This recipe is adapted from The Bread Book, by Linda Collister and Anthony Blake.

1½ cups all-purpose or spelt flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup cold unsalted butter, diced
½ to ¾ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar, depending on your preference for sweetness
½ cup blackstrap molasses
1½ tablespoons finely grated fresh or frozen ginger
1 cup milk
½ cup honey
1 large egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 F. Sift flour, baking soda and spices into a large bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips or use a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir the sugar and milk in a medium-size saucepan and bring to just a simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the molasses and honey. Let stand until luke-warm, then whisk in the egg and fresh ginger, breaking up any clumps.

Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter into a prepared 8-inch by 4-inch or 5-inch by 2½-inch buttered loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted off centre comes out clean. (As the gingerbread bakes, it will rise, then fall, leaving a large depression. This is good.) Let cool completely in the pan.