Active Time

　　20 minutes

　　Total Time

　　1 hour

　　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.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 2 loaves

　　2 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter

　　½ cup (71g) whole almonds

　　½ cup (85g) store-bought or homemade candied orange peel

　　½ cup (64g) dried apricots

　　½ cup (92g) dried plums

　　2 cups (168g) honey

　　1¼ cups (283g) whole milk

　　2 tsp. kosher salt

　　Six 3-inch cinnamon sticks

　　3 star anise pods

　　3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour

　　1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. baking powder

　　1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Reims N.39 spice mix

　　2 tsp. baking soda

　　2 large eggs

　　

Special equipment:

2 (9x5") loaf pans

　　

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.

　　Cooks' Note

　　If you can't find Reims N.39 spice mix, substitute 2 teaspoons each ground cinnamon and ground ginger.