It is recommmended that a short prayer to Christ be said before beginning as you are really about to perform a holy work

Yields 2 Altar Breads, Preparation time 40 minutes, Baking time 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

-a full bag of 5 lb Gold Medal Unbleached flour
-1 T ( =Tablespoonfull) yeast
-1 T salt
-1 T sugar
-1 T or more of ground "mahlab"
-7 glasses (more or less) of tepid water
-"habbet el-barakeh" (black seed) is optional only if it is ground to a very fine powder: ½ T

Directions:

All ingredients are put together in a machine to make perfectly mixed dough.
This could be done by hand also. Dough is divided into 14 equally weighing balls, depending on the quantity wanted and size of the community worship.
Each ball is pressed and levelled by hand until it forms a small round loaf (approx. 6" in diameter/larger and 1/2" in thickness; this is for a small group Liturgy; otherwise, many more small loaves would have to be used for the Liturgy)
The pressed loaves are then stamped with the Byzantine "prosphora" seal, at least one 5" in diameter, dipped in water before stamping.
(This stamp can be obtained from the Middle East if anyone is travelling or from Greek stores or even Greek Church Bookstores in this country; "prosphora" is Greek for "Qurban"; the "Q" is silent in spoken Arabic) Place loaves on baking trays and covered to sit (approx. 1 hour in summer and maybe 2 hours, more or less, in winter; your weather may or may not affect the rising process.)
Four punch holes are made at the four corners of the square stamp impression of the "Lamb" seal in the dough to prevent the loaves from swelling when baked.

This way, the stamp stays intact also. (The seal is called the "Lamb” because it represents Christ, with the letters: "IC XC NI KA", meaning "Jesus Christ conquers"; in Holy Scripture, it says:

"He was led like a lamb to the slaughter."

If the bread comes out crusty, more holes can be added to prevent it.)
Bake the loaves in a hot oven (450 degrees) until they take on a nice golden color.
Time is not given.
Watch the loaves carefully while baking as you would any bread product.
Remove the loaves from oven when done and allow to cool.
Loaves maybe frozen in plastic bags with an optional wax paper between each to prevent loaves from sticking to each other.
Early in the morning of the Liturgy, the amount of loaves needed can be taken from the freezer bag(s) to thaw so they will be ready to bring to the church early enough for the priest to prepare the holy gifts for the Liturgy.

End