Piernik staropolski, Polish aged-dough gingerbread

Ingredients

• 250 ml of milk
• 6 level teaspoons of baking soda
• 4 cups of sugar plus 4 tablespoons
• 250 ml of strong, freshly brewed coffee
• 500 g of butter or lard (or half and half)
• 1 kg of buckwheat honey
• 1 kg of wheat flour
• 1 kg of rye flour
• 2-4 tablespoons of ground spices: cinnamon and ginger primarily, plus cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, anise, lavender, black pepper, cilantro, Jamaican hot pepper, and 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 cups of pure alcohol (such as vodka)
• 1 cup of chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup of chopped candied orange peel
• 6 eggs
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder (optional)
• 1 egg yolk
• plum jam (or plum preserve) or walnut paste

Soak the baking soda in the milk.

Make a caramel using 4 tablespoons of sugar, and then relax it with coffee.

In a large saucepan, pour the caramel over the sugar, add the fat and honey, and heat gently, stirring constantly, without letting it boil; skim off any foam that forms.

Sift the flour into a large, enameled pot, add the spices, salt, and, if desired, cocoa powder.

Remove the honey from the heat and slowly pour in the alcohol, then pour this mixture over the flour and mix thoroughly from the bottom.

Add the dissolved baking soda, walnuts, orange zest, and eggs, and knead by hand on a clean work surface.

Sprinkle with flour, cover with several dishcloths, and let it rest for 3 to 4 weeks in a cool place.

Preheat the oven to 170 °C.

Spread the dough in a thick layer on a rectangular baking sheet, brush it with egg yolk, and bake for 25 to 35 minutes: it will rise to a height of 2.5 cm.

Layer three pancakes, spreading each one with plum jam or walnut paste.

Place the dates between two boards in a large bag, in a cool, dark place, under a heavy object, for a few days to soften them.