Fasting bread is a very hearty and nourishing bread, contemporarily eaten during times such as Lent, which historically dates back to the fasting of Biblical times. Fasting develops and nurtures both spiritual strength and resistance against temptation, and it also expresses the longing we feel in body, mind, and spirit for our King, Jesus Christ.

When I was little, I always used to remember fasting bread as this hard, dry, crusty bread that my mom would make to eat once a year during the Lenten season, it was not very appetizing, to say the least. However, as the years have gone by, I have learned to take over a majority of the baking in our house, and I have since discovered that fasting bread most certainly doesn’t have to be hard and dry.

After a few occasions of trial and error, here is my go-to fasting bread recipe. Made with oats, nuts, and dried fruit, it is not only nutritious, but also very enjoyable to eat during your time of fasting. According to my sister, this bread is almost “too nice” to eat for fasting purposes, but in spite of its airy bubbles and springy texture, it does a great job of curbing any hunger while on your prayer journey.

Tips:

Bread is… temperamental. I have found that the best results for homemade bread is when its environment is warm rather than cold.

When blooming your yeast, a quick and easy way to check if your water temperature is right is to dip a third of your finger into the water – you should almost not be able to tell your finger is actually in water. This is lukewarm, but it is better to have your water slightly warmer than cold.

If your house is cold when you are making bread, check to see if your oven has a warm setting. If it does, turn it on for 10-15 minutes to warm the oven, then turn it off and let your bread rise/proof in the closed oven during the first proof. This gives the dough a nice warm place to rise with the warm air that is inside the turned off oven.

Notes:

• You can use a wide range of dried fruit; I use craisins (dried cranberries), but you could substitute or use a mix of raisins, dried blueberries, and dried cherries.

• You can also use other types of nuts if you would prefer, such as pecans or walnuts.

• If you buy yeast in a jar, you can freeze it after opening to make it stay fresh longer.

Ingredients:

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 ½ tsp blessed salt

1 Tbsp sugar

4 ½ tsp active dry yeast

2 cups water

½ cup pure maple syrup or agave

½ cup virgin olive oil

1 tsp holy water

1 cup of old-fashioned oats, soaked in ½ cup of hot water for 5 min

1 cup almonds, toasted and broken

¾ cup craisins (dried cranberries), soaked in ¼ cup hot water for 5 min

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine flours and salt. Mix together and create a well in the middle.

In a microwavable bowl or glass measuring cup, heat up your water for 1 ½ – 2 minutes in the microwave Add the sugar to the warm water and dissolve.

When your sugar water cools down to lukewarm, add the dry yeast. Give it a quick mix, and then pour the water/sugar/yeast mixture into the well of your dry blend. Let it stand 10-15 minutes as it proofs and bubbles.

Combine the flour mixture and liquid with a large spoon; it will be very thick.

Add maple syrup/agave, olive oil, and holy water. Stir until well-blended.

Add the craisins (with liquid), soaked oats, and almonds. Mix well.

The dough will now be very sticky. Turn out onto a floured board and knead by hand for 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed to make the dough moderately stiff. (How to knead: using your palm flatten the dough somewhat by pressing down, fold the outside into the center and pushing down and away from you. Rotate and repeat, and the dough will come together to form an elastic “ball.”)

Return the dough into the mixing bowl, drizzle with olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, poking holes with a toothpick into the top for air, and cover with a cloth or kitchen/tea towel, let rise for 1 hour – this traps the warmth of working with the dough inside and promotes a warmer environment for rising.

After an hour, move the dough to a floured board and knead for another 5-8 minutes. Cut the dough into 2 equal pieces.

You can bake your loaves in two round pie plates, two 8×8 baking dish, or one 13×7 baking dish.

Place each dough piece into pie plates/baking dish(es), which have been coated with olive oil on all sides. If you are using one 13×7 backing dish, still divide the dough into 2 pieces – place one in the middle on the right side of the dish and the other in the middle on the left side. Drizzle loaves with olive oil (this provides flavorful crust)

Cover the loaves loosely with plastic wrap and a cloth/kitchen towel and let it rise for another 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Slash the tops and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown on both top and bottom. The loaves will sound hollow when tapped.

Remove bread from pans and cool on a rack.

Can be eaten as is, or slightly toasted with butter. Freeze in an air tight container.

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