A liturgy for bread baking



This liturgy is designed for any time you step into the kitchen to make bread. You will notice the sections marked for a breath prayer and a collect — these are the places you can insert prayers specific to the season or the occasion you are baking for, or you can insert prayers of your own.

Mise en place

Begin by gathering your supplies: 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour and 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour; 1½ teaspoons kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast; 1½ cups room-temperature water; a three-quart mixing bowl; measuring cups and spoons; a bowl scraper; plastic wrap or a tea towel; a baking sheet, loaf pan, or Dutch oven; and, if you’d like, your Bible.

As you prepare your workspace, also prepare your heart and mind. Ask God to join you in this process of baking bread. Slowly breathe and meditate on these words:

Inhale: My soul finds rest
Exhale: in God alone.

Psalm 62:1

Mix

As you measure your ingredients, continue this meditative breathing. Feel the texture and temperature of each element between your fingers as you combine the dry ingredients together. Give thanks for the community of farmers, millers, and grocers who have brought these ingredients to your kitchen today. Give thanks for the bakers across generations who have passed down these traditions. And give thanks for the Christians who have clung to the closeness of Jesus in the baking and breaking of bread.

When the time comes to mix your dough, inhale and exhale with each line of the breath prayer of your choosing.Pour the water into the center of the well. With your fingers, slowly pull the flour bit by bit into the watery center. Thicken the water slowly, rubbing out dry clumps of flour that form. Contemplate how the substances transform within your hands. Continue mixing until all the flour has been hydrated.

Cover your mixture with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and step away to a silent place for half an hour to read, pray, or be still in God’s presence. As you do, pray:

God, may I trust that transformation takes place, even when my hands and heart are at rest.

Stretch and fold

Uncover your mixture once again and grip one side firmly in your hand. Stretch and fold and contemplate the change that has occurred: water flooding and softening the grain, bursting open its tightly wound but untapped strength. Stretch the side and fold it over the dough; rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat.

As you build both elasticity and strength, pray in this way:

Inhale: Oh God (stretch) who comes (fold)
Exhale: to us (stretch) in bread (fold),
Inhale: do not (stretch) let us (fold)
Exhale: go (stretch and fold).

Repeat four or more times, as needed, then cover your dough and let it rest for its long fermentation (8-18 hours). If you need to wait 24 hours or more before shaping, let the dough rest for four hours, then place it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake the loaf.

Shape

When your dough is ready for shaping, turn it onto the counter. Marvel at the beauty and strength of your dough, at the bubbles that signal new and growing life. Smell the scent of fermentation, tangy and a little bit sweet. As you divide, stretch, round, or fold, pray the words of the collect of your choosing.

When the dough enters its final 30-60 minute proof, relaxing into its newfound strength, repeat these words:

God just as I step away from this dough, asking the proteins to rest and the yeast to prove that it is still alive, I ask you to prove your continual steadfast love for me.

Bake

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425° (450° if using a sandwich pan or baking tray).

When your loaf is ready for baking, slide it into the preheated oven. If your oven door allows you to see inside, watch the dough rise, burp, then fall into shape. Pay attention to the smell that fills your kitchen in the minutes ahead. Find joy in the creativity of God, who made ingredients with the ability to change in this way and who gave humans the idea to combine them.

While the dough bakes, ask the Lord:

Creative God, where are you leading me in the minutes, days, and months ahead? Equip me for whatever changes are to come.

Eat

After your bread has cooled enough for you to eat, pick it up, breathe in its scent, and take in its beauty and nourishment. Let a smile form as you thank God for the ability to make something so delicious.

Let your eating be a prayer of its own, a sign of your gratitude to God as well as God’s good gift to you.

Adapted from "Bake & Pray" by Kendall Vanderslice. Copyright © 2024. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a division of Tyndale House Ministries. All rights reserved.

Sour cherry turnovers: A tart Hungarian staple to start the day



Every morning, as my kindergartener and I embark on her trip to school, we stop at a cafe for breakfast and a coffee. I love the routine, and Middle European cafe culture in general, because it allows me to connect with her before she starts her day and further assimilates us in the country in which we are grateful guests. It’s in these little moments where I get a sense of Hungarian lifestyle and of the good things I might integrate into my own when I return home.

These delicious homemade turnovers are filled with tart cherries, wrapped with the butter and richness of puff pastry to balance each bite. They are my daughter’s favorite. A Hungarian staple!

Sour Cherry Turnovers

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sour cherries, pitted
  • ½ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Good pinch of salt
  • 1 pound puff pastry, store bought or homemade

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, with the oven rack in the middle position. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Put the pitted cherries, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl, and toss to combine. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes and then put it into a strainer set over a bowl. Let the cherry juice drain, and set the juice aside for later. Put the strained cherries back in their original bowl.
  3. Gently flour your work surface, and roll each piece of the pastry dough into a 10-inch square. Cut each square into four 5-inch squares, for a total of 8 squares.
  4. Place 2 tablespoons of the cherry mixture into the center of each square of dough, and then brush the edges of each square with some of the reserved juice. Fold each square of dough to make a triangle, and crimp the edges with a fork to seal. Move the triangles to the prepared baking sheets, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
  5. Brush the tops of the turnovers with more of the cherry juice and generously sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake the turnovers until golden brown (20-25 minutes), rotating the pan halfway through. Move the turnovers off the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool slightly. Serve warm.

Greek lemon chicken is a dog-days delight



Where I am, the heat still hasn’t tapered off: The dog days of summer are clinging to our forecasts like stubborn residue on your favorite steel pan.

It feels like it’s going to take a miracle for the dog days to leave. Until then, this recipe for Greek lemon chicken will have to do. It's a very nice bridge from summer to fall and reheats well for leftovers. It pairs beautifully with a cold cucumber salad (or squash, if it ever starts feeling autumnal around here).

Get our your favorite family casserole dish and prepare for a healthy meal to share. Note: Marinate the chicken overnight for best results.

Also: I've recently developed a fondness for finishing salts. Lately, I've been enjoying the many varieties Jacobsen Salt Co. makes from salt it harvests from Netarts Bay in Oregon. This Infused Black Garlic Salt would make a great topping for this particular dish; it could also make a nice housewarming or Christmas gift. Too soon to be thinking about that? Not if you’re a homemaker!

Ingredients

  • 8 bone-in chicken thighs
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup butter
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 5 garlic gloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Make the marinade: In a small bowl, stir together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme, mustard, salt, and pepper.
  2. Marinate the chicken: Add the chicken thighs to a large bowl and pour the marinade on top. Marinate for 1 to 2 hours (and up to 8 hours) in the fridge.
  3. Transfer to baking dish: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the chicken in a baking dish and pour the remaining marinade on top.
  4. Bake the chicken: Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and registers 175°F on an instant-read thermometer. Optionally, you can baste the chicken a few times while it cooks. And for extra crispy skin, turn on the top oven broiler in the last 2 to 3 minutes. If you're serving this dish up for a dinner party, garnish with lemon slices and fresh rosemary or thyme.

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Let Her Cook: Tuna salads for refreshing summer repast



Last week, Tonnino, the #1 gourmet tuna brand in the U.S., sent me an array of its products to try. I’m so grateful because, as loyal readers know, we practice Fish Fridays. I am loving what it sent and really appreciating both the variety and its standard of care.

Tonnino takes quality and safety very seriously: it freezes its tuna upon catching then tests it at a German lab to ensure mercury content is 100% below FDA standards.

For meatless days, I usually go for my reliable shrimp and grits or a white cod recipe (look for it here soon), but the following tuna salad recipes will now be included in the rotation, especially as a refreshing reprieve from the summer heat. All are crafted with colorful summer veggies and light vinaigrettes. These go perfectly with a crisp prosecco. Enjoy!

Tuna Niçoise Salad

INGREDIENTS

Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 1/2 TB fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 clove of finely chopped
  • 1 tsp of honey
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

  • 4 cups of favorite salad greens
  • 1 English cucumber halved and sliced
  • 2 cups of green beans, cooked and blanched
  • 4 soft boiled eggs
  • ½ cup mixed olives
  • 2 cups tomatoes (heirloom, cherry, hot house, whatever is in season), chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh herbs (dill, basil, parsley)
  • 1 lb Yukon gold, red bliss, or fingerling potatoes, sliced and boiled
  • Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

For Dressing

  • Mix all ingredients, season with salt and pepper in bowl with whisk and set aside

For Salad

  • Create an ice bath, take a medium-sized bowl and fill halfway with ice and water, set aside
  • Fill a small pot with water and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Place the green beans in the water for about 2 minutes and place drained green beans in an ice bath to stop cooking process and preserve the bright green color
  • Bring pot of water back to a rolling simmer and place eggs in pot. Cook in simmering water for 7 minutes, for a firmer egg cook for 8-10 minutes. Place drained eggs in ice bath with green beans
  • In a second pot, place cut potatoes in pot and fill with cold water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Allow potatoes to boil for 10-15 mins until done, drain and set aside
  • On a large platter, place greens, herbs and arrange tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, eggs, green beans, potatoes and tuna
  • Drizzle with dressing and enjoy!

RECIPE NOTES

This recipe is so flexible. Feel free to use your favorite combination of seasonal vegetables. The dressing goes with everything!

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS

Dressing can be made ahead of time or stored for a week in the refrigerator or future use

TASTING NOTES

Bright and Tangy


The Washington Post/Getty Images

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad

INGREDIENTS

Dressing:

  • 3 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 3 TB fish sauce
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 1 TB crushed red pepper or sliced Thai chili
  • 1/3 cup 2 TB warm water plus

Salad:

  • 1 package of vermicelli rice noodles — cooked as directed
  • 1 cup thinly sliced radish
  • 1 cup of shredded carrots
  • 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup of fresh chopped herbs (cilantro, basil, and mint)
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup of roasted peanuts or cashews, chopped

DIRECTIONS

For Dressing

  • Mix all ingredients together, season with salt and pepper and set aside

For Salad

  • Make rice noodles as directed, rinse with cold water, drain well, and set aside
  • Chop tuna into large chunks and mix 3 TB of dressing with tuna
  • Mix rice noodles, cucumber, carrots, fresh herbs, radish and tuna with ¾ of remaining dressing
  • Garnish with extra dressing, peanuts, and scallions

RECIPE NOTES

If you like it spicy, add additional crushed red pepper. And to brighten the dish up even further, add a squeeze of fresh lime.

Water in dressing needs to be warm in order to melt the sugar.

A great addition when serving this recipe is adding your favorite take-out spring roll. Slice them up and serve with the salad and a little drizzle of dressing.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS

Dressing can be made a day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

TASTING NOTES

Bright, fresh, and tangy.

INGREDIENT NOTES

Adding hot water when making dressing helps dissolve the sugar more quickly and evenly.


Tonnino

Radish & Carrot Salad

INGREDIENTS

Dressing:

  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 3 TB olive oil
  • 1 tsp of shallot, finely minced
  • 1 tsp lemon juice and zest of one lemon
  • 2 tsp white balsamic vinegar or champagne vinegar
  • ¼ tsp of sugar
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

  • 4 cups of arugula or favorite salad green
  • 1 bunch of radishes, thinly sliced or quartered
  • 1 bunch of rainbow or regular carrots sliced in ribbons with a peeler
  • 3 TB of fresh herbs (any mix of parsley, dill, tarragon, chives, mint)

DIRECTIONS

For Dressing

  • Put all ingredients in a mason-type jar, season with salt and pepper, put lid on jar and give a couple of good shakes. Set aside.

For Salad

  • Place all ingredients In a large bowl and give a good toss.
  • Drizzle with dressing, toss together and serve immediately.

RECIPE NOTES

For an extra pop of flavor, you could add 1 TB of capers.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS

Dressing can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.


Tonnino

Classic Caesar Salad

INGREDIENTS

Dressing:

  • 1 1/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 TB Dijon mustard
  • 4 TB olive oil
  • 4 anchovy filets, finely chopped
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp of red wine vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Salad:

  • 4 cups of romaine and kale, chopped
  • Tons of fresh grated parmesan and your favorite croutons for garnish

DIRECTIONS

For Dressing

  • Blend all ingredients together, season with salt and pepper. If too thick, add 1 tsp of water at a time until desired consistency and set aside

For Salad

  • In a large bowl, place all ingredients and give a good toss.
  • Drizzle with dressing, toss together, and serve immediately.
  • Garnish with croutons, parmesan, and additional freshly ground pepper.

RECIPE NOTES

For an additional time-saving hack, if you have a favorite Caesar dressing you would prefer to use go for it!

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS

Dressing can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

INGREDIENT NOTES

If possible, using high-quality Parmigiano Reggiano makes a huge difference with the taste.

Let Her Cook: Pan-fried chicken in cashew sauce



Becca Parsons is a wife, mother of two, part-time homemaker, part-time wedding coordinator, and writer. She lives with her husband and daughters in Devon, England. Becca shared this recipe in one of the excellent weekly roundups she posts on her Substack, "A Mother’s Progress." I thought Align readers might enjoy it as much as I did.

— Helen Roy

Pan-fried chicken in a cashew nut sauce

Serves 4 comfortably

Ingredients:

  • 500g skinless and boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

Marinade for chicken:

  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

Sauce:

  • 4 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 large cinnamon stick or 2 small
  • 1 large white onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp ginger, finely chopped1
  • 400g passata or chopped tinned tomatoes
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon powder
  • 1 tsp hot red chili powder
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 100g ground cashew nuts
  • 100g frozen peas
  • 1 red or yellow bell pepper/capsicum, cut into 1cm squares
  • 200ml hot water
  • 2 tbsp fresh chopped coriander to garnish

Method:

  1. Combine your spices for the marinade in a glass bowl. Add the chicken and mix well so the chicken is evenly coated. Set aside at room temperature for an hour or in the fridge overnight.
  1. Heat 3 tablespoons of coconut oil in a pan on a medium heat and gently shallow fry the chicken until it is lightly brown; you’re just trying to seal it and give it some colour. Set aside.
  1. Add the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil and then add the cinnamon sticks and onion. Cook the onion down on a low heat for 5-10 minutes, until soft, then add the garlic and ginger. Cook for 3 minutes and then add the tomatoes. Stir well, and cook for around 10 minutes on a low heat to cook out the acidity and allow the water from the tomatoes to evaporate. Whilst the tomatoes are cooking, gather the paprika, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon powder, chili powder, sugar, and salt in a cup.
  1. Add the cup of spices and the ground cashew nuts. Stir well and keep cooking for about 5 minutes on a low heat to ensure that the spices don’t burn.
  1. Return the chicken to the pan and add the frozen peas and chopped pepper/capsicum. Stir in so they are well coated in the sauce.
  1. Add 200ml hot water (or your preference to achieve your desired thickness). Cook on a low heat for another 10-15 minutes to ensure the chicken is cooked through.
  1. Turn off the heat. Garnish with fresh coriander.
  1. Serve with rice or naan bread.

Feed your neighbors with  sourdough pita and dipping oil



This week for Align, I interviewed prepper and children’s book author James Walton. Interestingly, when asked what he thought the most important thing is that someone could do right now to better prepare themselves for disaster, he said:

“Engage with the people in your neighborhood. The loneliness epidemic and the hollow world of digital stimulation has created a real hunger for human interaction, because it has made it too easy to do life without looking anyone in the eye. Should a disaster strike, the people who live around you will be the ones you are surviving with. They will be the ones by your side, moving debris and tarping up roofs. Start a community garden, create a neighborhood text line or email group, and start talking about things like neighborhood watch. Life with people is so important. We need each other more than we realize.”

This struck me. Inspired by his comments, I want to share this relatively easy, crowd-pleasing pita and dip.

This is perfect for outdoor parties. You could even throw the oil in a mason jar and deliver it to new neighbors as a welcome gift.

Sourdough novices needn’t be intimidated; this is one of the easiest recipes to start. If you’re running low on time and know a good local bakery, a crusty sourdough works just as well.

As for the dipping oil, feel free to add chopped artichokes. It might even be nice to serve these alongside my Greek meatballs and cucumber salad, which many of you seemed to enjoy.

Have a great weekend; may this dish grease the wheels of friendship!

Sourdough ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sourdough starter, active and bubbly
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for greasing bowl
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Dipping Oil Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup chopped olives (I prefer kalamata)
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • Lots of shaved parmesan
  • Handful of chopped Italian parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Sourdough instructions

  1. Combine everything in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook.
  2. Knead on medium/low speed for 10 minutes or until dough is stretchy and smooth.
  3. Oil a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, and add a lid or plastic wrap.
  4. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 4-6 hours at room temperature or up to 12 in the refrigerator.
  5. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and shape into small balls on a lightly floured surface
  6. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes to relax gluten.
  7. Roll each ball of dough into a 6” circle with a rolling pin, no more than 1/4” thick.
  8. Allow them to rise a little until puffy (about 30 minutes to 1 hr). Cover with a damp tea towel during this final rise to avoid the dough drying out.
  9. While the pitas are doing their last rise, get a large pizza stone or cast iron skillet preheating in the oven at 500 degrees. You want to use a heavy vessel so that it can retain the heat. When the pitas hit the hot surface, they release steam in the oven and cook rapidly, creating the pocket that is so great for sandwiches or pita pockets!
  10. Place the pita bread dough onto the hot baking surface and place into a hot oven. Bake for 5 minutes or so. They should puff up really nicely.

Dipping oil instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients; as always, adjust quantities to taste.
  2. Serve on a platter with a tall lip and a large, flat spoon. Serve pita in a bread bowl.

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