Baking Prosphoro {Athonite Style}
Today, I made prosphora and decided to post how we do it here at the monastery. I will preface this post by saying this: I know this post may look intimidating because of it's detail and length, but I promise if you follow it step-by-step, it will work. They probably won't be perfect at first, but you will end up with a prosphoro, no matter how humble. Trust me.It's very different from the phrosphoro used in most churches. Different because it is made with a natural form of yeast, similar to a sourdough starter.Prosphoro has been made this way for centuries and is still the way they make it on the Holy Mountain and in other Athonite monasteries. The texture of this type of dough is also very different from regular dough and usually does a sourdough sort of taste to it.BeforeI learned to make it using this method, I always seemed to struggle with the dough being too soft and losing the seal. This has never happened to me when I do it this way. We use something called "prozimi" instead of yeast to make the bread rise.Prozimi itself is a miracle. On either September 14 (Exaltation of the Precious Cross) or on Holy Thursday, a bowl containing only water and flour is taken into the altar during the Epistle reading. The priest then blesses it with the basil. Afterwards, it is placed in a cold oven and left there overnight.The next morning, the bowl is overflowing with this "yeast". It is then separated and refrigerated, or sometimes frozen, in airtight containers to be used each time prosphoro is made.Every time you make a new batch of dough you tear a small piece off and set aside for next time.What you need:7 cups warm waterprozimi5 lb. bag unbleached flour3 cups Semolina1 1/2 tsp. saltprosphoro seal (often we use 2 different ones at the monastery)beeswax candle6 in. pansicon/holy relicsCD (or someone reading) the Akathist Hymnheavy blanketsplastic bag2 white sheetstoothpick*It's important to keep these items clean and only use them for prosphoro or artoklasia. It's wonderful if you have someone there who could be reading the Akathist hymn while you do this. But if not, I like listen to a CD of the Akathis and pray the Jesus prayer and Rejoice, O Mary.Also, ask for the intercessions of St. Spyridon and St. Nikodemus the prosphora bakers of the Kiev Caves.On the night before you plan to bake your prosphoro you prepare the prozimi. {I also like to thimiasi (cense or bless) the house when I do this and also on the following morning before I begin.}1. To begin, you'll put 7 cups of warm water in a pot. Place the pot on the stove until the water is almost hot. Add your prozimi and and mix very quickly to help it dissolve. Add approximately 2 lbs. of unbleached flour (I use King Arthur or Arrowhead Mills brand) Mix it thoroughly, place lid on top of pot and place in a thick, plastic bag. Tie bag and cover with a heavy blanket. Place in a warm room overnight. I usually place an icon or relics on top.
The next morning your prozimi should look foamy and bubbly, similar to regular yeast.
2. You'll want to lay out a blanket and a (clean, obviously) garbage bag on the surface where your dough will rise. I also keep a space heater in the room to really heat the room up. You'll need another garbage bag and heavy blanket to cover it. This dough needs a lot of heat to rise.3. Next you'll measure approximately 8 cups of flour in a large bowl. Add 3 cups of Semolina, 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Then add your prozimi.
4. Knead the dough until completely mixed. Dough needs to be very stiff; it usually turns my knuckles red from the kneading and it's consistency. If it's too soft, add 1/2 cup of flour at a time.5. Lay a plain white sheet on the table and have one ready to cover your dough once it's ready.6. Separate into as many loaves as you want, depending on size. You'll also need an additional piece to continue your prozimi for the next time. You want a flat, smooth surface to roll on. I use my glass table. You also want to make sure there is no flour around to leave indentations on the dough.7. Instead of creating two loaves per prosphoro and stacking them like many recipes instruct, you will roll the dough out in a tube shape and then twist in the center and pat down to shape, or to run a razor blade around the center of the sides. This reason you don't want separate pieces is because the Christ was fully man and fully God together, and were never separated.If you have any creases be sure to tuck them at the bottom of each piece. Make sure there aren't a lot of creases or cracks on the top so your seal comes out well. Place each piece on your sheet and cover. This prevents it from drying out too much and cracking.8. Next, you'll prepare your pans. I use 5 6-inch Wilton pans. (These pans should only be used for baking prosphora or artoklasia.) You heat your pan in the oven (pre-heated to 350 degrees) and then take the bottom of your beeswax candle and coat the inside of the pan. This is done because no oil should be used in prosphoro. Then set them aside.
9. Each loaf should look as perfect as possible with no cracks showing (as you can see I'm still working on perfecting mine), the dough will almost shine.10. Place in pan and press seal down. BE CAREFUL! You should press the seal down from the sides not the center. Push down until you can't anymore, wait a second and then quickly "pop" off. This type of dough is so stiff that it often makes a "popping" sound.
11. You want the seal to be very distinct so it doesn't disappear when the dough rises.Next take a toothpick and poke the top of the dough (not too close to the seal). Some people poke 12 times around each one, like numbers on a clock, in honor of the 12 Apostles. Then poke the four corners of the center IC XC NI KA.
12. After you seal and poke them all, take them to the place where you prepared the blankets.
13. Put them down and cover with the bag and blanket. Place your icon or holy relics on top and let rise for 3-5 hours, checking on them periodically.
14. Place your new prozimi in your container and let it rise as well. After they're done rising, place them in your preheated oven. Let bake for 45-50 minutes. Once slightly golden, remove from oven and let cool. Sometimes I will slightly dampen a sponge and rub them with it to make them a little shiny.Clean your seals very good. Scratch off any dough that may have adhered to it when stamping. It's best not to get your seal wet, put a tiny bit of water on your finger if necessary.It is customary to include a list of names, both living and asleep, to give to the priest with the prosphoro.
The antidoron (literally meaning instead of the gift) is what is leftover after all the necessary pieces are placed in the chalice. We receive our antidoron at the end of the Divine Liturgy.A few years ago I found these tiny, plastic seals for the boys. They help by making their own little "prosphoro". Sometimes they turn out quite well and we take them to church but most of the time they end up eating them afterwards.Here's some pics of their seals and little "prosphoro". I found these on Ebay.
Ace admiring his seal
a close-up of it
Lucky's seal. He did a pretty good job, with his brother's help of course!
About 5 years ago when I first started to learn how to do this (it really is a craft!) my Gerondissa gave me a gift from Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi monastery on the Holy Mountain. (A friend of mine has one from Elder Paisios the Athonite!) These hand carved seals and this pouch to carry the prosphoro to church in. The front flap lifts up and there's a pocket to place the prosphoro in.The seal in the picture below belonged to my great-grandmother and when I make small loaves and the priest requests that I use the whole seal, I use hers.
Here are the seals from Mount Athos. You'll notice they are carved very, very deep. This helps the seal stay perfect even after hours of rising.These two are very small, only about 4 inches round. One symbolizes Christ and the other symbolizes Panagia's portion (square on bottom right), the 9 ranks of hierarchy, souls of the living and the dead. Oftentimes, at the monasteries they use two small prosphoro.
This is a larger seal, about 6 1/2 in. round
Whew! That's a lot of information! I hope I didn't forget anything. If I did, please let me know.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.