OK I will finally release my secret… Here is my Prosphora recipe.

This is a Prosphora recipe I have used with great success. It is a combination of several other recipes. Ingredients * Bread flour – 7 cups * Hot (~100 degrees) water – 2 3/8 cups (may take 1/8 cup more depending on flour) * Dry Yeast – 2 1/4 tsp. * Sea Salt – 1 pinch (Optional – most of the time I don’t even put it in or forget) Tools * 2 large cookie sheets * 1 large biscuit cutter * Prosphora stamp * toothpick * rolling pin * mixing bowl * aluminum foil or cooking parchment (parchment works best) * 1 dry towels (regular not paper) (optional depending on the weather) Instructions In preparing the Prosphora, one first begins with prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, only-begotten Son of the Eternal Father: You have said with your holy lips: “Without me you can do nothing.” My Lord, I embrace your words with my heart and soul, and bow before your goodness and say: Help me, your unworthy servant, to prepare the bread of offering, that the works of my hands may be acceptable at the Holy Table and may become through the works of Your Holy Spirit, the communion of Your Most Pure Body for me and all Your people, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. I will say other prayers, recite Psalms 50 (51 BCP) or play Orthodox Christian Chants during the bread making 1. Set mixer on the stir cycle and add ingredients or stir ingredients together and hand kneed until your arms are tired. 2. Take out dough before the rising and powder the inside of the bowl with flour and let it rise until double the size anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. (you can cover with the towel depending on how dry the weather is) 3. Roll dough out with rolling pin to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. 4. Cut out 24 large pieces with large biscuit cutter and place 12 of them on cookie sheets that is covered with aluminum foil or cooking parchment. I put six on each cookie sheet, that way they don’t stick together. 5. Take the other 12 pieces (I dip them in water very lightly) and place them on top of the 12 pieces on the cookie sheet, then stamp them with a well floured prosphora seal. 6. Prick the prosphora seal (making the sign of the cross, then piercing the center) – make sure the toothpick is inserted through the bottom half. 7. Allow the loaves to rest (covered) for ten minutes. 8. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes at 350 to 375 (depending on oven) degrees or until lightly golden. 9. Finally, conclude your work with a short prayer of thanksgiving of your own. Remember that this bread has not received the blessing of the Holy Spirit yet, however it is prayed for and if you make a mistake, please do not toss it in the trash. Go ahead and bake it, then feed it to the birds or other animals. Anything prayed over should not go to waste. Sometimes I will give my extra bread to my brother-in-law who is a Assembly of God pastor. He likes the Greek letters stamped in the bread and doesn’t mind if they are imperfect.  Just don’t throw it away.  Giving the bread to someone actually is an outreach and should be encouraged.  It opens the door to tell others about our church.

I hope you enjoy,

Christ is Risen!!