Spiced Danish Rye Bread

Heat milk in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat until it reaches a scalding point, characterized by small bubbles forming around the edges, but just before it boils vigorously.

Remove the saucepan from the heat source and stir in the water, butter, molasses, sugar, orange zest, anise seed, caraway seed, cardamom, and salt; allow the mixture to sit for 30 minutes at room temperature to meld the flavors together.

In a bread maker, combine the warm water and yeast, allowing it to rest for 5 minutes. Then, pour the cooled milk mixture into the bread machine with the yeast mixture. Add the flour to the bread machine and initiate the dough cycle.

Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans with a sufficient amount of oil. When the dough cycle is completed, remove the dough from the machine and divide it into two equal portions. Shape each portion into a loaf and place them in the prepared loaf pans. Cover the loaves with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and allow them to rise for 30 minutes, or until they feel slightly soft when pressed with your finger.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).

Bake the loaves in the preheated oven until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, taking approximately 35 to 40 minutes.

Brush the hot loaves with melted butter; let them cool before serving.