Pain d’épices, meaning literally “bread of spices” is a dark, moist French quick bread traditionally made of rye flour, honey, and spices. It is so darn good that in Alsace there is a museum, the Musée du Pain d’Epices et de l’Art Populaire Alsacien, dedicated to this delicious combination of ingredients. And the bread, viewed in the context of history, can be attributed to cultures in nearly every part of the globe. We all love these flavors!

Within the community of bakers, upholding our values is something we treasure as highly as our baked goods. We are a friendly bunch, open to sharing recipes, techniques, and tips, with little proprietary concern. We know that recipes are a good starting point, as they provide the syntax and words for our work, but the poetry—our unique combination and contribution—comes from beyond the written lines.

The inspiration for this bread could have come from the Chinese more than a thousand years ago, or from the French in Alsace, or from the modern version of German Lebkuchen, but I found it at a closer source, my good friend Richard Miscovich. Richard is a great baker, whose book From the Wood-Fired Oven is a deep, well-written reference for bakers, cooks, and lovers of fire.