Subject: It's Fast Friday: Yummy Fasting Bread Recipes

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Fasting Bread to the Rescue


Wow! What a wonderful response we had to last week's Fast Friday Phone Call with our friend Mary. 


Her testimony about how her entire family, including seven kiddos, became a fasting family and the blessings they have seen because of it inspired many to become better fasters both individually and as a family. Thank you Mary for sharing your story and for all of you responding to the challenge. God bless your efforts.


If you missed last week's notice, no worries. Here is a link to the interview: The Family that Fasts Together. You can also find it on the Divine Mercy for America YouTube Channel for viewing or sharing at any time. Be sure to subscribe to our channel.


Since Mary's comments sparked several questions about fasting bread and recipes, I've included some for you here today. 


First off, let's answer the question: What is fasting bread?


Fasting bread is simply bread that is hearty, nutritious, and delicious. Remember, fasting doesn't mean starving. It means discipline, self-denial, temperance. If you are going to fast on bread and water, as recommended by Our Lady of Medjugorje for example, it is suggested to consume bread with some sustenance. Bread like this can be found fresh at bakeries or even in most grocery stores. There are also "fasting breads" available for purchase on-line. Here are two options:

 

Bake Your Own

A few weeks ago we posted a talk by Sr. Emmanuel. She recommended using spelt flour. Thanks to fasting teammate Mary Ann for sending us this recipe: Very Simple Spelt Bread. Here is Mary Ann's review:


I chose the easiest recipe. No yeast, no rising time!! Makes 2 loaves! I was short 1 cup of flour so I added quinoa flour. Don't be afraid to experiment, the Lord will bless your efforts. I sliced each loaf into 4 sections and placed them in a gallon ziplock bag for other fast days.   By the way, it's delicious!!

Mary's Bread Recipe - Regular and Gluten-Free

Since half of Mary's family needs to avoid gluten, she uses this recipe for making both types of bread. For the gluten-free loaves, she says Bob Red Mill or even store-brand gluten-free flour works well with this recipe. Mary recommends adding raisins or nuts or any other kind of dried fruit to make it more hearty. Yum.

Now on to a recipe I was given many years ago depicted in the picture of the four loaves of bread above. Our friends from Holy Family Ministry Center took it after making this marvelous recipe below. It almost seems too good to eat on a fast day. Thank you Nan and Ed and Father Ron for sharing the picture. But next time, please send us some bread!

FASTING BREAD RECIPE FROM MEDJUGORJE

3 cups white flour
4 cups wheat flour
1 pkg dry yeast
1/2 cup of lukewarm water
2 cups of very hot water
1 beaten egg
1 Tablespoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Sugar or Honey
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 teaspoon of butter, melted or very soft
1 cup Raisins (or fresh apple peeled and cut)
1 cup Almonds or Walnuts
1 cup Plain Oats

In a medium-sized bowl, stir yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water (110°F-115°F) until completely dissolved. Cover with a plate and let mixture stand until yeast begins to foam vigorously (5 – 10 minutes).

In a large bowl, combine the flours. Make a well in the flour and add the yeast mixture. Mix a bit.

Reusing the now empty medium bowl, combine Salt, Sugar, Butter, Oil, Raisins, Nuts, 1 beaten egg, and the two cups of very hot water.  Pour this over the yeast mixture. Mix/knead the dough, adding flour and or water as needed.

You can do this manually, the good old-fashioned way if you like, but I use my Mix Master with the dough hook. I don't think that is cheating. :-)

Knead the dough until it comes clean from the bowl.  Cover with a plate or towel and let it rise ten minutes.  The person who shared this recipe said they often skip this step and the bread still tastes fine, but I like to give it a rest.

Gently punch the dough down and knead it again a bit until it has spring to it. (You'll just have to pray about what having "spring to it" means. Ask your guardian angel to help you know when this is. I haven't made this recipe in a while so I can't give you a better clue at this time. Sorry.)

Place in well-greased bowl and cover, letting it rise until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on room temperature.

Form into desired shapes.  This will make two large or three medium loaves.

Place in greased pan.  Brush the top with the remaining egg [that was left in the cup you beat it in before adding it to the recipe or go ahead and beat another egg if you don't have enough to cover the dough.]   Sprinkle with sesame seeds, oats or poppy seeds if desired.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes, until done.

Baking bread from scratch can take some practice, so don't give up if your first attempt or two turns out like my first experiment some years ago. I baked something that turned out more like doorstops they were so hard. But I did some research and found out what I did wrong and next thing you know I was baking wonderful bread.


With time for baking being very limited for me now, as I'm sure many of you, I dug out my bread machine last week and put it to work. It was so easy and we had fresh bread first thing in the morning. What a great way to wake up to Fast Friday!

Well, we hope these ideas help you on your fasting days. Just remember not to eat too much of that delicious bread! It's Fast Friday, not Fat Friday!  LOL


God bless you and God bless America because of you!

Dave and Joan Maroney

Directors, Mother of Mercy Messengers

An apostolate of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Celebrating 20+ years dedicated to helping others learn about, live, and spread the Divine Mercy message and devotion. Thanks be to God!

Praying for our Country as St. Faustina Prayed for Hers


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