How to Make Orthodox Holy Bread- Prosforo

The literal translation of Prosforo is “offering” and that is precisely what it is, an offering of your faith to God, “Thy own of thine own we offer you (The Apples of the Cook, pg. 18). The Prosforo is broken into tiny pieces by the priest and placed in the Holy Chalice for Holy Communion. The Orthodox faithful believe that through the invocation of the Holy Spirit the bread and wine will be transformed into the resurrected body and blood of Christ. Making Prosforo is a simple yet profound way to become part of the Orthodox liturgy.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• You will first need to buy a Holy Seal. This can sometimes be bought at your church bookstore, but you can easily go on-line to buy one.
• 2 yeast cakes
• 5 cups sifted flour
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 ½ cups warm water
• Two round baking pans

1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the salt and flour and knead until the dough is smooth. You may also make the Prosforo in a Kitchen-Aid mixer that has a kneading attachment. Place the dough in a bowl, cover and let it rise to double its original size (roughly half of an hour).

2. Knead the dough again and divide it in half. Place into two lightly floured cake pans. Do not use grease.

3. Lightly dip the seal in flour and stamp the bread. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a 375 degree F pre heated oven.

Tips & Warnings

• You can take the Prosforo to church in a freezer bag as your parish priest may not use it right away.
• It is customary to also include a list of names of those Orthodox loved ones you wish to be prayed for during the liturgy. The list should be divided into two; the living and the dead.