Eucharistic Bread Recipe
During the announcements at church a few
weeks ago, I offered a confession and a warning: “I bake the Eucharistic
bread for Christ the King Lutheran Church, and I brought some for All
Saints’ today.” Some of you have since requested the recipe, and using that,
Anne Radojcsics recently made bread for us. So for any other bakers in our
midst, I offer the same recipe, either for personal use or as an offering of
your time and talent for Sunday worship at All Saints’. I use a bread making
machine to mix and knead the dough, but the recipe can be adapted if you do
not have one or if your machine does not have the same capacity as mine.
Michael+
Using a clear measuring cup with at least 16
oz. capacity, fill with 10-11 oz. of water. Add an egg to the water and
stir. Then add 2 Tbs. of olive oil, 2 Tbs. of sweetner (e.g., sugar, Splenda,
honey, etc.) and stir. Add water as needed to bring the total volume to
14.5-15 oz. Pour the liquid mixture into the bread machine.
Add 3 cups of flour or meal, 2 Tbs. powered milk, then 1.5 cups of flour or
meal.* Carefully pour 1.75 tsp. of salt into a corner of the canister. Using
the bottom side of a dry tablespoon, spread flour/meal from the center of
the canister to cover the salt, then use the same procedure in the other
corners, creating a shallow depression/bowl in the middle of the canister.
Pour one packet of quick-rise yeast into this bowl.
Set the bread machine to the dough cycle. While the dough is mixing, gather
any other ingredients you would like to include in the bread (e.g.,
rosemary, cheese, flax seed, etc.). Check the dough to see if it is too wet
or too dry. If it is too wet, it will be sticking to the sides of the
canister during the mixing: add more flour a tsp. at a time until the proper
consistency is reached. If the dough is too dry (if the machine is laboring
too hard so that it pauses or is irregular in its sound as it is mixing),
add water a tsp. at a time. Then add the extra ingredients and add small
portions of water or flour again as necessary. Allow the machine to run
through the complete dough cycle; then transfer the dough to a lightly
floured cutting board.
Knead the dough a little and shape it into a ball. Place the dough in an
oiled bowl, and using the backs of your hands, press the dough down flat to
fit to the contour of the bowl. Cover the bowl using a clean, moist kitchen
towel or wax paper and allow dough to rise until doubled in size (about
1.5-2 hours). Turn the dough out onto the lightly floured cutting board
again. Cut the dough in half with a knife; then cut each half into halves.
Shape each of the four sections into a ball and place them on oiled cookie
sheets or oiled glass baking trays. Cover again.
Make egg wash by taking the white from one egg, put it in a cup or bowl,
beat it, and stir in a little milk. Preheat the oven to 350-375 F. Allow the
loaves to rise 20-25 minutes. Using a sharp, serrated knife, cut two slits
in each loaf in the shape of a +. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash
on each loaf. When the oven has preheated, place the loaves inside and bake
for 18-19 minutes. Remove the loaves and place on cooling racks.
*If more than half of the flour/meal is whole grain, I add a Tbs. of wheat
gluten. The primary flour is usually whole wheat, with unbleached white
bread flour in a supporting role. Up to a cup of oatmeal can be used. Rye
(accompanied by caraway seeds, if desired) or spelt flour can be substituted
for some or all of the whole wheat, but rye makes a more compact, heavier
loaf. I usually include 1/4-3/8 cup of a whole grain cereal, Four Grains and
Flax (wheat germ is another option) and 1-2 Tbs. of ground/milled flax seed
in the 4.5 cups of flour/meal. Using at least 1-1.5 cups of white flour will
keep the loaves from being too heavy or dense in texture.
