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sourdough prosphora
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Sourdough Prosphora Recipe

Servings: 2 large loaves

Ingredients

  • 660 g water
  • 1,260 g flour
  • 400 g starter
  • 27 g salt

Instructions

  • Mix water, salt, and starter in a large bowl
  • Add flour and mix until the dough is somewhat hydrated
  • Allow the dough to ferment at room temperature for 8-10 hours
  • Turn out the dough onto a clean un-floured work surface
  • Divide and preshape into two tight balls (don’t be afraid to manipulate the dough here)
  • Rest for 10-20 minutes
  • Line springform pans with baking paper (be sure the paper covers the sides too)
  • Coat all sides of the loaves with a thin layer of flour
  • Press the loaves into a flat disk using your palm and rotating
  • You can stop when the disk is about 1 inch tall (but this also depends on the size of your spring form pans)
  • Place the disks into the paper lined pans
  • Press each disk down again until it is flat and the edges of the disk are about to reach the sides of the springform pan, popping any air bubbles when necessary
  • Cover the springform pans and place in the fridge for 3-6 hours
  • When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F
  • Meanwhile, remove the loaves from the fridge and dust more flour over the tops of the disks to make sure the seal does not stick
  • Press the dough disk down evenly again until the edges touch the sides of the pan
  • Press your wooden seal into the center of the disk and push down with strength. You want the edges of the disk to push up around the seal and the seal to be pretty deep into the disk
  • Do not just pull out the seal! Gently loosen all the edges of the seal first to release it from the dough. I do this by gently tugging on the handle as I angle each side of the seal up in turn. It should start to loosen and then you can carefully and slowly pull the seal up from the dough
  • Next, use a chopstick or metal skewer to pierce your dough. For a byzantine style loaf, this means piercing outside the corners of the center square and outside the outer circle where the eight lines end. Check out the pictures attached to see exactly what this looks like, the final result will have 12 piercings.
  • As you pierce you can say “Lord Have Mercy” or “Most Holy Theotokos Save Us”, one per each piercing.
  • Bake both loaves uncovered at the same time for one hour
  • When the loaves are done, release them from the springform pan (using hot hands!) and wrap them in damp tea towels to dry on the cooling rack for 2-8 hours. This will keep the crust soft and pliable for the priest to cut