Making Matzoh

That, I don’t mind sayin’, is some handsome matzoh. I was stunned at how much it tastes like store-bought when I tried it, but it does. Still, there’s always a qualitative difference between what you buy and what you make, and it shows here. This may not be kosher, but it’s very light and fresh-tasting in the way that anything out of a box isn’t.

And if you’re wondering why a Scots-Irish Catholic buys matzoh in the grocery store, let’s just say that after spending a fair amount of time in New York City, I found that civilized life was next to impossible without matzoh ball soup. Start by preheating your oven to 500 or even 550 if it will go that high. Next get your ingredients together. Combine the water and the flour in a medium bowl.

Use a spatula to start bringing the dough together.

Once it’s in a ball like this, turn it out onto a floured board.

Knead it until it’s about like so, trying not to incorporate too much extra flour (it’s the moisture that creates the bubbles).

Cut the dough into five or six pieces. Yes, this bread comes together very, very quickly.

Apply one piece to a floured board…

…and roll.

Keep turning and flouring it a bit it so it doesn’t stick. You want it quite thin. The size and shape does matter all that much.

Apply the matzoh to a sheet pan. Actually the paper isn’t necessary at all I discovered. So skip that. But do poke holes all over (i.e. “dock”) the breads with a fork to keep the bubbles small.

Sprinkle on some kosher salt and bake.

Bake for 2-5 minutes until the matzoh are barely browned, then using tongs flip them over and bake another 2-5 minutes until they’re lightly browned and bubbly. Stack’em up and eat them!

The main thing is they they’re crispy all the way through. Unlike a lot of flatbreads which are soft and supple on the inside, matzoh are cracker-like. If yours are still pliable after the initial baking you can return them to a low oven (250 or so) for 20 minutes or until they’re completely dry.

A popular variation is to substitute oil for some of the water. Use about a third cup olive oil plus a half cup of water for the liquid, since flour doesn’t absorb oil like it does water. The resulting matzoh will be more flavorful and will brown a bit more in the oven.