Dutch Ontbijtkoek: Make-Ahead Spiced Breakfast Loaf for Busy School Mornings

Heat the oven to 325F (165C). Butter a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy lifting.

Serves 10

Ingredients

• 2 cups (250g) rye flour
• 1 cup (340g) honey, gently warmed
• 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk
• 1/2 cup (100g) dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for the pan
• Salted butter, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 325F (165C). Butter a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy lifting.
2. Warm the honey and milk together in a small saucepan over low heat just until loose and steaming, about 2 minutes. Do not let it boil.
3. Whisk the rye flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl until no lumps of sugar remain.
4. Pour the warm honey mixture and melted butter into the dry ingredients and stir with a sturdy spoon until you have a thick, glossy batter. Rye has little gluten, so mix only until smooth.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a wet spatula. Rap the pan once on the counter to release large air pockets.
6. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the top is deeply browned, springs back at the center, and a skewer comes out with only moist crumbs.
7. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift the loaf out by the parchment and cool completely on a rack. Slicing warm will tear the tender crumb.
8. Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in foil and let it rest overnight; the spices bloom and the texture turns dense and moist. It keeps at room temperature for a full week.
9. Slice thick, spread generously with cold salted butter, and pack a couple of slices for the bus. Dutch families have eaten ontbijtkoek for breakfast since the Middle Ages, when honey and rye were the everyday sweeteners and grains of the Low Countries. Because it improves with age and needs no refrigeration, it is the original make-ahead school breakfast: bake it Sunday, eat it all week.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 285 kcal
• Protein: 4g
• Fat: 4g
• Carbohydrates: 60g
• Fiber: 3g
• Sugar: 38g
• Sodium: 310mg