Before starting to bake Prosphora, please get permission from your parish priest. Next, obtain a religious seal, and seek training. Your priest can advise you on both those points.
Prosphora
Ingredients
- 1 pkg. dry yeast
- 2 1 ⁄2 cups water
- 2 tsp. salt
- 6 3/4 to 7 cups flour
Instructions
- Dilute yeast in warm (not hot) water to activate yeast
- Add salt, then half of flour and stir
- Mix remainder of flour with hand until dough is firm
- Knead until dough is smooth
- Divide dough and place in 8, 9 or 10 inch pans that have been floured only
- Do not grease pans
- Keep in mind that dough should be smoothed out to cover the bottom half of the depth of pan.
- This recipe makes two loaves of bread. You will need to double the recipe for four loaves.
- Take religious seal and dip in flour, shaking off any excess flour that may accumulate, and press seal firmly in center of dough.
- Use a sharp knife or toothpick to prick the dough all around the seal.
- Remove seal and let dough rise until it is almost doubled in bulk. Remember, dough will also rise in oven and too much rising can erase seal.
- Bake in 400 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes or until done.
- Wrap in clean cloth while cooling so crust will soften.
- Place bread in freezer bags.
- If the bread is intended for extras, please mark the date on the freezer bag and put it in the freezer in the church kitchen.
4
Where can i purchase wood seals and muffin pans.?
I have the “bunt” style pan from Holy Cross that pan “feeds” a packed cathedral at Paska
For the Slavic style, I use biscuit cutters for the small prosfora and a Tupperware container for the larger ones. For the larger style of prosphora, like in the recipe, you can use cake pans. I always put parchment paper under the prosfora if I use a biscuit cutter or Tupperware container (to get the punched out larger prosphora – just like the biscuit cutter). I also prick it with the toothpick like the sign of the cross (Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen – 5 pricks and the same location you would sign it).
I’ll look up the location of the wooden seal and get back to you shortly.
I hope this helps!