Whole Wheat Orange Anise Bread

Orange and anise is one of those flavour pairings that sounds unusual until you taste it, and then you wonder why every bread doesn’t do this.

Bright citrus from fresh orange juice and zest meets the warm, licorice-like hum of star anise in a 100% whole wheat loaf that smells absolutely incredible while it bakes.

This is a bread machine recipe, so the effort is basically zero. Load the pan, press start, and walk away.

The finished loaf is lightly sweet from the orange juice alone (no added sugar), with a tender crumb that’s wonderful toasted with a little butter or cream cheese.

Try it alongside a cup of tea in the afternoon or sliced thin for brunch.

Chef Tips

• Grind the star anise in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle before adding it to the bread pan. Whole pieces won’t distribute evenly and you’ll get intense pockets of anise flavor in some bites and none in others.
• Use freshly squeezed orange juice if possible. The bottled stuff works, but fresh gives you brighter, more vibrant citrus flavor.
• This bread dries out faster than loaves with more fat, so store it in a sealed bag once cooled and plan to eat it within a couple of days. It also makes outstanding French toast the next morning.