Pain D'Epice (French Spice Bread)

• 225 ml honey
• 225 g wholemeal rye flour
• 30 g white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 30 g ground almonds
• 1 teaspoon ginger peel
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 12 cloves, ground
• 1/2 orange, zest of, grated
• 1/2 lemon, zest of, grated
• milk, and
• sugar, boiled to a syrup for glaze

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Press the dough mixture intpo a well greased 2lb loaf tin. Make sure it's pushed right into the corners.
4. 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.
5. 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 !).

honey, wholemeal rye flour, white sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ground almonds, ginger peel, fennel seeds, ground cinnamon, orange, lemon, milk, sugar

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/pain-depice-french-spice-bread-286685 (may not work)