Monastiriakos artos (Monastery bread)

Описание: Recipe
1. yeast
2. 550 gr flour (hard flour with 12-14% of protein)
3. 250 gr warm water
4. 50 gr olive oil
5. 1 tbsp ground anise
6. 200 gr honey
7. sesame on top (white and black or powdered sugar - optional)

Bake at 170 C (fan assisted) for 35-45 min

Procedure
This bread must be as light as a foam. For this reason in this recipe hard flour is used, with the dough being kneaded with a mixer with hooks for more than 10 min. Then the dough must be let to rest initially for at least two hours, put in a pan, and again let to rest for at least one hour. Please consume the bread as quickly as possible because it becomes hard very quickly.

If you decide to put sugar instead of honey, please add less flour because honey adds moisture to the mixture.

Description
Monastery bread is a traditional, aromatic bread used mainly in the artoklasia ceremony in Orthodox Churches. It is characterized by its rich flavor, due to the combination of spices and aromatic ingredients, and by its fluffy texture.

The basic ingredients used are flour, yeast, water and sugar. Additional ingredients that are optional and may be used are olive oil, honey and sesame. The main spices traditionally used in monasteries (such as in the Monastery of Lesvos or Mount Athos) are mastic, makhlepi, anise, cinnamon and cloves, flavored water (e.g. flower water, rose water), orange zest and juice, cardamom, nutmeg, and star anise.

In the Orthodox Churches, during artoklasia ceremony, five loaves of bread are used. This number is symbolic and refers to the miracle of Christ multiplying the five loaves in the wilderness, with which a great multitude was fed. The five loaves are placed together with wine and oil (also symbolic elements), which are blessed by the priest during Vespers. They are then cut into pieces and given as an antidoro for the blessing.