HONEY WHOLE WHEAT COMMUNION BREAD
Recipe 1: For congregations who do not intinct
We have adapted the seminarian version of the St. Lawrence Guild recipe from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific for a simple and tasty communion bread.
Parishioners and newcomers alike will taste the care and integrity baked into every loaf made with Honoré flour. Using this flour supports agricultural integrity and upholds our spiritual values to care for Creation. Unlike the processes conventionally used to farm commercial flour, our organic farming practices, utilizing deep-rooted heirloom wheat, actually clean the air by drawing down carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) from the atmosphere. Churches are gaining awareness that decisions over the sacraments not only affect taste and nutrition, but can also help the environment while building community connections with small family farmers and millers. Another notable advantage to baking with Honoré flour is that people with gluten issues often report that they can enjoy this bread without discomfort. We are going back to basics in so many ways, harkening back to the heart of God, back to the original rhythms of ecology and production, back into alignment with God’s Creation.
Every blessing to you as you prepare this bread for Christ’s table.
Elizabeth.
YIELD: 4, 1/2 pound loaves
Note: Baking with freshly-milled whole wheat is somewhat different than baking with commercial flour. Freshly-milled flour required more hydration. Using an instant read thermometer takes the guesswork out of baking, knowing when the loaf is perfectly done. One could also use a meat thermometer.
METHOD
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust heavily with flour. Set aside.
Add yeast to 110 degree water in a bowl. If you don't have a kitchen thermometer, mix 1/8 cup boiling water with 1/8 cup room temperature water.
Heat milk on the stove top to 120 degrees. In a stand mixer, combine warm milk, honey, oil and salt. Mix thoroughly. Add egg and mix again.
Add yeast mixture and 3 3/4 cups of flour to the milk combination in the stand mixer.
Mix on first speed for 2-3 minutes.
Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.
After the dough has rested, create two places to work on your counter: a wet area and a dry area with some flour.
Wet your hands and take the dough out of the stand mixer and place on the wet counter.
Divide dough into four equal pieces. A plastic bench knife makes it easy to divide the dough.
Dry and flour your hands. Taking one piece of dough at a time, make a round ball.
Dust the top of each ball with flour. Using a rolling pin, gently roll each ball into a round disc in place on the baking sheet, being careful not to roll too hard.
Using a sharp knife, score each round with a cross. (Don't cut too deeply or the bread will self-fraction (break into pieces in the oven). Let the disks rise for one hour. The dough will almost double in size and be shaped like a dome. If they have not really risen, let them rise 15-30 minutes more.
After the dough has risen, bake at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 175-180 degrees. Use a baking thermometer to check the temperature at 7 minutes.
Allow bread to cool thoroughly before storing in Ziploc bags. The loaves can be frozen.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water (110 degrees)
3 3/4 cups Hourani or Hourani Blend whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup of honey
1/3 cup of olive oil
1 egg
1 cup whole milk, warmed
brown rice flour for dusting