Abbey Altar Bread

Calvary Episcopal Church is the best church community in town. We are so grateful to enjoy fellowship with the Friendship Dinner series, Beer Church on Mondays, and last night, Cruise Night to welcome a tropical breeze into Rochester in time for Spring. They put out a call during Lent for Communion Bakers, and if I didn’t sign up for that, what kind of bread baking blogging hypocrite would I be?

Abbey Altar Bread

From St. Gregory’s Abbey

Three Rivers, Michigan

7/8 cup lukewarm water

3 tbsp honey

1 ½ tbsp olive oil

¾ tsp salt

1 packet dry yeast (sourdough starter for me)

2 2/3 cups of whole wheat flour

Mix water and yeast, then add the honey, oil and salt. Add unsifted flour and mix with your hands completely. Turn the dough out on a work surface and knead for five minutes. Return it to the bowl and let rise until doubled.

Now turn the dough onto a floured work surface and roll out to a quarter inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter (I used a margarita glass).

Press a line across the dough with the blade of a knife so that the loaf may be divided into quarters.

Transfer to a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Obviously, the body of Christ always gets 5 stars. And KP does too for dressing up as a banana at the church luau.