Luther Seminary’s Communion Bread

Ingredients and Method ~

Sift dry ingredients together three times:

• 2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup white flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
• Stir in 4 teaspoons oil

Set aside. Mix wet ingredients together until dissolved:

• ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons very hot water
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 3 Tablespoons molasses

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well. Dough should be slightly sticky. Do not knead.

Method ~

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Divide into four balls and flatten each into a 1/4 inch thick disk.  With a knife, score the top of each loaf into eight pie-shaped sections, so that the sections can be more easily broken off while serving.  Alternatively, you could score a cross onto the loaf. Lay the loaves on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and brush the tops of the loaves with oil.  Bake an additional 5-8 minutes. Let cool.

Yield: four 8 oz. loaves. Each loaf serves 60-70 people, depending upon the size of the piece given. The loaves freeze well.

A well-known, well-used, well-loved recipe

Luther Seminary’s communion bread recipe has been used here for more than 20 years. It is baked by Luther Seminary dining services staff and served as part of our weekly Holy Communion service in chapel each Wednesday.

This recipe is known throughout the country as one of the best tasting and easiest to make. It’s become quite popular! In July 2003 Luther Seminary dining services staff baked an estimated 675 loaves and Fed-Ex-ed them to the ELCA’s youth gathering in Florida for their mass Eucharist!