Kamel Saci, head baker at New York's Il Buco Alimentari, flavors his pain d'épices, a classic French spiced bread, with a vibrant spice mixture of star anise, ginger, and cinnamon from spice blender La Boîte. It's great for a sweet toast in the morning, or it can be sliced thinly and served with pâté for a pretty party appetizer.
If you can't find Reims N.39 spice mix, substitute 2 teaspoons each ground cinnamon and ground ginger.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour
Yield
Makes 2 loaves
Ingredients
Special equipment:
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease loaf pans with melted butter.
Step 2
Toast almonds on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once or twice, until golden brown and fragrant, 6–8 minutes. Coarsely chop zest, apricots, plums, and toasted almonds. Transfer to a small bowl.
Step 3
Bring honey, milk, salt, cinnamon, and star anise to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk flour, baking powder, spice mix, and baking soda in a large bowl.
Step 4
Strain honey mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Add eggs and whisk until incorporated. Using a spatula, quickly fold in zest mixture.
Step 5
Divide dough between prepared pans, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake bread until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 35–40 minutes.
Step 6
Let bread cool 10 minutes in pan, then carefully remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack.
Do Ahead
Step 7
Bread can be made 5 days ahead. Tightly wrap and store at room temperature, or freeze up to 1 month.
Recipe notes
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