices, and questioned the pepper but did put it in... All said it still turned out good but didn't knock my socks off. Might try it again with the correct spices as listed.

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Honey Spice Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What happens when you add honey to bread? ›

Bread, in particular, can greatly benefit from a sweet infusion. One of the best pairings for bread is honey. They work well together, as honey can provide excellent flavor, functionality and moisture to this product. Bakeries across the country experience this firsthand with their own unique varieties.

What is honey bread made of? ›

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in milk. Add honey, butter, salt and 5 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour, in 1/2-cup increments, to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes.

Can you add spices to homemade bread? ›

A great way to add flavor to home-baked bread is to use a variety of herbs and spices. Whether you're looking to use up extra basil or rosemary before it loses flavor or are interested in bringing cloves, nutmeg, or poppy seeds into your bread baking, there are many possibilities and inspirational recipes.

Is honey on bread a thing? ›

Toasted, organic, 100% whole grain bread with butter and raw honey is a great way to start the day. The slow release energy of the fibre from the bread and nutrients of the raw honey will keep you going without snacking until lunchtime.

Why can't you bake with honey? ›

Baking With Honey Releases Toxic Compounds: Science's Perspective. Scientifically, heating honey changes its nutritional value and chemical composition.

What is the best honey for baking bread? ›

Amber Honey

It has more caramel notes, which makes it the ideal honey for spreading on bread. For baking purposes, you can use it to make Parker House rolls.

Will yeast rise with honey? ›

Honey: The honey feeds the yeast, increases its activity, and tenderizes the dough.

Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour? ›

Bread Flour Substitute

You can always substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour one for one in any recipe that calls for it. Your bread might not raise quite as high or have quite as much chew, if you are using all-purpose flour, but it will still be delicious and homemade and all the good things.

Can I use honey instead of sugar for bread? ›

out the sugar for honey! Just substitute honey for the. same amount of sugar in the recipe and add a little. extra flour to make up for the added moisture.

What spices work well in bread? ›

It is best to use fresh spices for a better flavor. However, if you want to use ground spices, make sure you don't leave them on the shelf too long. You can add saffron, nutmeg, cinnamon, anise, all-spice and cardamom to sweet or savory breads.

What are the best spices to add to bread? ›

Oregano – You will find oregano in many Italian-style breads. Paprika – This herb is used for things like Paprika & Garlic Bread. Pumpkin Pie Spice – Used for Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Pie Bread, etc. Rosemary – Rosemary is used in great tasting Italian & Mediterranean bread recipes such as Rosemary Bread.

What are good seasonings to put in bread? ›

If you want to spice up your bread a little bit, here are 4 herbs that you can experiment with to diversify your baking!
  • Rosemary. Rosemary's powerful lemon-pine flavor can be used to give an artisan touch to the profile of breads and pizza crusts alike. ...
  • Basil. ...
  • Fennel. ...
  • Thyme.
Jun 10, 2020

Does honey dry out bread? ›

Numerous research studies have documented the ability of honey to soften bakery products, inhibit staling and extend shelf life. The addition of honey can increase the life of a bakery product by days.

Do bakeries use honey? ›

Honey also is used in bakery foods to enhance the flavors of other ingredients.

Why do you bake with honey? ›

What Does Honey do in Baking? Honey is a 'humectant'. This means that it retains moisture- great news for baking as it helps keep biscuits and cake moist. Honey compared with traditional refined sugar, also means you gain a richer colour and fuller flavour.

Can honey replace sugar in bread? ›

out the sugar for honey! Just substitute honey for the. same amount of sugar in the recipe and add a little. extra flour to make up for the added moisture.

Does honey feed bread yeast? ›

Yes, honey works great as a replacement for sugar in yeast dough recipes. The major role of sugar in dough is to provide food for the yeast and honey more or less does the same thing.

How does honey affect dough hydration? ›

Farinographic studies showed that there were higher water absorption, shorter development time and stability time as honey powder increased, and small degree of softening were obtained for the dough containing 5% honey powder.

Can we eat bread and honey together? ›

Eating bread or chapati at the breakfast is common for many of us. Instead of sprinkling powdered sugar to calm the sweet cravings, you can spread honey over the bread or chapati. With excellent flavour and moisture, bread with honey spread can be the best pairing.

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