Many times, the vigil before a great feast (in this case, Theophany) is celebrated with a litya service in which bread (and wheat, wine and oil) are blessed and then distrubuted to the congregation. For more information go here or here. Unlike prosphora, the bread used in the Divine Liturgy which contains ONLY flour, salt, yeast and water, litya bread also contains spices, sugar and oil. Even so, it is still fasting (non-dairy) and so can be made as a large loaf for general purposes during fasting seasons. I suggest making it for home-use first to try out the recipe. It is by far the most popular bread I make at home!
Recipe for Litya Bread
4 1/2 tsp rapid rise yeast (equivalent to two packets)
1 T white sugar
1 c. hot water
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1.5 tsp vanilla
2-3 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. orange juice
1/4 c. warm water
3 c. all purpose flour
3 c. whole wheat flour
Mix first three ingredients in small bowl to proof yeast while mixing the rest.
Mix next seven ingredients in large bowl and stir well. Add proofed yeast to large bowl. Add flour, 2 cups at a time, stirring with fork in between. Mix in bowl with hands, then turn out onto floured surface. Knead for about 15 minutes until smooth. Dough will be stiff, but not overly dry.
Place back in bowl and cover with cloth that has been rinsed well in hot water and wrung out. Place covered bowl in warm oven to rise for at least one hour.
Form into five round loaves (generally five are taken to church, but I usually make about eight smaller loaves and leave three at home because we don’t have many people attend vigil) and place on floured pan, at least 2 inches apart. With a sharp, non-serrated knife, cut a simple cross (+) into the top of each loaf. Bake in 350 oven for 25-30 minutes (depending on loaf size). Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped.
Praying With My Feet 
those look so good.. I miss it.
LikeLike
nice! (been thinking of you!)
LikeLike
Looks good! I wish I could bake bread, but I just don't seem to have the knack. You know your bread is bad when the first time you make prosphora, the priest feels obliged to explain to the parish that it was your first attempt at prosphora baking. It only got marginally better over the years until I finally gave up. Happy Feast Day!
LikeLike
I guess I shouldn't have laughed. 🙂 Joyous Feast!
LikeLike
Thank you!
LikeLike
I know. And I have no idea of an alternative recipe for you. I'd be happy to share it here if you are able to craft one though.
LikeLike
Laughing is ok, though at the time I wanted to crawl under the rug and hide 🙂
LikeLike
Hello Matushka Anna! I pray that this message finds you and your family doing well.💗🙏☦🕊 I am so sorry I haven’t been around for awhile. Please forgive me! Thanks be to God we are OK overall, but my health has kept me from doing much of anything here, including (and especially my own blog). If I may, I would like to ask your advice as to how you made the beautiful crosses on the top of your loaves of Artoklasia (Litya). I have only made them once before last month and need to make them again soon. When I made cuts like yours with a non-serrated knife, it went too deep and the crust separated from the body/insides of the bread by an inch. I tried make a lighter cut and not as large of a cross to see if that would work. Alas, it was to no avail, because they ended up looking like yours right after you cut a cross into them before you baked them. I would greatly appreciate your advice. In the meantime, I pray that I can keep in better contact soon. 💗🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello! I know my crosses have turned out poorly many times. It’s a tricky thing to cut deep enough but not too deep. There are so many variables involved especially how much the bread rises during baking. I wish I had better advice! I do usually make more than five loaves so I can pick the five best looking ones after baking. That might help.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to send me your quick reply! May God bless you for your kindness. 💗 I will persevere. Maybe this will be good to keep practicing to continue increasing my prayer. 😉💗☦
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just made a batch, using all spelt flour so my husband can eat them! Thanks for sharing a recipe.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for sharing your recipe online!!
I’m about to try and make it but have a question about the “hot water”. How hot? Boiling hot? I’ve made regular bread before and always used warm water, never hot, because I’ve read somewhere that too much hot water will kill the yeast.
I’ve never made litya bread before.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi! “Hot” means hotter than warm, but definitely not anywhere near boiling (or it will kill the yeast). If you’re using regular yeast make it not as warm as if you are using bread machine yeast. You can use either, but the bread machine yeast needs warmer water. (I have no idea why.) I regularly use hot (from the tap) water when making prosphora and still have to punch the dough down twice, so it’s definitely not killing the yeast! 😄
LikeLike
Thank you so much for your fast reply, and I appreciate your advice!
I’m looking forward to try your recipe ! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi again!
Is the recipe suppose to have more water? Or you don’t put all 6 cups of flour? Only as needed?
I tried to make it and when I mixed everything it turned out very hard. I was struggling to kneed it.
I did fluff up the flour before and did scoop it out with a fork when measuring.
I don’t know where I went wrong …🙁
LikeLike
Oh dear! I’m so sorry! I just got out the original typed recipe and I *did* leave something out: 1/4 cup warm water (to be added along with the orange juice and oil). I am terribly sorry. I’m going back to fix it now.
LikeLike
Aha!!! That makes more sense. I’m going to try it again. I’m not giving up!! Lol
Thanks!! 🙂 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wish I could come over and redo it for you! 🙁
LikeLike