Baking unleavened bread is a great activity for your family to learn the differences between leavened bread and unleavened bread. I have given you ideas to discuss how unleavened bread was made and what it represented during bible times. I also talk about how unleavened bread is used today, how leavened bread was made, and how yeast effects bread. This recipe is really good. My children love to eat it with a little honey. Your family can eat it as a snack or read Matthew 26:26 with your family and partake in the Lord’s supper.
Yeast is used as a leavening agent when making breads and baked goods. When yeast is added to a mixture of dough, a fermentation process begins as the yeast eats the sugars and releases carbon dioxide gas. The yeast absorbs the oxygen in the dough and begins a reproduction of cells. The yeast cells produce carbon dioxide which causes the dough to rise. In other words, yeast corrupts or takes over the dough and causes it to grow.
Matthew 16:6 “Jesus said, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’” Jesus knew that a little yeast is enough to make a whole batch of dough rise (yeast corrupts the dough). In Matthew 16:6, Jesus was warning about the attitude of the Pharisees. The Pharisees thought that only those who believed and behaved like them would be saved. They were focused on following the law and did not care about people. Jesus was all about taking care of others and loving others. He wanted others to understand the most important thing in life was to love God and love thy neighbor.
To get bread to rise in Bible times, they would combine flour and water and leave it in a cool place.
After a long time, the dough would rise. They saved a little dough from each batch (a starter dough) to add to the next batch. This would speed up the process of how long it would take the bread to rise. Leavened bread involved a lot of work.
Making unleavened bread was much easier. Once the flour and water was mixed, the bread was ready to bake. There was no starter dough and the bread did not have to sit for a long time. Unleavened Bread represented haste (Example: When the Israelites left Egypt in a hurry), simplicity, powerlessness, and a lack of labor.
The next time you see unleavened bread in the Bible just try to remember how it was made and what it represented. At the bottom of the page are just a few of the times it was mentioned in the Bible. Both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament Unleavened Bread was used in the Passover. Matthew 26:26 “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’”
Recipe for Unleavened Bread The most important way we use Unleavened Bread today is for The Lord’s Supper/Communion. It helps us remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us. This recipe is really easy and delicious.
• 3/4 cup scalded milk (Scalded milk is heated to an almost boil) You can do this in the microwave.
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2-1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 tsp. Salt
Beat milk, honey, and butter together. Then, add one egg. Gradually add 2 cups of flour. Roll the dough to 1/4″ thickness. Flour the surface, rolling-pin, and dough to keep from sticking. I roll my dough out on parchment paper. I roll the dough to a 12×17 size to fit in my baking pan. I put the parchment paper with dough onto the baking pan. Prick with a fork. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 or 20 minutes. Break into pieces.
For additional pictures visit www.recipesforourdailybread.com
I really enjoy being a contributing blogger for Oodles World’s Our Neighborhood Blog. I pray each of my posts will bring Glory to God.
