Danish Spiced Rye Bread (Sigtebrod)

Ingredients

• cup milk
• cup water
• 1/2 cup light molasses
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• tablespoon sunsalted butter
• tablespoon grated orange zest
• tablespoon fennel seed
• tablespoon anise seed
• tablespoon caraway seed
• tablespoon ground cardamom
• teaspoon salt
• (.25 ounce) packagesactive dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F1/45 degrees C)
• cup sall-purpose flour
• cup srye flour
• tablespoon sunsalted butter, melted

Instructions

1. Heat milk in a medium saucepan until scalding, small bubbles form around edges, and just before reaches a boil; remove pan from heat. Stir in 1 cup water, molasses, sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, orange zest, anise seed, caraway seed, cardamom, and salt; steep and cool at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Stir yeast into 1/4 cup warm water in a bread machine; let sit for 5 minutes. Add cooled milk spice mixture to yeast mixture, then add all purpose and rye flours. Run dough cycle according manufacturer's instructions.
3. Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. When dough cycle complete, remove dough from machine; divide in half. Form into 2 loaves; place in the prepared loaf pans. Cover and allow to rise until your finger leaves a small dent when loaves poked, about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
5. Bake in the preheated oven until loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, 35 to 40 minutes. Brush hot loaves with 3 tablespoons melted butter; cool before serving.