How to bake prosphora at home: a recipe. Recipe for baking service prosphora at home

Baking prosphora is a real church art, in many ways similar to icon painting, says the prosphora worker of the Church of the Intercession Holy Mother of God in Krasnoe Selo, Alexander KUDRYAVTSEV - a physicist by first education, a theater director by profession. This service requires a lot from a person, in part it is akin to monasticism. But the path to this height can begin quite ordinary and anywhere: for Alexander, for example, from the cherry orchard - in quotes and without. Alexander told our correspondent Anna PALCHEVA about the art of baking prosphora, about creativity, precise technologies and the role of chance in the life of an Orthodox person.

Alexander Sergeevich Kudryavtsev. Born in 1956, in 1974 he entered the Faculty of Physics and Chemistry of the Institute of Steel and Alloys (he studied at the department of Professor A.A. Abrikosov). In 1979 he left the institute, worked as a painter, graphic designer, director of an amateur theater, projectionist. In 1987 he entered the directing department of GITIS. In 1990, after a course performance of The Brothers Karamazov, he came to Optina Hermitage, where he underwent a pilgrimage obedience on prosphora. Since 1993, he worked first as a watchman, and later as a prosphora maker in the Church of All Saints in Krasnoye Selo. In 1998, he helped to equip a prosphora in the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in Krasnoye Selo and began to serve in it.
- How did you become a prosphora?
- I've been doing this for eight years. But first I became a parishioner of the Church of All Saints in Krasnoe Selo, where the rector is the priest Artemy Vladimirov. At first I was a watchman at the temple, in the garden. It was this cherry garden of Father Artemy that led me to prosphora.
It was like that. Father Artemy visited us at GITIS. He conducted a series of discourses on the Old and New Testaments. And then he somehow asks me: “What are you doing?” I answer: "Theater". He told me: “Very well, I have a cherry garden that needs to be protected. Would you like to guard the cherry orchard?” He felt that I had to then, and at night I began to guard the Church of All Saints. And in the morning the prosphora-makers would come and start baking. We, the watchmen, are hungry from the night, they tell us: “Here we have defective prosphora here.” Gradually, I began to study this business and became a prosforist myself.
- That is, it all happened by chance, such a combination of circumstances?
- To be honest, before that there was Optina Pustyn. In the third year at GITIS, we had a course performance "The Brothers Karamazov". There I played Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov and one of the monks in charm, Father Ferapont. And, of course, after that we went to Optina with that classmate who played the elder Zosima. After that, I often went to Optina, and one day it happened that I was assigned obedience on prosphora. And that sacred awe that seizes when you see the large prosphora intended for the Lamb, of course, remains for life. It was my first prosphora, for the first time I saw how prosphora was made, how Hierodeacon Iliodor moistened them and put them in the oven, how the prayer was done before making prosphora, and how the Jesus Prayer was continuously read: one finished, the other immediately picks it up. This is a real monastic business, and can you imagine - to get there right away! Almost all the monks went through such bread obedience. And after Optina there was a church of All Saints. And so, of course, the “case”, like all Orthodox.
- How did you learn to bake prosphora?
- Victor Yagovitov was engaged in research of this business at us. He studied at the Danilov Monastery, in Novospassky, so that later he could establish a prosphora in the Church of All Saints. We knew each other, and therefore, when he took care of the prosphora equipment and selected a team, I got into it. After all, when several people work in the prosphora, it should be just a team. If one did not have time to do something, the other at this time picks up and completes it. If one opens the mouth of the oven, the other at that time grabs the tray with prosphora to put them in the oven, the third must pick up the oilcloth with which the tray was closed. All this very quickly, as one person. I did not strive for prosphora, but it so happened that they worked together.
- Is serving in prosphora a man's business?
- In the men's monastery - men's work, in the women's - women's. Mixed prosphora cannot be, by definition. I don’t know how to rationally explain this logically, but you will stay in the prosphora for ten to fifteen minutes and understand that it is difficult for women and men at the same time. Well, at least because it's terribly hot here. Let theologians discuss this, but many believe that only men should bake prosphora. I think that's why: after all, initially the priest himself baked prosphora before serving on them. Before that, there was a short period when members of the community brought their bread, then the best ones were chosen from them and served on them. Then it passed to the priests. Therefore, I sincerely believe that I am doing part of the work that a priest is supposed to do. And this is probably why men should bake prosphora or monastic women. How many times it turned out that the mere presence of a woman in the prosphora spoiled the matter.
- Is it difficult to bake prosphora?
- There are a lot of requirements. Prosphora should be smooth, without bubbles, without a single crack, with a clear pattern. Patriarch of prosphora business from Novospassky Monastery Father Antipas counted about 150 moments that should not be missed. For example, you need to guess how long before the maximum approach of the dough to place it in the oven. Then in the oven it will swell a little more and fix, it will become elastic. If you are a little late, the prosphora will wrinkle. We try to adhere to these criteria as much as possible. When the priest crushes the prosphora, it must be dense, dense. And at the same time, it is leavened bread. So it is necessary to stay on this edge all the time. The surface of the prosphora should be as smooth as leather. It is best if the shape of the prosphora is pear-shaped. But these rarely work out. Here you need a special percentage of gluten - 36 at least. In our flour, if there are 20 percent, this is already good. Previously, flour was better, coarse. This type simply does not exist anymore. We have to put up with the fact that now there is such a disparity in the standards.
- Are there schools for baking prosphora, and which one do you consider yourself to be?
- Everywhere has its own nuances. In Greece, for example, one large prosphora is used with five seals arranged crosswise.
The prosphora consists of two parts, which symbolizes two natures - Divine and human - in Christ. According to our technology, these parts are connected before being put into the oven. There are temples where they are connected at once.
In general, we have several schools for baking prosphora: in the Danilov Monastery, in the Lavra, in Optina. In our church, the Danilov school - Viktor Yagovitov served in Danilov.
- In your opinion, is it enough just to know the technology very well and follow it exactly?
- Baking prosphora is a creative process. And here it is important, first of all, to fulfill the canon. As in iconography. There is, for example, a Moscow school. You can add a little purple or another color, but the school remains the same. It is the same with prosphora - you must strictly follow the technology and change something a little bit. In general, this, of course, is one of the church arts.
I have already taken something from the Optina technology and added something else. Here a priest from Baku arrived and told how they prepare flour. I tried it - it works well. I naturally perceive other technological methods. This is a living thing. I changed the temperature of the water when kneading the dough - for example, I took ice water- and you will get a completely different dough. And then you look, it turns out that such technology already exists. It is even described in cookbooks, called chopped dough technology. This is when the dough with ice is suitable. A lot of little things: I changed the temperature of the oven by two or three degrees - and already another prosphora. Therefore, I try to follow the tradition and add a little bit of my own.
- Does your profession, education somehow help you in your church obedience?
- I am a person of a creative specialty, a creative profession, and I am also a creative person to the same extent as every Orthodox. The level of responsibility is very high. I have been baking prosphora for eight years now and each time I cannot say in advance what will turn out. After all, the dough behaves like flesh. It has its own surface, its own skin. It even has a tangible, textural resemblance to human flesh. In the Church of All Saints, the prosphora maker Kolya, when we were just studying, explained: touch your cheek - when the prosphora feels the same to the touch, then it's time to bake it. And if such as the skin of the hand, then it's too early.
I am a physicist by training. From the fourth year of the institute, we had practice at the research institute in Chernogolovka two days a week. And so I had a topic - the surface tension of metals and alloys. And I just noticed that, in terms of surface tension, the surface of the prosphora behaves in the same way as human skin. Then, you understand what it symbolizes. It is wine and bread made from wheat dough that are transubstantiated into the Holy Gifts. True, when you bake, you try not to think about it, otherwise the burden of responsibility becomes absolutely unbearable.
- Could you reveal your prosphora recipe?
- I don't dare. I can understand what I had for the dough only after I have baked the prosphora. The dough does not make sense to try. I just feel its consistency. When the Russian monk Lazar Kulibin was doing this in Optina (and he graduated from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the famous Phystech), he had formulas everywhere. He debugged this matter and said that the amount of yeast must be observed to the milligram. This is a unique person who installed special thermostats there, accurately adjusted the temperature, set the alarm, put the prosphora in the oven and exactly after 1 hour 10 minutes the Lamb prosphora of the quality that was required was baked. But this is Father Lazarus.
- Have you had any failures?
- I remember when I was guarding, I had to use physical force. There was literally a fight. And then I came to the prosphora, put the dough, but it did not fit. I had to redo everything, pray again, but more repentantly. Then it happened.
- Are there special prayers that the prosphora-makers read?
- In addition to all others read before the start of any business, they read a prayer to the Pechersk prosphora makers Spiridon and Nikodim. Here we do not alternately read the Jesus Prayer, it does not work. And in Optina they also read the Psalter, for which there are novices in the monastery.


- When is the prosphora prepared?
- The prosphora must be baked no more than five days before the service, otherwise it will become stale. The test approach is greatly influenced by the internal state. There should be a supply of a day or two before the service, especially on big holidays. We had a case when before Christmas we put the prosphora for the Lamb, and it exploded: if there is not enough gluten in the dough, the prosphora cracks. We took another flour, set it again - the same thing, again and again. According to the testimony of many prosphora prosphora, Lamb prosphora breaks if you make it the day before, by a strange, mystical coincidence. And then we got into the car, drove to the Danilov Monastery - there was no extra Lamb. We traveled around several monasteries. Then I ended up visiting Father Antipa in Novospassky. And he says to me: “Well, why did you pull until the last day, you had to do it in advance! I make the Passover or Christmas Lamb in four days.”
- Prosphora and theater - how do they fit together?
- As for the theatre, I am trying to separate the Russian theater itself from the elements of other theatres. The theater reflects human consciousness in its fullness, and our theater should be joyful, just as a person should be joyful who realizes that eternal life will follow his physical death. In the Western theater, negative emotions predominate in the interaction of actors and in the atmosphere of stage action. Concerning the compatibility of life in
Church and theater, I had a long conversation with the late Bishop Vasily (Rodzianko). Then Vladyka Vasily said: "Engage in theater with prayer."
I think that it is necessary to reconcile secularism and churchliness, because the state suffered great damage when the entire intelligentsia rushed to the Church, completely rejecting everything secular. The experience that we receive in the Church must be realized in practical life, in each of our deeds, in those talents with which the Lord has endowed us.

Photo by Vyacheslav LAGUTKIN

How to bake prosphora at home: a recipe

Usually at home, prosphora for the feast of the Annunciation is not baked. This is done by nuns and novices in monasteries, or mothers in parishes. However, if you wish, and always with the blessing of the priest, you can help the parish and take part in the preparation of prosphora on your own. Below is one of the easiest recipes.

To prepare prosphora, you need to have several unusual devices: a stick for punctures, molds for squeezing large and small prosphora (in pairs with a difference in diameter of 5 mm), seals.

Prosphora dough recipe

The recipe is for 1.2 kg of flour. They take 400 g of flour, pour it onto the bottom of the mixing container, pour holy water, and then pour boiling water over it. So the prosphora become stronger and do not mold for a long time.

When the dough reaches room temperature, salt diluted in holy water and yeast (25 g) are added to it. Mix everything, cover and leave for 20 minutes. Then add all the flour and mix. Wait another 30 minutes (in a warm place without drafts).

Then the dough is rolled out into layers of the desired thickness, cut out into circles, covered with a damp towel and left to proof for half an hour. The top is stamped. Then I put together the lower and upper parts, they are pierced together several times. The prosphora is placed in the oven and kept there until cooked on low heat for about 15-20 minutes (it all depends on the size of the product).

Ready prosphora are laid out from the oven on the table, covered with a dry towel, then wet, and on top with a special blanket.

Prosphora cost 1 hour. When they become soft and cool, they are put into baskets specially designed for this purpose.

Signs with prosphora for the day of the Annunciation

In order for the year to be calm and successful, good health, a prosperous family, it was necessary to eat the prosphora consecrated in the church. It was baked for each member of the family or bought, then crumbled and eaten. Often the crumbs of this church bread were mixed with seeds to obtain better harvest, mixed with the feed of livestock and birds. Even for bees, it was mixed with honey and fed to their apiary. The peasants believed that this would bring health to all living creatures.

ATFrom more than a month ago, in the prosphora of our church, the use of store-bought thermophilic yeast was completely abandoned, and prosphora is now baked exclusively on sourdough, as it should be according to church rules.

AT " "(located at the end of the second part of the Missal), it is said about the substance for the Eucharist: "The substance for the Sacrament of the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ is bread made from pure wheat flour, kneaded with plain water and well baked, leavened, not oversalted, fresh and clean; having a pleasant and characteristic taste for bread. Unleavened bread, even if it is wheat, in the Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church cannot serve as a substance for the Body of Christ. And one should not serve on such bread. leavened , but not yeast .

The first sourdough baking in our prosphora took place before Easter. At that time, half of our Artos were made with sourdough. the main problem of all Artos in om, that it is stored for a long time, while it should not become moldy. This first experience went brilliantly: none of our Artos this year got moldy! Moreover, those Artos for the preparation of which sourdough was used turned out to be much softer than yeast ones, which made it much easier to cut them on Bright Saturday. Many temples even turned with gratitude.

Sourdough for bread can be prepared with hops, raisins, malt, but we use only flour and water for prosphora, since it is canonically unacceptable to add other ingredients to prosphora.

What are the advantages of sourdough over commercial thermophilic yeast? Bakery products prepared on sourdough have a more pronounced, not insipid taste, the elasticity of the crumb improves, and the shelf life increases. We conducted an experiment: we put several prosphora with yeast and a few with sourdough in separate bags in same conditions- in heat and periodically checked them.

It turned out that sourdough prosphora without special conditions can be stored at least two and a half times longer than yeast ones.

Yes, the preparation of prosphora on sourdough is problematic and risky: the dough behaves differently than yeast dough, the approach time is more difficult to guess, and prosphora often turn out sour, you have to try various options test setting. And we are not going to stop there: at the moment, the technology of preparation unleavened bread own production.

Give the best to God as a gift! And we don't think that thermophilic yeast is the best thing we can bring as a gift to the Creator... We want to return to the roots.

Prepared by Mikhail Stareev.

Prosphora is a small round loaf that is usually distributed in Orthodox Church during services. AT Orthodox tradition it is considered a shrine that must be protected so that it does not deteriorate in any way.

From the Greek, the word “prosphora” is translated as “offering”, and initially any offering for the church was called like this: bread, wine, candles, water, etc. Later, the meaning was assigned to bread, for the Lord says that He is the bread of life.

Description and meaning

The prosphora consists of two parts, which symbolize the dual nature of Jesus Christ: human and divine. It has a seal on top. Most often it is a cross dividing it into four equal parts, on which Greek letters are written. It translates to "Jesus Christ Conquers". The upper part with a seal symbolizes the highest spiritual principle, the lower part - the earthly, human.

For church services they always use only fresh bread, because praying over stale bread is a sin.

Prosphora are used in the church during the Liturgy. There is a special service loaf, it is used in the process of proskomidia - a special part of worship. At the very end of it, everyone who prays is given small parts - antidores. You need to take them with reverence, folding your hands crosswise, put the right one on the left. After that, you need to kiss the hand of the priest who brought the antidoron.

You can get bread in the church behind a candle box after the service, passing a note for health or for peace. For each name mentioned in the note, a piece of prosphora is taken out.

There are certain rules about how and when you can eat prosphora. If you brought it home, then put only on a clean tablecloth or napkin. You can eat only in the early morning, on an empty stomach. Spread a clean tablecloth, put prosphora, clean spring or holy water on it, and nothing else. Before eating, be sure to read a special prayer, thank the Lord for his mercy. It is imperative to eat over a plate or clean paper so that not a single sacred crumb falls on the table, much less on the floor.

Recipe

Prosphora is baked from leavened wheat dough. There are no additives. You can bake it at home, because the recipe is quite simple. However, there is a special prayer rule for those who are going to bake church bread at home. You can ask the priest for his text, and also ask for blessings for this action. In addition, it is necessary to purchase special seals for prosphora.

Dough Ingredients:

1. wheat flour - 1 kg;
2. yeast - 25 g;
3. water (preferably holy);
4. salt (optional)
5. natural wax.

We begin to cook, like any dough. Add about half of the flour to boiling water, stir and let cool. Then add the rest of the flour and mix thoroughly, adding yeast and salt. Let stand 30 minutes. After that, you need to roll out two layers: the thickness of the layer for the lower part should be about 2 cm, for the top 1. Cover with oilcloth and leave for 10 minutes.

Now you need to cut the layers into circles. The bottom circles should be slightly larger than the top ones. Cover the lower ones with a towel and oilcloth and leave for another half hour. It is important that they do not dry out.

The baking sheet must be greased with natural wax. Put a special seal on the top before baking. Lubricate the lower part with a little water and connect to the top. Pierce them with a needle so that excess air comes out and voids do not form.

Preheat the oven to 200-250 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes. After that, cover the finished bread with a dry cloth, wet on top, dry again, and on top with a blanket. Leave for an hour. Everything is ready.

According to tradition, prosphora should be baked by those who were not married, or were only once.

Storage features

You need to store the prosphora at home next to the icons and holy water, in the red corner. It is recommended to keep it in cloth bags to allow air access and avoid mold. Some priests advise cutting it into small pieces in advance, so it dries better. Dried bread should be soaked in holy water and tasted the same as fresh.

Here's what to do if the prosphora is moldy and you can't eat it:

• Take it to the church where they will burn it.
• Bury, but only where people will not walk.
• Send it to a river or lake, but so that it does not wash ashore. Can be tied to a stone, for example.
• You are allowed to feed the birds. Crumble necessarily on a plank, in no case on the ground. It is forbidden to give prosphora to animals.