Prosphora is leavened bread baked for the Divine Liturgy using four simple ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and salt. The dough is stamped with a liturgical seal, baked with prayer, and brought to church as an offering.
That’s the short answer. But there’s more to know if you’re thinking about baking it yourself.
The word “prosphora” means “offering” in Greek. This isn’t just bread for the coffee hour. It’s the bread from which the priest will cut the Lamb, the portion that becomes Christ’s Body and Blood during the Liturgy. Other pieces are cut in honor of the Theotokos, the saints, the living, and the departed during the Proskomedia, that preparatory service before Liturgy starts. So this matters.
The Recipe
Most parish recipes follow similar proportions. For a standard loaf you’d use about six cups of unbleached all-purpose flour, three cups of warm water, one packet of instant yeast (that’s about two and a quarter teaspoons), and a teaspoon of salt. Some traditions use a sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast. Either works, though you’ll want to check with your priest about what your parish prefers.
The process is straightforward. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water if you’re using active dry yeast. Mix your flour and salt in a clean bowl. Add the water and yeast, then mix until you’ve got a cohesive dough. Knead it for several minutes until it’s smooth and elastic. This isn’t Wonder Bread, you’re making something by hand, with intention.
Here’s where it gets specifically Orthodox. You divide the dough and shape it into round loaves that’ll fit your pans. Then you take your liturgical seal and press it firmly into the top center of each loaf. The seal, usually metal, sometimes wood, has a cross and the letters IC XC NIKA, which means “Jesus Christ Conquers.” You need a clear, deep impression because this marks the portion the priest will cut out as the Lamb. Some bakers prick small holes around the seal with a toothpick to keep the dough from bubbling up and blurring the stamp during baking.
Let the loaves rise until they’ve nearly doubled. Don’t overproof them or you’ll lose that seal impression. Bake at around 350 to 375 degrees for maybe 45 minutes to an hour, depending on loaf size. You’ll know they’re done when they sound hollow if you tap the bottom. Let them cool completely before you bring them to church.
The Prayers and Preparation
You don’t just throw this together between errands. The baker is supposed to obtain the priest’s blessing before baking prosphora for liturgical use. Many parishes have a short prayer to say while you’re working, something asking God’s help to prepare this offering worthily. The emphasis is on a prayerful attitude throughout. You’re not just following a recipe. You’re preparing something that’ll be offered to God.
At All Saints Antiochian Orthodox Church, they actually have a printed guide that includes a sample prayer for bakers. Your priest can provide something similar or teach you what’s customary in your parish.
Why These Ingredients?
Orthodox tradition is pretty insistent on simplicity here. Flour and water are basic gifts of creation. Yeast matters because we use leavened bread for the Eucharist, not unleavened. This isn’t a minor point. The leaven symbolizes the living, risen Body of Christ. It represents life and the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church. Salt preserves and flavors, though some recipes leave it out.
What you won’t find in prosphora: sugar, oil, milk, eggs, honey, rosewater, or any of the enrichments that make other breads taste good. This is about purity and simplicity. Don’t get creative with add-ins. Stick to the four ingredients unless your priest specifically tells you otherwise.
A Word About That Seal
You can’t just carve a cross into a potato and call it good. The liturgical seal is a specific tool, and you’ll need to get one through proper channels. Your priest can tell you where to order an approved seal. Some parishes have extras you can borrow while you’re learning.
The seal isn’t decorative. It marks the exact portion that’ll be cut out and placed on the paten during Proskomedia. When the priest says, “The Lamb of God is sacrificed,” he’s cutting that stamped square from your loaf. So the impression needs to be clear and centered.
Before You Start Baking
Talk to your priest first. I can’t stress this enough. Different parishes have different customs about who bakes prosphora, how many loaves are needed each week, what size they should be, and whether you need any training before you start. Some parishes have a rotation of experienced bakers who can show you the ropes. Don’t just show up on Sunday morning with a loaf you made at home and assume it’ll be used.
This is true even if you’ve baked bread for years. I know folks around here who can make sourdough that’d make you weep, but prosphora has its own requirements. Get the blessing. Get the training. Then bake with prayer.
The work of preparing prosphora is itself a form of prayer and offering. You’re participating in the Liturgy before the Liturgy even begins, joining your labor to the Church’s worship. That’s worth doing right.
