Ontbijtkoek - Dutch Spice Bread

Liwl's Note:

This traditional Dutch recipe has been a staple at Christmastime in my house for as long as I can remember. I can't quite describe the taste of it - something like gingerbread, but with more bite and a stronger flavour. After it cools it develops a moist almost sticky crust, which is my favourite part. It's super easy to make and really yields a wonderful holiday bread. Please enjoy!

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 16

Yield: 1.0 loaf

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• 1⁄3; cup molasses
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 pinch salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine all ingredients into a smooth paste.
3. Lightly coat an 8" x 3" cake tin with butter and fill with the dough.
4. Bake for about 1 hour.
5. When cooled, cover in tin foil for 24 hours before serving. Keep covered or bread will dry out.

Reviews

[Agnes #2]

Very close to the ontbijtkoek that I'm used to. Baking time was perfect. I used 3 tsp of mixed spice as I didn't have ground cloves. Might add more ginger next time (personal preference). Will add sultanas and nuts next time and/or chopped crystallized ginger. Thanks for posting

[Messy44]

This is SUPER fragrant. It is a heavily spiced bread that tastes somewhat like gingerbread. Wonderful flavor. Lovely smell and tastes wonderful. I would have given five stars but had a few minor baking problems. The pan just seems too small for the amount of batter and the cooking time was off for me. It took much longer than one hour and mine fell in the middle of the bread. I was worried when I put that much batter in the pan (it was less than 1/2 inch from the top edge of the pan). Sure enough, it rose nicely but then sank later. Also, some batter spilled out over the edge and to the bottom of my oven. I will definitely make this again but will use a larger bread pan next time. With that change, and adjusted baking time, this is easily a 5+ star recipe.