Our daily bread: a small bakery at the church on Chernyakhovsky works according to old recipes (photo; video). Holy bread. About obedience to the prosphora boy

or “Bread of Happiness”, “Pochaev Bread”, “Jerusalem Bread”, “Athos Bread”...

For many years, a strange sourdough has been circulating throughout Russia, Belarus, Lithuania and Ukraine, which is called “Pochaev bread”, “Kiev-Pechersk sourdough”, “Jerusalem”, “Athos bread”, and also “the test of happiness”, “the sourdough of well-being” “, etc. For many years, the priesthood has been explaining to superstitious people that this leaven is from the evil one, that this “monastic leaven” has nothing in common with monasteries, but, on the contrary, is the work of unclean-hearted people. However, thirst the easy way to find the happiness everyone desires is so strong among the people that the arguments of common sense turn out to be of little effect, despite cases of poisoning with this strange bread.

The starter spreads from hand to hand. According to the recipe, which is recommended to be followed very strictly, it is ready a few days after it comes into the house. The dough must be properly cared for. Before baking, the mixture, which has increased in volume several times, should be divided into four parts. Bake bread from one, distribute the rest good people. They, in turn, should do the same. It is very reminiscent of a “letter of happiness”: rewrite it three times, etc. Actually, this is a “letter of happiness”, only in a culinary version. In the same way, the “Pochaev dough” appeals to prejudices and superstitions, promising good luck if the message, that is, the dough, is multiplied, and misfortune otherwise. Only the “happiness test”, in comparison with a letter, has one big drawback: it is a food product that can spoil.

What microbes live in the “happiness test”?

One question to think about is: how safe is the nomadic “happiness product”? This leaven is a whitish liquid substance that smells unpleasantly sour. The smell is not bready, more like beer. What comes out of the mysterious sourdough is not ordinary bread, but something similar to a cupcake, and, if you strictly follow the attached recipe, it is very sweet.

Our colleagues, having received the sourdough, contacted the bakery asking what it might contain and whether it was hazardous to health. They were explained that we were apparently no longer talking about pure culture. Passing from hand to hand, from house to house (by the way, one of the conditions for obtaining happiness is to let the starter “get used” to the house within 24 hours), it collects other microorganisms. The cultures coming to the bakery are sterile. All procedures at the plant itself are carried out in sterility. In addition, it is necessary to update the culture of microorganisms from time to time. In the case of “monastic leaven”, it for a long time is not updated. Bread baking specialists were surprised that the sourdough was so durable.

The obvious unsterility of the sourdough that passes from hand to hand should serve as a signal to everyone who decides to try the pseudo-Pochaev bread. It is unknown which microorganisms cause fermentation. Foreign pathogenic microbes could also get into the starter.

The Myth of the Church Origin of Leaven

First of all, let’s debunk the myth about the church origin of the so-called “bread of happiness.” “Pochaev sourdough” travels in our region, that is, it is assumed that it is directly related to the Pochaev Lavra. However, for several years now, a message to the brethren has been posted on the official website of the monastery, warning about the blasphemous deception of naive people. The text of this message is as follows:

“Beware that no one deceives you...” (Matt. 24:4)

Dear brothers and sisters!

As we know, for some time now the so-called “bread (sourdough) from the Pochaev Lavra” has been distributed throughout the dioceses of Ukraine. The brethren of the Pochaev Lavra bring to your attention that this phenomenon has nothing to do with the Holy Dormition Pochaev Lavra, but is a manifestation of spiritual ignorance, superstition and speculation on the authority of our Great Shrine.

The use of this test is strictly prohibited, as it can lead to spiritual damage and have mystical ritual significance. Since the manufacturers of the mentioned bread are deceitfully hiding behind the authority of the Pochaev Lavra, and lies are initially the offspring of the devil, it is therefore obvious that this whole undertaking is the work of people led by demonic power. Therefore, we ask you to be very careful in such phenomena and take the blessing of local priests for everything.

“They deceive unsteady souls; their heart is accustomed to covetousness; these are the sons of the curse" (2 Peter 2:14).

“Evil people and deceivers will prosper in evil, deceiving and being deceived.” (2 Tim. 3:13)

Best regards, brothers
Holy Dormition Pochaev Lavra

About corruption and sorcerers

In addition to promising all earthly blessings, the authors of sourdough promise the person who prepared the bread deliverance from all kinds of damage and generational curses. This is another reason why many people buy into the tale of the miracle bread. IN Lately Quite a large number of people frivolously believe all kinds of magicians, psychics, fortune tellers, soothsayers and other figures of the occult sciences. And, as a result, these people use in their vocabulary all the newfangled occult terminology that occultists so tirelessly invent. There are all kinds of damage, crowns of celibacy, generational curses, love spells with lapels, and so on. And, of course, when such a person suddenly gets leaven for bread, which can relieve all of the above, and even consecrated in the very Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, or in the Pochaev Lavra, his joy will know no bounds. There is no need to go to fortune tellers and psychics to remove damage and generational curses, spending a lot of time and money on this. It’s enough just to bake bread, eat it, and the damage will be gone. Only these people forget that such faith in sorcerers and fortune-tellers was strictly condemned back in the days Old Testament. Even in those ancient times, God forbade the people who came out of Egyptian captivity to engage in witchcraft and go to wizards and sorcerers.

This is what Scripture says: “Do not use magic or guess.” (Lev. 19, 26), “Do not turn to those who summon the dead, and do not go to wizards, and do not bring yourself to the point of defilement from them.” (Lev. 19, 31), “There shall not be among you one who guides his son or daughter through fire, a soothsayer, a fortune-teller, a soothsayer, a sorcerer, a charmer, a conjurer of spirits, a magician, and one who inquires of the dead; For anyone who does this is an abomination to the Lord.” (Deut. 18, 11), “And you do not listen to your prophets and your fortune-tellers and your dreamers and your magicians and your astrologers... for they prophesy lies to you.” (Jeremiah 27:9–10). I believe that it would be useful for many to know that such actions or appeals to these individuals were severely punished: “And if any soul turns to those who call the dead and to magicians to walk after them fornicating, then I will turn My face against that soul and destroy it from her people" (Lev. 20:6), "Thou shalt not leave a sorcerer alive" (Ex. 22, 18).

The above quotes are quite enough to draw the appropriate conclusions about the sinfulness of judgments about the miraculousness of “Pochaev bread.” Once again, the spiritual illiteracy of our people is evident. Yes, 70 years of fighting against God have done their job. But for almost 20 years no one has forbidden studying Holy Bible and visit the temple of God. Laziness. Well, it's a sin again! Our people are lazy to read the Bible and listen to the sermons of priests. But with pleasure I am ready to believe that “Pochaev bread” will in an instant, in some incomprehensible way, bring wealth, happiness, fulfillment of desires to the house and deliver from witchcraft. But it’s not without reason that it says folk wisdom: “free cheese only comes in a mousetrap.”

On the origin of the “leaven of happiness”

Does anyone really need to involve Orthodox Christians in the distribution of miracle bread? A similar scheme of forgery is often used by figures in the occult sciences: fortune tellers, magicians, sorcerers, psychics and other dubious individuals. They often send their “clients” to temples for candles and incense, and read it themselves for show church prayers, sometimes they even send people to be baptized before the start of their sessions. All these actions are blasphemous. Candles and incense are used in magical rituals, church prayers are read along with conspiracies, and tempting a person after baptism with such actions is the “peak of pleasure” for the evil one, who acts through occultists.

In the case of the “Pochaev leaven,” the brethren of the monastery clearly defined the typology of spiritual substitution - speculation on the authority of the shrine. Under the guise of some good that is directly related to the shrine, people are taught some kind of nasty thing of unknown origin. Of course, this is not surprising. If the recipe for Jerusalem bread had stated that the leaven was mixed using sacrificial human blood in some satanic temple by a famous sorcerer, then it is unlikely that most people would have agreed to take this disgusting thing into their hands. By the way, one should not exclude the possibility of exactly this or a similar origin of the “bread of happiness.” Otherwise, why would the creators of sourdough hide so carefully behind the authority of the Church, hiding the true origin of the product?

There is a lie, and the father of lies is the devil. Can anything good come from him? No way! The apostle warns about such spiritual substitutions and their authors. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians: “Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light, and therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness.” (2 Cor. 11, 14–15).

Well, spiritual illiteracy bears fruit. Many people buy into the “church” origin of the leaven, thinking that since it was consecrated in the church, then there is no point in questioning everything else written in the attached instructions. And in vain! Ap. John the Theologian calls to all of us: “Beloved! Believe not every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1).

Note that Hare Krishnas also practice distributing food dedicated to Krishna (prasad) to everyone, regardless of religion. To do this, they even resort to such a trick as opening free or semi-free vegetarian cafes, whose visitors do not even suspect that they are eating food sacrificed to idols.

Another example is "Reverend" Moon, the founder of a famous sect. Food with his blood or (I apologize to the reader) sperm is prepared by the adherents of the sect and distributed at their meetings. It is quite possible that “Reverend” Moon, eager to feed the whole world with such food, has already begun some kind of secret policy and invented the “happiness dough”.

A number of other examples can be given, but there is no need. It is important to understand the main thing - someone specifically, under the teaching of the devil, is trying to mislead Orthodox Christians, hiding behind the screen of holiness. Therefore for Orthodox Christian Eating and distributing “Pochaev bread” is in no way acceptable. And if someone has already sinned in a similar way, then let him bring God the fruits of repentance. Fortunately, we have such an opportunity, and the Lord, how loving Father, forgives us our sins.

Dear brothers and sisters! Be careful in matters of spiritual life. To resolve such perplexities, contact the priests.

Prepared using Internet materials

Bread in the Church is a symbol of Christ. He Himself said about this: “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:48). If earthly bread nourishes human life, then Christ, the heavenly Bread, introduces human life to the fullness of Divine life in eternity.

An integral part of the liturgical life of the Church is the prosphora, and therefore the obedience of the prosphora bearer is of particular importance. Behind the apparent simplicity of this godly activity, there are many subtleties, secrets and hidden activities. One of the oldest inhabitants of the Moscow Sretensky Monastery, Hegumen Cyprian (Patrs), tells us about this.

We'll find out about why the Lord created wheat, why prosphora can be baked everywhere on Earth, and why the obedience of the prosphora baker, which Father Cyprian has been carrying out for more than ten years, is considered so important in monasteries.

- Father, why is obedience to the prosphora drinker considered one of the most important in monasteries?

Liturgical life, as we know, cannot exist without prosphora. And without the Liturgy the Church cannot live. This means that the place second after the temple is the prosphora, where bread is baked especially for the Liturgy.

- Who should and can bake prosphora? How was this accepted in Rus'?

In monasteries, of course, monks or nuns were assigned to this obedience. And for parish churches, prosphora, as a rule, was baked either by pious widows or by girls who lived in celibacy - that’s what they were called: prosphora.

This happened out of a reverent attitude towards the prosphora. Also, out of reverence, they began to add holy water to the prosphora mix - in fact, this is not a necessary requirement, but for the sake of reverence they do so.

If a “white” priest serves in a rural parish and his mother knows how to bake prosphora, then, of course, she will do it - and who else? And that's okay. We must proceed from real conditions.

In monasteries now, of course, they mostly bake prosphora themselves - both for themselves and for sale. Parish churches either bake themselves or, more often, buy them.

In ancient times, everyone could bake prosphora - it was an offering to the temple: the best were selected from them, at which the Liturgy was served. Almost all housewives knew how to bake bread, because it was a common thing, and any of them, being a church person and knowing the requirements (it must be leavened bread, salt, water, flour), could bake prosphora at home and bring it to church .

In Greece, today you can buy prosphora in a store and bring it to the temple as your offering.

What needs to be done to ensure that the reverent, prayerful attitude towards baking prosphora does not stop? So that it doesn't become a craft?

It doesn't stop. I didn’t notice that it stopped: neither in parishes, nor in monasteries, where I had to attend prosphora, nor in private prosphora, I didn’t see it somehow deteriorating. I don't think there is any danger here. I haven't observed this.

Previously, we did not have a special prosphora in the monastery, and it was my responsibility to provide the church with prosphora when I was a sacristan. One “fine day”, due to my oversight, it turned out that there were no small prosphoras for the people for tomorrow. There were official ones, but they didn’t stock up or buy them for the people in advance. This was discovered on Friday, the prosphora was needed on Saturday morning, and we only went for them on Saturday afternoon.

It was impossible to leave the people without prosphora. What to do? We had one employee in the refectory, Lyubov, who had already baked prosphora before and was knowledgeable about this matter. She was finishing her shift when I came into her kitchen and said: “Aunt Lyuba, haven’t you baked prosphora before?” - "Yes. What do you need? - “Yes, we don’t.”

We found American flour - terrible, bleached flour - French yeast, and with this we baked the first prosphoras, in kitchen oven, where cookies were baked before. The prosphoras, as I now understand, turned out terrible, they smelled like cookies, but they were there, and the people were satisfied.

But this thing captivated us, and we decided to try baking ourselves. My father was a hierodeacon then, and so we started baking at night in the kitchen. Of course, we were only able to hold out for a month - then we just collapsed: we didn’t sleep at night, not every night, but still - but we got our own prosphora. And then we began to ask the governor’s father to have our own prosphora. He gave his blessing, and after renovations in a new building, we furnished it. This was in 2000.

You just said: terrible American flour, French yeast... But many may think that, on the contrary, this is wonderful. What kind of flour and yeast should it be?

Why did I scold American flour? Americans do not bleach all their flour with chlorine, but very often. This is done simply for the sake of color. They essentially ruin it.

French instant yeast is not very suitable for baking prosphora. They immediately give off a lot of carbon dioxide, that is, they come up quickly, which is not suitable for simultaneous baking of a large batch of prosphoras - you can’t keep track of them, they just “run”. Therefore, it is better, of course, to use our domestic yeast.

"Lux" is quite suitable. The good ones are from Voronezh. And dried Voronezh yeast also gives good results. Dried yeast is easier to store, but compressed yeast is stored for no more than a month, and even then its lifting power decreases... You can use sourdough.

At some time, a buzz began that “only with sourdough, before they baked with sourdough, but now with yeast...” But this was simply out of ignorance, people said: in fact, the same yeast works in sourdough, only wild. Lactic acid bacteria and yeast, and different types, is available almost everywhere. If you just add water to the flour, put it in a warm place to create the necessary conditions, this yeast begins to multiply: here, in fact, is your starter.

At one time they learned to grow yeast in large quantities in factories. Then, through selection, yeast was developed that produces more carbon dioxide and is resistant to temperatures.

What is yeast? These are single-celled fungi that can be subjected to selection, producing more stable forms that can easily ferment the sugars found in flour - that’s all.

Not only that: in the past, sourdough was called yeast. There was no division. If we take Elena Molokhovets’ book “A Gift for Young Housewives” and look at the “Bread” section, we will see that she doesn’t even have the word “sourdough”, she writes: “yeast”.

But in our understanding, this is leaven. Sourdoughs were abandoned in bread baking because they are more capricious. If you want to bake prosphora with sourdough, this is quite possible. You just need to add the starter starter more often so that the prosphora does not sour and there is no high acidity.

On Athos they bake prosphora with sourdough, in Vatopedi, at least, and in a number of other monasteries - they still bake it the way they used to bake it. They renew the leaven, that is, they put in fresh leaven, twice a year - on the Exaltation of the Cross, for example, and on the Week of the Worship of the Cross. Or in Holy Saturday- I don’t remember exactly, but this can be clarified if anyone wants. This leaven is called miraculous, but the point is not that it rises without yeast. There is yeast there.

The fact is that it matures very quickly - literally until service is underway. This is the grace of God - that this happens very quickly.

But it will also happen anywhere else. There is no place on Earth where people live - well, except perhaps for some northern islands, where nothing spoils at all - where there would be no yeast and lactic acid bacteria: the Lord arranged it so that prosphora can be baked everywhere.

Moreover, this is also surprising: we perform proskomedia on wheat bread, but only wheat has unique baking qualities. No other cereal has such qualities. The Lord created wheat so that the very leavened bread on which the Liturgy could be celebrated could be baked from it.

- Father, why do the Greeks serve on one prosphora, and we have five?

Actually, this is a tradition. Moreover, it is a tradition that is not a dogma. Whether to serve the Liturgy on one prosphora, or on two (as often they served on Athos), or on five, or on seven - there is no fundamental difference. You can serve at one prosphora. Well, there are no prosphoras - there is only one: where to go? You can serve the Liturgy. Why not? Then you need to take it out of it, as the Greeks take it out: the central one is the Lamb, and from the other parts the remaining particles: Mother of God, nine orders of saints, about health, about repose... The Greeks have on their seal, if anyone has seen, all our five seals are depicted: in the center - the Lamb, on the right, on the left - the Mother of God, nine ranks of saints.

This is a matter of local tradition. In the main things we must have unity, but in other respects diversity is allowed. This is precisely acceptable diversity. Old Believers came to Athos in the second half of the 19th century to find out who was mistaken: they or the “Nikonians”. Athos was indeed the custodian of church traditions and rituals. They turned to the confessor of the Panteleimon Monastery, Hieroschemamonk Jerome - I don’t remember exactly his last name, he was a famous ascetic. He answered them: “As we served in ancient times on Mount Athos, so we serve now.” And they served at two prosphora: one - Agnitnaya, the second - for the rest. Moreover, he gave a very simple explanation for this: due to poverty.

It is necessary to serve in a cell somewhere, and in order to spend less, due to poverty the hermits were allowed to serve in two prosphoras, and there is no harm in that. This is an ordinary, normal thing. We once served at seven prosphoras. And there was no trouble either. How many prosphoras are prepared if a bishop serves? Seven. The usual five plus two prosphoras for the bishop. The same seven prosphoras are obtained. This is a matter of practice, and there is no need to bring this to some kind of rigid norm.

If we go back to that night when you and Aunt Lyuba baked prosphora for the first time... You received all subsequent knowledge empirically or did you study somewhere? And is this taught anywhere at all?

You know, we learned simply: firstly, of course, Aunt Lyuba taught; secondly, we learned from experience and from our mistakes.

We baked small prosphoras, but it took us a long time to make service ones. We bought them at the Danilov Monastery. And then one Sunday, as usual, Father Viceroy came to the service and asked: “Father Cyprian, whose service prosphora do we have?” - “Father, Danilovskys.” - “Why Danilovsky? We have our own prosphora.” - “Father, we don’t know how yet, we need to learn...” He says: “Okay, that’s it. We don’t buy prosphora, you bake it yourself.”

I immediately began to count in my mind how many Danilov prosphoras I had left, and I realized that there was still enough for weekdays, but for the next Sunday there were no Lamb prosphoras. Where to go? Where can I study? He began to ask a nun he knew, a prosphora server. Called her at Conception Monastery- Mother Sergia was so wonderful, she is already deceased. I said to her: “Mother, can I learn how to bake prosphora from you?” She says: “Maybe it’s better to go to Father Adrian in Novospassky?” I say: “Mother, can I come to you?” - “Well, you can, come.” - “When do you have baking?” - "On Thursday".

I worked with them all day. Of course, I had some experience, but then I saw my gross mistakes, they taught me how to roll bottoms so that the balls would turn out like this... Bottoms are Bottom part prosphora.

And here’s another catch: I worked for them all day baking, and they bake for sale, but I can’t say to Mother Sergius: “Sell,” because my father-vicar forbade buying, and “So give me” is my tongue. doesn't turn. She might have given it, but I didn’t ask...

And I only have Friday evening left for baking. Well, thank God, I saw my gross mistakes, corrected my batch, and what do you think? On the very first evening, the prosphora turned out absolutely normal. God's mercy!

Of course, he prayed and asked - he asked the Great Martyr Barbara, because it was her memory in the evening... The result was prosphora! Sunday, Liturgy, the vicar sees the prosphora, normal service ones... “Father Cyprian, whose prosphora?” - “Father, ours.” - "What happened to you?" - “Father, the mercy of God.”

You see how: if the father governor had not said: “That’s it, we bake ourselves,” how much longer would I have been “sitting” on the little ones?

It’s best to learn from other prosphora makers, to work directly on the prosphora so that they can show you on the spot how to bake, because you can’t write everything in a manual. I can’t imagine how you can show how to roll the same bottoms correctly if you don’t see it, if you don’t feel the dough with your hands.

To learn how to bake prosphora, you need to bake together with a good prosphora maker and even visit different prosphora makers - sharing experience is very important.

- What is the prosphora of the Sretensky Monastery today?

A typical small bakery production workshop. Nothing special. An oven, a dough mixer, a rolling machine through which the dough is processed (so-called rubbing) so that it acquires a homogeneous, dense structure. Cutting tables, proofers, where they fit the prosphora before baking.

- Who bakes? Monks, novices or do you hire someone?

We don’t have hired people, I bake the service prosphora myself, because the batch is small, I have time, no help is required, the equipment allows it. But the small prosphoras... At our prosphora, seminary students are obedient - they help with cutting, because we need to cut about 3 thousand prosphoras in two and a half hours.

- How often does baking take place?

According to need. It depends on the holidays: the more holidays, the more often you need to bake. Well, we bake service prosphora three times every two weeks.

- Do students like this obedience?

How many seminarians have we had as assistants? You know, such a question does not arise: “Do you love this obedience?” They work hard, they try. I am grateful to the guys for their help and diligence, because they have to carry out this obedience in the evenings, after dinner, when they have free time, that is, for them it is an additional burden. But they hold on to it and work hard. They sometimes carry out this obedience for years until they graduate from seminary. So they want it. You see, baking prosphora... a person should like this business. People have different styles: some paint icons, others do carpentry. Well, he likes the business, he knows it. And this matter - baking prosphoras - must be treated the same way. Otherwise it won't work. Because you understand how? We still have something to do with living things: living yeast... So that’s the thing. A person must like the field in order to successfully complete it.

- So it won’t work mechanically?

Mechanically - no, you can't. I didn't realize this before I got into baking. He had a completely different attitude towards prosphora. Firstly, I didn’t know what kind of work it was. Secondly, I didn’t understand the approach at all: just think, what’s wrong with baking prosphora? With this in mind, I came to one wonderful prosphora teacher, Father Adrian at the Novospassky Monastery. “Tell me,” I say, “the recipe.” And he: “Do you know what gluten is? Do you know what IDK is?” These are the characteristics of flour. I thought: “Why is he telling me all this? I just need the recipe!”

And then, when I started baking myself, I realized that I needed to know this, that it was not in vain that he told me these things, because without taking them into account, it is impossible to bake prosphora successfully. Either there must be an enormous amount of experience transferred, or one simply must understand what kind of processes are taking place there.

By the way, books on baking, ordinary books that can be purchased helped me a lot in baking prosphora, in understanding the baking process - essentially bread, only special bread. They give an understanding of what is happening there, and this is not superfluous. Moreover, these books helped us in another way: we bake bread in prosphora for the brethren. In general, when baking prosphora, the first thing is continuity. And the second is your experience, which is irreplaceable. And as a guide, books on baking: they help.

“Not to beg, but to help,” is how Priest Vladislav, rector of the church in honor of Spyridon of Trimifuntsky (Chernyakhovsky, 13a), explains why a bakery was organized at the church. The production is small: 700 buns are made here per day, and then sold to stores in the city. The proceeds are enough not only to pay staff salaries, but also to partially maintain the church and Sunday school, and to help those in need. VL.ru correspondents watched how Monastic bread is baked.

“Temples and monasteries often do not have the opportunity to earn money themselves. We created a bakery so that we could provide not only for employees, but also for the people who come to the temple: the poor, the needy,” says father Vladislav. And he says that on the territory of the temple he wants to organize a center to help women who find themselves in a difficult situation due to an unplanned pregnancy. Now a small temporary church has been opened on the territory of the parish on Chernyakhovsky (Orthodox Christians all over the world are collecting money for a new church in honor of the saint St. Sergius Radonezhsky). There is a Sunday school at the church. And this year a bakery was launched. It produces yeast-free bread using natural rye sourdough. It is dietary, almost without sugar and salt.

Three people work in a small one-story room - baker Sergei and two assistants - Vladimir and Andrey. Bread, 700 rolls each, is produced every other day - more and more often cannot be produced, production is quite labor-intensive. The cycle, says bakery manager and deputy rector of the church Evgeny Matveev, takes about 24 hours. With the same labor costs, it would be possible to bake 2500-3000 loaves of yeast bread per day.

It all starts with the priest consecrating the flour. Bakers make a leaven of water and flour, keep it at certain temperature. While it ferments, natural yeast and lactic acid bacteria are born in it - industrial yeast and additives are not added to the sourdough and dough. Father Vladislav says that leaven destroys everything harmful bacteria and fungi. “I wondered: how did monks used to live on bread and water? But it turns out that rye bread contains 40% of the substances necessary for humans,” he argues.

“From scratch” the loaf is baked in 8-9 hours. The dough is mixed in a special bowl, then the craftsmen cut it into pieces - 600 grams, no more and no less. Smooth ellipses are formed from them and laid out in molds. Sprinkle with seeds as needed. And they put it in the oven. The finished bread sits overnight and cools: you can’t pack it hot, because the bread will shrink. Baker’s assistant Andrei especially asks: “Tell people so that they know: it happens that the crust of bread breaks during baking. Many people don’t understand why, they think the bread is bad. On the contrary, he is good! It’s always smooth and even only if you add chemicals.”

The head of church production, Evgeny Matveev, adds that they decided to use old recipes, without chemicals. “We found technologies for baking with sourdough, like they used to bake in Rus'. This is a rather complex and labor-intensive process—it took a year and a half to complete. This bread is, of course, more expensive than usual. But its peculiarity is that it does not contain industrial yeast, baking improvers or additives. It is natural: water, flour, malt, rye sourdough. If you eat it every day, the heaviness in the stomach and heartburn disappear.”

Now the bakery produces four types of bread: rye “Sergievsky”, rye with malt and molasses “Muromsky”, wheat “Trapezny” and rye-wheat dietary “Danilovsky”. Orthodox manufacturers themselves figured out how to package goods, studied graphic editors and made up labels. They sell products to supermarkets and markets. They are also sold in the icon shop at the temple. Some residents of the area sometimes come to the church specifically to buy bread. One loaf costs about 50 rubles.

VIDEO:

Homemade bread is fragrant, crispy, tasty and, of course, healthy. It is prepared from simple, proven ingredients. In this case, the flour can be whole grain, wheat, rye. For variety, it wouldn’t hurt to add sesame seeds, seeds, nuts, honey, pumpkin.

Baked in any available shape: round cast iron frying pan, on a baking sheet with high sides, in a special bread pan.

Description

The most correct and full recipe sourdough bread (see photo below). It is necessary to prepare a starter (sourdough) using flour and water. You can also purchase it in a store in dry form and dilute it with water in the required proportions before kneading the dough (information is indicated on the package).

The so-called “eternal” leaven, which consists of flour and water, is very popular. It is initially prepared for several days, and then the base is simply stored in the refrigerator until the next batch of dough.

Recipe for “eternal” sourdough

First day: you need to place 100 grams of each component in a container. Mix the mixture thoroughly until creamy. After this, cover the container with the future starter cling film or a clean towel and put in a warm place (avoid draft) for 24 hours - until small bubbles appear (it is advisable to stir the mass periodically).
Second day: “feeding” the starter. Remove the container from a warm place and again add about 100 grams of the main components to the desired consistency. Next, cover with a towel and return to a warm shelter for another 24 hours.
Third day: take out the container - now on the surface of the starter you can see a lot of bubbles that form the so-called foam cap. Add the ingredients again and return to their place, periodically observing the leaven, which has already become strong. Now it is important to catch the moment of its full maturation. Then divide into two equal parts: place the first in a jar with a nylon lid (with holes), which is set aside in a cold place, and the second is used for baking bread.

Dough

Baking sourdough bread (according to the correct and complete recipe) is not a particularly labor-intensive task, but it requires certain knowledge, skills, patience and endurance.

According to the technology of making bread, it is necessary to prepare two types of dough in parallel - unleavened and directly bread dough. This is necessary so that everything can come true necessary processes dissolution and fermentation: in sourdough, the protein component of the flour swells well, which contributes to greater development of gluten when kneading the dough. This directly affects the quality and taste of the finished bread.

It is important to note the following subtle point. When baking a product even from flour with a low protein content, following this sequence in the dough kneading technology (sourdough, general kneading) will allow you to prepare delicious bread.

And when both types of dough are ready, you can begin the stage of general kneading, kneading, with a subsequent approach (increasing in volume).

How to warm up

For sourdough bread (correct and complete recipe), kneading and kneading the dough can be done in several ways: manually, in a special dough mixer or in a bread machine.

This process should take about 15-20 minutes. It is very important that the mass gradually acquires an elastic consistency. Then you need to leave the dough for 30 minutes to “rest”. After which you can form a bread dough.

Just before baking, it is important to place the bun for several hours either in a mold or in a basket with a napkin previously sprinkled with flour, and then put it in a warm place for 2.5 hours. This way it will go through the proofing stage. In this case, the grain stock should increase 2-3 times. If desired, the top can be greased with milk and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

After this, the bread can be baked. An oven, bread maker, or multicooker are suitable for this.

This article will discuss several correct and complete sourdough bread recipes.

In the oven

Required for kneading simple components, which are easy to get, even being far from civilization. The bread turns out tasty and aromatic. And it can be stored for a whole week.

Ingredients:

sourdough (base) - 340 grams;
water - 200 grams;
wheat flour - 400 grams;
salt - 10 grams;
vegetable oil - 20 grams.

Preparation:

Baking in a bread machine

Of course, with the advent of domestic electrical devices Kneading dough and baking delicious bread has become much easier. The equipment has several programs, a timer, special containers and other accessories useful in everyday life. Can be prepared with yeast or sourdough.

Full and the right recipe bread in a bread machine (rye for a change) is next.

Ingredients:

sourdough (from rye flour) - 300 grams;
wheat flour (grade 1-2) - 200 grams;
rye flour - 130 grams;
vegetable oil - 1 tablespoon;
salt 1.5-2 teaspoons;
water - 230 grams;
honey - 1 tablespoon (for color and softness of taste).

Preparation:

Prepare a sourdough starter from rye flour in advance (according to the “eternal” sourdough recipe). Take the bread baking portion.
Mix fresh starter with ingredients (honey can be melted).
Knead the dough, carefully breaking up any lumps and carefully adding water.
The consistency for rye bread should be slightly liquid and sticky.
Place the dough in the mold until it rises.
After 3 hours, turn on the oven to the “Baking” mode, without kneading (1-1.5 hours).

There is such a nuance: in order to get bread with additives (nuts, seeds, raisins), you need to add grains and raisins after kneading (if this is done in a bread machine!). Some kitchen appliances served sound signal. Once it sounds, you can add all the additional ingredients.

Sourdough bread in a slow cooker

Correct and complete recipe, which involves the use of the following ingredients:

sourdough - 1 full tablespoon;
water - 300 grams;
salt - 10 grams;
wheat flour - 700-800 grams;
vegetable oil - 15 grams;
sugar - 25 grams;
sour cream - 3 tablespoons;
chicken egg - 1 piece.

Preparation:

Place water, egg (beaten), sugar and leaven in a deep container. Mix everything. Add salt, sour cream, vegetable oil and stir.
Sift flour and add to ingredients. Knead the dough.
When it becomes elastic, place it on a floured napkin in a basket or colander and leave for 1 hour, covered with a towel.
After this, knead again and place in a multicooker container (previously oiled), cover with a lid and leave to proof (2 hours).
Select the multicooker mode “Casserole” (duration - 1 hour).
After the indicated time, open the multicooker, turn the bread over and leave to bake for another 15-30 minutes.

Pumpkin sourdough bread

The recipe (complete and correct) for such a fragrant homemade dish with the addition of pumpkin puree, sesame seeds, walnuts It will pleasantly surprise your loved ones and also give you a boost of energy and vigor for the whole day.

It is based on wheat flour sourdough, baked pumpkin puree and whole grain flour.

Ingredients:

sourdough - 300 grams;
whole grain rye flour - 100 grams;
whole grain wheat flour - 400 grams;
salt - 15 grams;
vegetable oil - 50 grams;
honey - 50 grams;
pumpkin puree - 500 grams;
seeds - 3 tablespoons (flax, pumpkin seeds);
walnuts- 3 tablespoons;
sesame - 10 grams.

Almost no water is required since the pumpkin puree contains juice. If necessary, you can add just a little bit.

Preparation:

Mix the finished starter with pumpkin puree, flour, and seeds. Knead into a stiff dough and leave for 20 minutes.
Continue kneading, add salt and honey (if the density becomes too high, add a little water).
For an elastic consistency, add vegetable oil. The dough will be a little sticky - this is normal. This effect comes from the pumpkin.
Make a bun and place in a greased mold, cover and leave for 3 hours.
After this, you can decorate the surface with seeds, sesame seeds, and make cuts. Leave under a towel or film to proof (2 hours).
Bake at 200 degrees until golden brown.

Summary

Important feature final stage Making bread at home is the process of cooling it. It is recommended to wrap the loaf in a clean towel or place it on a wire rack and leave it there for 2-3 hours. After which the product is considered completely finished.

Let me start by saying that I am a bad housewife. It just so happened that my life was filled with many interests: women’s journalism, studying Polish language, travel, walks with a child, career, social life, Pilates classes and Tibetan gymnastics... So there was absolutely no time left to stand at the stove. My former successful experiments in cooking have sunk into oblivion. But one day something happened that stirred up my experimental spirit and forced me to turn on the oven, which had never been used since the kitchen renovation.

It is believed that monastery leaven can only stay in a house once in a lifetime. With her appearance, you should make the most cherished wish and constantly think about its fulfillment in those days while the leaven is growing. Bread baked from it will cleanse the home and the relationships between the people living in it. The journey of the monastery leaven around the world reminded me of the “letters of happiness” that we all diligently copied in childhood: if you receive it, rewrite it 10 times, distribute it, and you will be happy. “Letters of happiness,” I remember, I rewrote them a couple of times, then they returned to me again and again in a circle from my girlfriends, and, in the end, I just began to throw them away. But I still decided to experiment with the “leaven of happiness”. “At least there will be fresh baked goods in the house, which in itself is not so bad,” I reasoned. But just in case, I made a wish...

I admit honestly, at first the process of growing sourdough, which lasts for 6 whole days, confused me greatly. I, who had not set foot in the kitchen for weeks, had to tinker with dough in it for many days in a row. This is not for you to bake a charlotte! But in reality everything turned out to be not so difficult. And this is how it all happened - according to the script given to me in advance along with the leaven:

Day 1. I brought the starter into the house, poured it into a saucepan and covered it with gauze. She just has to stand there for a day and get used to the house. By the way, you should cover the dough with gauze all the time while it is in the house so that random debris and dust do not fall on it.

Day 3. It's time to make the first batch. I mixed all the ingredients poured out yesterday with the sourdough starter.

Day 4. I again poured a glass of flour, a glass of sugar and a glass of milk into the dough mixed yesterday, without stirring anything.

Day 5. It's time to make the second batch. I mixed all the ingredients poured out yesterday into the dough.

Day 6. Now the dough is ready. I divided it into 4 parts (about 1.5 ladle each). She prepared to give three of them to her friends, pouring them into glass jars, and in the fourth part I added 2 eggs, a glass of sugar and 0.5 tbsp. l. soda

The dough turned out quite liquid. I just poured it onto a baking sheet and turned on the oven. And then the real miracle began. An amazing smell came through the house. It is impossible to describe it. Did it smell like a bakery? Confectionery? I was so sorry when the cake was baked. I wanted to close all the windows in the house to preserve the spirit of this magical pastry longer. The cake turned out to be short and very sweet. A very strange taste, I must say. The first note is quite cloying, and then it is the taste of bread that remains in the mouth, not sweetness. Cut the cake into portions immediately. However, how to wash a baking sheet sticky from the abundance of sugar. There is no need to cover the cakes; the monastery bread does not go stale.

Another indispensable condition: only family members should eat this wonderful pastry. It’s not worth treating even close people with it, but not living in the same house with you. You can present them only with sourdough, and not with finished baked goods. Be sure to tell all the intricacies of handling it, growing it and the distribution procedure. Please immediately warn that you cannot return a quarter of the baked goods. As mentioned above, a monastery bread can live in your home only once in its life.

I admit, many of these instructions, such as the inadmissibility of treating friends and loved ones who do not live in the same house with baked goods, the impossibility of keeping a portion of sourdough for myself and constantly baking homemade bread with it, or the option of returning sourdough to me again and again through friends - seemed like some kind of ridiculous conventions. But I decided to play by the proposed rules to the end.

As for my desire, it is long-term. So let's wait and see if it comes true...