History
Spiced honey bread is an ancient food, and Dijon tradition credits Margaret of Flanders, wife of Duke Philip the Bold, with bringing its ancestor to the ducal court. By the 20th century the city counted twelve gingerbread houses. Mulot et Petitjean, founded in 1796 and trading from Place Bossuet since 1805, is now the last of them, and moved production to Boulevard de l'Ouest in 1912. Besides loaves it makes nonnettes, small round pain d'épices filled with jam, from blackcurrant to orange.
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Common allergens: Gluten, Eggs
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 250g runny honey
- 100ml milk
- 60g brown sugar
- 250g flour (half rye, half plain)
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tsp ground mixed spice: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove
- 1 tsp ground aniseed
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 egg
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Warm the honey, milk and sugar together until the sugar dissolves; do not boil. Leave to cool until just warm.
- Mix the flours, bicarbonate, spices, aniseed, zest and salt in a bowl.
- Beat the egg into the honey mixture, then pour it into the dry ingredients and stir to a thick, smooth batter.
- Scrape into a lined loaf tin and bake at 160C for 50 to 60 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool, wrap tightly and leave for at least a day before slicing; it softens and the spices round out.
Tip from the editors. A darker, stronger honey such as buckwheat or chestnut gives the loaf the deep colour of a Dijon pain d'épices.
Where to eat pain d'epices
Pain d'epices in Dijon
Mulot et Petitjean ★ 4.7
Mulot et Petitjean has baked Dijon's pain d'épices on Place Bossuet since 1796, honey spice loaves and nonnettes from France's oldest gingerbread house.
Worth the queueNonnettes, the honey-orange spice cake filled with jam
TipThree more branches trade around town, on Rue de la Liberté, Place Notre-Dame and Rue de la Chouette; this flagship is the original.
Pain d'epices in Reims
Maison Fossier ★ 4.4
Maison Fossier sells biscuits roses de Reims, the pink biscuits it has made since 1756, from its factory shop in the La Neuvillette district of Reims.
Worth the queueBiscuit rose de Reims, the twice-baked pink biscuit
TipThe historic Fossier shop is at 25 cours Jean-Baptiste Langlet, near the cathedral; this factory shop is in the La Neuvillette district of Reims.
Pain d'epices in Strasbourg
Patisserie Christian ★ 4.4
Patisserie Christian on Rue de l'Outre is a Strasbourg institution for kougelhopf, pain d'epices, bredele and fine chocolate close to Place Kleber.
Worth the queueKougelhopf and pain d'epices
Maison Naegel ★ 4.4
Maison Naegel on Rue des Orfevres has baked near the cathedral since 1927, known for its savoury Tourte Naegel, kougelhopf, pates and a panelled tea salon.
Worth the queueTourte Naegel and kougelhopf
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