Our Ministries Church of the Holy Communion

ABBEY ALTAR BREAD RECIPES

From St. Gregory's Abbey, Three Rivers, Michigan

7/8 cup lukewarm water (or slightly more)
5 tablespoons honey
1 ½ tablespoons olive or salad oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 packet dry yeast
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

Measure the water into a mixing bowl and add the yeast, stirring until the yeast dissolves. Stir into this the honey, oil, and salt. Add the unsifted flour with the hands, mix it completely. If the flour does not completely dampen, add a tablespoon or more of water.

Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured board and knead dough thoroughly for five minutes. This kneading is very important. After the kneading, when the dough is nice and elastic, replace the dough in the bowl and cover it with a damp towel and let it rise for an hour or an hour-and-a-half in a warm place. It should double in bulk.

Now turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead for a moment. Roll dough out to a quarter inch thickness and cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter or tin can of appropriate size(about 2 inches in diameter). Cut one biscuit a little larger (about 3 1/2 inches in diameter) to be used as the host. Press a line across the dough with the blade of a knife (not cutting through) so that the loaf may be divided into quarters. Transfer to a very lightly oiled baking sheet or unoiled stick-free pan, and bake in a preheated 350° oven for 10-12 minutes. The loaves may be sealed in plastic bags and frozen for future use.

New Altar Bread Recipe

For Sunday morning, please double these ingredients!
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup honey
¼ cup cold water
¼ cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift the flour and the baking powder
together into a large bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients and
stir with a wooden spoon. When the ingredients begin to pull
together, use your hands. Knead the dough inside the bowl by
folding it on itself and flattening it. Keep doing this until the
ingredients are well incorporated. Pull off a piece of dough about
the size of a golf ball and roll it into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll
it into a circle no more than one-quarter inch thick. Try to make
this disk as round and as neat as possible. Make one at least 6
inches in diameter to be used as the priest.s host.
Place the flat rounds of dough two inches apart onto a baking
sheet covered with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, cut a
cross in the center of each round. Bake for eight minutes. Cool
completely before wrapping in foil and storing in a plastic bag.
These may be frozen, but it is preferred they be baked the night
before their use.