Altar Bread (not gluten free)

Dry Ingredients: 

4 cups whole wheat flour

4 tsp. double-acting baking powder

2 tsp. salt

Sift the dry ingredients together into a bowl. Then pour in the honeyed water. You may have to warm the honey to get it into liquid form. Be sure to mix the oil with the honeyed water before pouring it into the bowl. Do not pour all the honeyed water into the mixture, only as much as is needed to make a smooth, soft dough, not too sticky to handle. 

Turn the dough out onto the lightly floured surface and knead it gently. Then roll out the dough to the desired thickness. 

We find that about 3/16 of an inch works well for us. Then cut the dough into the desired size and shape. 

Use a metal soup bowl which measures about six inches across. This size is enough for 25 to 60 communicants. We also make other sizes for different services. This bread leaves little in the way of crumbs and is quite adaptable to the number of communicants.

Honeyed Water:

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup honey

3/4 cup milk

1 cup water

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Before putting into the oven, cut a cross into the surface of the dough. This facilitates the breaking of the bread into four quarters, and thus others can help the celebrant to break the required number of pieces. The cross is best cut by a knife having a serrated edge. Use the knife also to smooth out the outer edge, by patting it with the side of the knife. 

Place the breads (this batch easily makes 9 pieces) onto lightly greased baking pans or baker’s stone, and put into the oven at about 350 degrees. It should take from 10 to 15 minutes to bake. Let the bread cool for about 1 hour. 

Then wrap individual pieces in cellophane, and refrigerate. Take it out about 1 hour before using. They can be put into freezer bags and stored in the freezer, taking out the amount which will be used the night beforehand. 

Recipe provided compliments of the Trappist Community of Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery, Conyers, Georgia. Please remember them in your prayers.