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Pain d'épices de Dijon
Honey spice loaf
Dijon's honey and spice loaf (pain d'épices)
Dijon has been baking pain d'épices since the Middle Ages, and the shops near the old ducal palace still sell it by the slice, plain or glazed with orange. It is a dense, fragrant honey loaf, sold all year but eaten most in December, when Burgundian families toast slices for breakfast, spread them with butter, or serve them with cheese and pears. The Dijon style uses wheat flour and a whole egg, which makes it softer than the rye-flour loaves of Reims. Chef's tip: wrap it and wait a day before cutting; the crumb turns moist and the spices settle and deepen.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 9 oz runny honeya dark flower or chestnut honey if you have it
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 ¾ oz light brown sugar
- 9 oz plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground aniseed
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp orange zestfinely grated
- ⅓ oz butterfor the tin
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Method
0/6 doneStep 2: Warm 9 oz runny honey, ¾ cup whole milk and 1 ¾ oz light brown sugar in a small pan over a low heat, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves. Do not let it boil. Leave to cool until lukewarm.
5 minStep 3: In a large bowl, mix 9 oz plain flour, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground aniseed, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground cloves and 1 pinch salt.
Step 4: Beat 1 egg and 1 tbsp orange zest into the honey mixture, pour it into the dry ingredients and whisk just until there are no dry streaks. The batter will be thick but pourable. Common mistake: beating it for minutes like a sponge, which makes the loaf tough and tunnelled; stop as soon as it is smooth.
Step 5: Pour into the tin and bake for 55–60 minutes, until dark brown, risen and a skewer in the centre comes out clean. If the top darkens too fast after 40 minutes, lay a sheet of foil over it.
60 minStep 6: Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then on a rack. Wrap tightly in foil or cling film and leave for 24 hours before slicing. It keeps for 2 weeks wrapped.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pain d'épices de Dijon take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of runny honey?
- Maple syrup or golden syrup, same amount.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
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