The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Catholic Altar bread...why still white after baking?

Uriel's picture
Uriel

Catholic Altar bread...why still white after baking?

Anyone know why the Catholic Altar bread, used in communion, is still white after baking? Even the ones made with, looks to be, a special modified waffle iron are white as snow after baking.

Is it the type of machines they are made with that keeps them lily white?

MANNA's picture
MANNA

It's a miracle !

MANNA's picture
MANNA

I just couldn't resist. Maybe due to the temp they are cooked at or flour.

PaddyL's picture
PaddyL

The monks at St. Benoit du Lac make a ww host; it's thicker than the ordinary hosts, and with definite little bits of bran in it.

MisterTT's picture
MisterTT

than a bread. The local news showed a bit a while back on how they make it, but I couldn't find the video now. Basically it's baked for a very short time and mass-produced on a conveyor.

Uriel's picture
Uriel

The ones I seen made are done so using a large looking waffle iron, like the picture I show at the top of post, and it comes out white as freshly fallen snowflake. It is not because of the ingredients for they just use white bread flour, salt and water. So, there must be something 'special' about the machine that is used or the low temperature and short baking times??? I am lost!!!

Uriel's picture
Uriel

The ones I seen made are done so using a large looking waffle iron, like the picture I show at the top of post, and it comes out white as freshly fallen snowflake. It is not because of the ingredients for they just use white bread flour, salt and water. So, there must be something 'special' about the machine that is used or the low temperature and short baking times??? I am lost!!!

Uriel's picture
Uriel

Anyone try making waffles at different temperatures....mine never come out this white! So, maybe the temperature that the Altar wafers are baked are not a factor as to why they come out so white.

Wild-Yeast's picture
Wild-Yeast

Altar bread making video: http://vimeo.com/61406886

Wild-Yeast

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

http://www.kirchenweb.at/kochrezepte/kuchen/nr/oblaten_rezept.htm

in German.

Paper thin, they bake quickly.  There are wafer and cookie presses that are similar the only difference being the decorative plate on the press.  For the shape, the baked decorative sheets are punched out with a cutting device.  Want to see lots of pictures?  Google (I use Ecosia):  Oblaten  (images) 

https://www.ecosia.org/search/images/q/oblaten+wafers

Leave them in the press long enough and they will brown but they tend to dry out first.  The first link gives recipes and how to affect colour.  You can buy plain oblaten wafers for cookie and tort recipes in Austria in a normal supermarket, baking section.  Many sticky doughs are spooned or laid onto such wafers to prevent sticking to the baking pans.  Often the wafers are split with a thin knife, doubling usage, dough touching the rough side.  Cookies like Coconut Macaroons, Lebkuchen & Pfeffernusse are often baked on such wafers.  The baked wafers can also be stacked with sweet creamy fillings and cut.

Uriel's picture
Uriel

Yep, but trying to find a Karlsbader Oblaten iron in the states is all but impossible((((

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

or two?

Uriel's picture
Uriel

or two???

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

that fit inside each other (and a big rock for weight)   it might be possible to heat them together open and press a spoon of batter between them.  

I can think of all kinds of strange pans and ideas.  I've got a heavy metal griddle that can put across two burners or lay on a wood stove for pancakes, that would heat nicely for a bottom heat source.  Then use a cake pan filled with hot rocks from the oven or a clay tile (decorative) also oven preheated with the hot weight of said cake pan on top.  

While searching for two pans, I would check pan space using a coin to see if you can pinch it between the cold pans, might even wash a few coins to use as spacers (3 would do it) to make evenly thick wafers.  

With my limited kitchen utensils here,  I might even try 2 cookie sheets (doing this in the oven) coin spacers, some kind of weight  or a lot of C-clamps. making sure I get a coin sandwiched between each clamp.  (My husband has a whole box of them in the pantry right now, little ones about two dozen.  I think half of them would do the trick.   This would mean setting the pans up cold and carefully place the whole clamped contraption into a warm oven...  After seeing the videos of expanding dough, might want to put a 3rd sheet underneath to catch drips.

Another idea might be to use a large fry pan and a hot iron. (or two hot irons) That might be my first attempt, with parchment between the iron and the dough/batter.   That might be interesting...  If you happen to have a thicker piece of copper or a silicone stencil you might be able to bake or iron a design into the wafers.  I have some metal decorative plates and the plate hanger (a 4 pronged object with springs) might hold it onto the iron nicely. 

Some of these electric cheese sandwich/steak/burger griddles (!) have optional blank plates, might want to look into those too.  Make sure you can adjust the temperature.

More Brainstorming:  

Electric fry pan & iron.   

Two griddles sandwiching together, coins.

Simple thin crepes on low heat.    

Warm wood stove, parchment and iron fry pan.  

Painting the batter on parchment and then sandwiching to bake.  

Dipping the bottom of a heated pan into batter and let it set up by itself or on another pan before removing to stack, reheat and repeat.  

Batter is simple enough, it stays white because there is no added sugar, fat or eggs and not allowed to sit or ferment.  Made from white wheat flour, starch and water. Beaten well.