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From: recipes@glacier.ARPA (USENET mod.recipes)
Newsgroups: mod.recipes
Subject: RECIPE: Altar bread
Message-ID: <1849@glacier.ARPA>
Date: Sat, 30-Nov-85 05:39:06 EST
Article-I.D.: glacier.1849
Posted: Sat Nov 30 05:39:06 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 1-Dec-85 03:34:04 EST
Organization: Stanford University, Computer Systems Laboratory
Lines: 52
Approved: reid@glacier.ARPA

.RH MOD.RECIPES-SOURCE ALTAR-BREAD B "1 Dec 78"
.RZ "PENNSYLVANIA ALTAR BREAD" "An earthy whole-wheat bread used for communion"
In Pittsburgh and other Western Pennsylvania parishes of the Episcopal
church, it is common to use small, thin loaves of real, fresh, home-made
bread at communion instead of the pressed wafers popular in most other
places. The bread has a chewy texture to it, keeps tremendously well, and
makes a great lunchbox food (each ``loaf'' is about the size a large cookie).
This recipe comes from Father Bill Coats of the
Church of the Redeemer in Pittsburgh.
.IH "8-10 single-serving loaves"
.IG "7/8 cup" "lukewarm water"
(The water should be about 110 degrees F)
.IG "3 Tbsp." "honey"
.IG "1.5 Tbsp." "olive oil"
.IG "1/2 tsp." "salt"
.IG "1 pkg" "active dry yeast"
.IG "2 2/3 cups" "whole wheat flour"
(Unsifted)
.PH
.SK 1
Combine water and yeast in mixing bowl. Add honey, olive oil, and salt.
.SK 2
Add flour. If flour does not completely dampen, add small amounts of water
until all of the flour is damp. Be sparing with the water.
.SK 3
Turn out onto a very lightly floured board, and knead thoroughly for 5
minutes until dough is extremely elastic.
.SK 4
Sprinkle a tiny amount of olive oil in a big bowl, then roll the dough in it
until the dough is covered with olive oil. Leave the dough in the bowl,
cover with a cloth, and let rise for 1\ 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.
.SK 5
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
Punch the dough down, knead again for a few seconds. Roll the dough out with
a rolling pin, as if you were making a pizza crust, to a thickness of 1/4
inch.
.SK 6
Using something like a large peanutbutter jar or a giant cookie cutter, cut
out 4-inch circles of the dough and lift them onto a slightly-oiled baking
sheet. Press a cross into the top surface of each, so that it can be easily
broken apart.
.SK 7
Bake the loaves, on their baking sheet, in a preheated 350 degree oven for
10 minutes. 
.NX
You can freeze these loaves easily; either put them in single-serving ziploc
bags and use them for school lunches, or freeze a bunch in a large
food-storage bag. 
.WR
Fr. Bill Coats
Church of the Redeemer
Pittsburgh, PA