Bergen Spiced Bread

Ingredients

2 1/2 dl (1 cup) milk
1 dl (1/3 cup) dark corn or sugar syrup
1/3 liter (1 1/3 cups) dark beer
75 g ( 2 3/4 oz.) fresh yeast
1 dl (1/3 cup) sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. ground star anise
500 g (18 oz., 1 liter, 4 cups) rye flour
500 g (18 oz., 8 1/4 dl, 3 1/2 cups) flour
1 dl (1/3 cup) raisins

Instructions

1) Heat the milk, syrup and beer together to lukewarm and stir in the yeast.

2) Combine sugar, salt, pepper and anise and add.

3) Add most of the flour to the yeast mixture to make a stiff dough.

4) Sprinkle with flour. Cover with plastic and a cloth and let rise in a warm place.

5) Knead dough well. Knead in the raisins. Make 2 round or oblong loaves. Place on a greased baking sheet and let rise in a warm place.

6) Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F). Bake about 1 hour. Lower the temperature toward the end of the baking time, if the breads become dark.

7) As soon as the breads are out of the oven, brush with water. Cool on a rack.