Homemade Unleavened Bread for Churches and Families

More people are becoming interested in baking communion bread for their churches and for personal use. This website shares my own recipe as well as some thoughts concerning communion and how Jesus is represented in unleavened bread. Many visitors browse this site. Please sign my guestbook (at the bottom of this page) and share your thoughts. If you are one who bakes communion bread, I'd love to see your recipes as well. - Beth  The Ingredients of Unleavened Bread The ingredients in this communion bread are symbolic to the teachings of Christ and the purpose of His death on the cross. I noticed this on one particular day of baking the bread. wheat kernels "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." John 12:24 water "If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water." John 7:37 Salt "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men." Matthew 5:13 Oil "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity. It is like precious oil poured on the head...running down the beard." Psalm 133:2 "You annoint my head with oil. My cup overflows." Psalm 23 Honey "The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold...they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb." Psalm 19:9-10 As you take the bread into your body, do not fail to take into your heart all the goodness that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ gives you through His gracious gift of salvation. Recipe for Communion Bread (7 loaves) 2 cups hot water 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp honey 1 Tbsp salt (optional) 5-6 cups of wheat flour Mix all of the ingredients minus the wheat flour in a mixer (I use a Bosch mixer with dough hook). Slowly add flour until the dough wipes clean off of the sides of the bowl. Mix for 5 - 7 minutes. Divide recipe into six to seven equal balls. One at a time, take the dough ball and pat into a 1/4 inch thick circle. Take a fork and pierce the dough with stripes and a cross. (Don't skip the piercing step or the bread will ruin.) Bake at 400 degrees for 14 - 20 minutes. Cool on a rack. Wrap well and freeze until needed. Bread will be slightly chewy. If you desire crispy communion bread, roll out very thin and bake longer. The benefit of chewy bread is that it doesn't crumble and make a mess as people break off their piece.  Some congregations desire bread to be pre-cut. I use Pampered Chef's crinkle cutter/ julienne cutter - to cut the pieces. It makes a nice, wavy cut. Watch a YouTube video of me baking the second recipe. https://youtu.be/OzwJeglzVCg Thanks to Barry of Memphis, Tennessee for sending in this great recipe using white flour. I made this recipe recently with one cup white flour, one cup wheat flour. The butter in this recipe makes it delicious!  This recipe is easy to make with a bowl and wooden spoon. No mixer needed. White Flour Communion Bread (3 loaves) 2 cups white flour  (or one white flour and one wheat flour) 1/2 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. sugar 6 Tbsp. butter  3/4 cup milk Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut in butter. Add milk and stir. Knead for a few minutes. Divide into three balls of dough. Pat out on floured board to 1/2 " thick. Pierce with fork into stripes (see photo above) Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes. • Piercing the bread must be done or the bread will puff up in the oven. (Remember, Jesus was pierced for our transgressions.) Joanie of Portland, OR shares her recipe that is  prepared on a skillet instead of an oven. This is how many Jewish families prepare their homemade "matza" or unleavened bread for Passover.  One difference...they don't cut the bread into pieces.  They place it into the skillet looking like a tortilla. I like this one. Skillet Communion Bread Take one cup of wheat flour Gradually add 1/2 cup cold pressed olive oil until it beads up  and incorporates with stirring. Then incorporate with clean fingers until it looks like a pie crust. Add gradually 1/2 cup warm water mixed with 1/2 tsp. salt. Stir with a fork or fingers (fingers work best) until it's formed into a ball. Knead ball but don't overdo it!  Roll it on a non-greased surface to thin thickness and then cut into pieces. Score and stripe with a fork.  Cook in electric skillet - adding NO GREASE -  at 400 degrees. Watch closely so they don't burn.  Transfer onto clean paper towels to cool.  Put into bag with the paper towels and then into a freezer bag. Freeze until use. CONCERNING SALT...Many have questioned the use of salt. Salt does not leaven bread. Baking soda does. The only reason you would not want to use salt is to make the bread kosher for Passover.  Gluten Free Communion Bread To make gluten-free communion bread, simply substitute JULES GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR instead of the white flour or wheat flour in the recipes. "(JULES) is expensive but worth it if you need to be gluten-free. I've used it and enjoyed the communion bread." - Dawn M. of Tucson, AZ  Thank you, Dawn, for sharing! Homemade Communion Bread - Beth Wilson - wilsonbeth87@gmail.com Website powered by Network Solutions®