Matzah or matzo is an unleavened flatbread that is part of Jewish cuisine and an important element of Passover.
Passover is still a while away, but I wanted to make this because someone suggested it to me recently. Now to make it kosher there are a few rules one of which is that the bread must be made from start to finish in less than 18 minutes. That may sound like a great challenge for many bakers. I know that I can make it better if I take my time, so this is not the kosher way.
The most basic and pure version only contains flour and water. This recipe has added salt and olive oil for flavour.
Resting the dough after kneading and resting the pre-cut breads before baking can produce better results, prevent shrinking, and make the dough easier to work with.
If you would like to attempt the 18-minute bake, then make sure your oven is pre-heated before you start. Mix the dough and let it rest for a couple of minutes. Roll it out, cut it and dock it. If you have time, then rest it again. Baking only takes 3 – 4 minutes.
Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.
Ingredients
For the dough –
150g (5.3oz) white bread flour
25g (0.9oz) olive oil
60g (2.1oz) water
3g (0.1oz) salt
2g (0.07oz) salt to sprinkle over the top
Method
- Combine the water, salt, and oil. Mix well to dissolve the salt. Add the flour and mix to a dough.
- Tip the dough out on the table and knead for 2 minutes.
- Cover and chill for 30 minutes. During this time pre-heat your oven to 250C (482F) fan off.
- Cut the dough in two. Roll out each piece as thin as you can. Cut into the desired shape and poke with a fork all over. This will prevent the bread from puffing up as it bakes.
- Place on a non-stick paper lined baking tray, cover, and lave to rest for 15 minutes.
- Spray or brush some water over the surface and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 3 – 4 minutes or until brown spots appear all over the surface of the bread.
- Leave to cool down and enjoy.
Watch the video here
