Directions: |
Directions:As this is the preparation of a religious article, you open with the following prayer:
Dear Lord, this bread that we are baking represents each one of us. We are offering ourselves to You, our very life, in humble obedience and total commitment to You. We place ourselves on Your holy altar through this bread to be used by You in any way that You feel will help enlarge Your kingdom. Accept our gift and make us worthy to receive the greater gift that You will give us when You consecrate this bread and give it back to us as Your Precious Body.
Add 3 packs of Quick Rise Yeast with about a 1/2 cup of warm tap water and mix to dissolve the yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes.
Add Bread Flour and Salt to the Kitchen Aid with the dough hook and begin mixing with the yeast mixture. Add 1/2 cup of water at a time until your dough forms into a smooth dough (not too sticky).
Remove from Kitchen Aid and knead onto a floured surface.
Divide the dough into 2 parts and put each part in a large mixing bowl. Cover each bowl with a kitchen towel that has been dampened with hot tap water. The cover again with towels or blankets (shown below). This will keep the dough warm while it rises.
Allow to rise for 1 1/2-2 hours or until the dough doubles in size.
Remove dough sections from bowls, knead again for 5 minutes, then separate each section into two, leaving you with 4 loaves of dough. Flour 9" baking pans and put each loaf into a pan.
Place the prosforo seal onto the bread and press firmly into the dough. Take a toothpick or skewer and poke holes around the seal to allow space for expanding on the next rise (this will assist the seal to stay intact).
Recover with warm, damp kitchen towels and cover with towels or a blanket to keep warm while the bread rises again to the top of the pan.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 40-50 minutes.
Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Wrap well with saran wrap or a gallon ziplock bag, and provide to your priest with a list of name(s) in whose honor or memory you baked the prosforo. |
This recipe for Prosforo is from