Gingerbread Loaf
Prep
15 min
Bake
55 min
Total time
1 hr 10 min
Old-fashioned gingerbread loaf with deep molasses flavor, four spices (ginger, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg), and a tender freshly milled hard white wheat crumb. One bowl, one pan, ready in an hour.
Key Takeaways
- Generous spice is the whole point — don't reduce.
- Use regular molasses, not blackstrap (too bitter).
- Bake low and slow to avoid a domed, cracked top.
- Cool fully before slicing or it will crumble.
- Improves on day 2 as the flavors meld.
About this recipe
Gingerbread is the unsung holiday loaf — easier than stollen, more impressive than banana bread, and the smell alone justifies the bake. Fresh milled hard white wheat gives this gingerbread a real wholeness that white flour cannot — the wheat stands up to the assertive molasses and spice instead of fading into the background. This is a classic dark gingerbread: heavy on molasses, generous with spice, finished with a dusting of powdered sugar. Slice thick and serve with a dollop of whipped cream or lightly sweetened mascarpone for the holiday table. Plain with butter and a cup of coffee for breakfast on Boxing Day.
Ingredients
- Freshly milled hard white wheat flour300 g
- Brown sugar120 g
- Molasses (not blackstrap)180 g
- Whole milk (warm)200 g
- Eggs2 large
- Melted butter (cooled)100 g
- Baking soda6 g (1 tsp)
- Ground ginger10 g (1.5 tbsp)
- Cinnamon5 g (2 tsp)
- Ground cloves2 g (1 tsp)
- Fresh-grated nutmeg2 g (1 tsp)
- Fine sea salt4 g
- Powdered sugar for dustingas needed
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Butter and line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment.
- 2
Whisk warm milk, molasses, brown sugar, eggs, and melted butter in a large bowl.
- 3
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
- 4
Add dry to wet and whisk until smooth — no need to be gentle, this is not a fragile batter.
- 5
Pour into the prepared loaf pan.
- 6
Bake 50–60 minutes until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs (internal 200°F / 93°C).
- 7
Cool in pan 15 minutes, then lift onto a rack.
- 8
Cool completely. Dust generously with powdered sugar before serving.
how to start milling flour at home — hydration, gluten development, and grain choice tips that make this recipe work.
Learn about this grain: Hard White Wheat guide — flavor, milling notes, baking tips, and four in-depth guides on hydration, storage, and common mistakes. Or browse more Hard White Wheat recipes.
Learn a technique
All guides →Related recipes
Browse all recipes →
Fresh Milled Flour Tortillas
Fresh milled flour tortillas put store-bought to shame. The dough takes 10 minutes, no yeast, no proof — just mix, rest 30 minutes, roll, and griddle. The result is a soft, pliable tortilla with real wheat flavor that wraps without cracking. The key to soft tortillas is a small amount of fat and hot (not boiling) water. The fat coats the proteins and prevents toughness; hot water relaxes the dough so it rolls thin without springing back. Lard is traditional and best, but butter or neutral oil work well. Keep the heat moderate and don't overcook. Tortillas should puff slightly, develop a few brown spots, and remain flexible. Stack and wrap in a towel as you go so they steam soft. Makes 8 tortillas.
Christmas Bread
This braided Christmas bread is a centerpiece loaf — slightly sweet, lightly spiced, beautifully shaped, and welcome on any holiday table. Less assertive than stollen, more polished than dinner rolls, it splits the difference and pairs equally well with breakfast butter and Christmas dinner. The dough is a classic enriched bread: milk, eggs, butter, sugar. Cardamom and orange zest provide a holiday warmth without being overpowering. A 4-strand braid sounds intimidating but is genuinely simple — see the step-by-step instructions. Brush twice with egg wash for the deepest, most golden crust, and finish with pearl sugar for festive crunch.
Christmas Stollen
Stollen is one of the great Christmas breads — a German tradition dating to at least the 14th century. The loaf is dense, buttery, soaked with rum-plumped fruit, wrapped around a log of marzipan, and finished with a thick coating of butter and powdered sugar that protects it for weeks of holiday slicing. This is the project bake of the season. Plan to make it 5–7 days before you want to serve it: stollen genuinely improves with rest. The flavors meld, the butter coating sets, and the crumb develops the slightly drier, denser character that defines the bread. Fresh milled hard white wheat gives the dough wholesomeness without overpowering the rich fillings. Soak the fruit in dark rum overnight — the alcohol mostly evaporates during baking but the flavor stays.
Fresh Milled Pita Bread
Pita is one of the great breads to bake at home: fast, flexible, and dramatic. The moment a thin disk hits a 500°F surface and balloons into a perfect pocket is one of the most satisfying sights in baking. Fresh milled hard white wheat makes pita that store-bought cannot match — sweet, nutty, soft, and substantially more flavorful. The dough comes together in one bowl, ferments once, and bakes in 3 minutes per round. Make a batch on Sunday for sandwiches all week. The pocket comes from steam expanding rapidly in a sealed, thin disk. Three things make it work: a fully preheated baking surface (steel, stone, or heavy upside-down sheet pan), even rolling, and not pricking or damaging the surface. If your first pita doesn't puff, increase oven temperature and roll thinner.
Fresh Milled Flatbread
Every fresh milled kitchen needs a weeknight flatbread. This is mine: a single-rise dough, dimpled with fingertips, drizzled with olive oil, scattered with herbs and flaky salt. It bakes flat with crispy edges and a soft interior, the perfect partner for hummus, baba ganoush, or a Sunday soup. The dough is straightforward: flour, water, yeast, olive oil. Hydration sits at 70% — enough to give an open, slightly chewy crumb without making rolling impossible. A 60-minute autolyse before adding yeast and salt softens the bran and gives you a much tenderer crust. Makes 4 personal-sized flatbreads.
Fresh Milled Naan
Naan made at home is dramatically better than restaurant takeout, and fresh milled flour takes it another step further. Yogurt in the dough creates a soft, slightly tangy crumb. A blisteringly hot cast iron skillet provides the heat and char that traditionally comes from a tandoor. The dough is enriched with yogurt and butter, which makes it both tender and flexible — exactly the texture you want for scooping up curry or wrapping kebab. Brush each naan with garlic butter and fresh parsley straight off the heat for the full effect. Makes 8 large naan.