The Making of Prosphora

Yiota Chatos

ITEMS NEEDED:
1 Very Large Stainless Bowl
1 Blessed wooden seal
4 10-1/4” stainless pans
1 5# bag White Lily Light Baking Flour
1 5# bag Pillsbury Best Bread Flour
8-1/3 cups warm water
1 large serving spoon yeast
1 clean board 3’ x 2’
1 Candle (oil)
1 Icon Mary with Jesus
1 Incense burner with incense

FIRST –
Sift flour into large stainless bowl- alternating the flour. Mix flour with hands and then re-sift flour. Add 1 handful of salt (large serving spoon).
Light Candle and Incense

SECOND-
Add yeast (1-large serving spoon) to 4 cups warm water- blend in the yeast. Pour in the yeast and water mixture to the flour. Start to mix the flour, add the additional 4-1/3 cups of water, as the flour mixture gets stiff.

THIRD-
Make the sign of the cross over the flour mixture with the incense and report the Lord’s Prayer. Place clean board on top of stove (no heat).

FOURTH-
Mix flour with hands, mixing well with fists. Repeating the Bread of Life prayer (Greek-no English translation) * you can substitute the Lords Prayer. Continue to knead bread until the bread dough becomes shiny (approximately 20-minutes). MAKE sure to add enough water so the bread will not be too dry. If the bread is dry, it will crack. If the bread is too soft, the seal impression will not remain in the dough.
Say the Prayer of the Bread again – thrice.

FIFTH-
Put a clean white cloth over the bread in bowl. Put plastic sheet over the cloth on the bowl and then cover again with a clean towel or blanket. Set clothed bowl on board. This will help the bread dough rise more quickly. Leave on 1 hour-checking dough to make sure it is rising. Light incense again- make the sign of the cross again, leaving the incense burning next to the area where the bread dough is left to rise.

SIXTH-
Oil the –pans with Pure Olive Oil. This should be the best olive oil you can purchase (green in color). Using a paper towel, oil the pans very well bottom and sides.

SEVENTH-
Flour area on table. Knead/punch bread dough, pushing out air bubbles. Repeat the Bread Prayer as you knead.

EIGTH-
Weigh out 3-1/2lbs of dough per pan. Form bread into a mushroom shaped ball. May need to wet the dough a little to get it to stick together. NOTE: Some people use to form the bread into 2 pcs. 1 on the bottom represented the Holy Father and 2nd to represent the human part. If you simply pull the mushroom shape apart and wet lightly in the middle, you can accomplish the same results.

NINTH-
Flour the top of the formed bread dough, then brush off the excess flour with a small brush. Place the dough in the pan.

Place the seal in the middle of the floured area and push down into the pan. Holding the holy seal in the center, roll the bread around the seal outward toward the pan. Once this is done, remove the seal. Take a toothpick and push into any air bubbles that may have surfaced. Air bubbles will make your bread crack so be sure to burst each of them. As you go around the bread, make the sign of the cross and repeat “ In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Repeat thrice as you pierce the bread dough’s edge to form the cross.

TENTH-
Moist the outside ring of the bread with brush of water, this will keep the bread from cracking. DO NOT WET the holy seal area. Never touch the seal area of the bread dough. Say the Bread of Life prayer or the Lord’s Prayer, making the sign of the cross. Put the pans on the board.

ELEVENTH-
Light the incense again. Cover the pans with a clean white cloth (Never Use Plastic) once again to allow to rise. Say the Lord’s Prayer or the Bread of Life Prayer thrice making the sign of the cross with the incense. Cover the pans once again with a very lightweight blanket. Leave to rise 1 hour. Checking to make sure that the bread dough is not sticking to the cloth. Heat oven 350_.

TWELVETH –
Put bread in oven and say the Lords Prayer, bless the bread, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”. Cook bread. 1-hour- check bread and rub the outer edge with the olive oil cloth-just to take off any flour spots. This will also give the bread a sheen. DO NOT TOUCH THE CENTER SEAL!

THIRTEENTH-
Place the bread upright on the cooling rack. Do not touch bread if at all possible.