How matzo is made. Jewish matzo: composition and useful properties of bread
Matza or matzot - thin cakes made from unleavened dough that does not pass fermentation. This is the only type of bread that, according to the Torah, is allowed to be eaten during the Passover (Jewish Passover). Matzah appeared during the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, when the exiled Israelites took out the dough from the city, which did not have time to turn sour, and were forced to dry thin cakes under the scorching sun on their backs.
Matzah is baked 2 weeks before the onset of Passover, strictly following a recipe that has remained unchanged for several millennia. Unlike any other baking we are accustomed to, kosher matzo is made from just two ingredients - flour top grade and water in a ratio of 2 to 1, without the use of sourdough, yeast or even salt. As for flour, it can be any: wheat, rye, barley or oatmeal. The main thing is to knead the dough very quickly. More than 18 minutes should not pass from the moment of contact of water with flour, otherwise the process of fermentation of flour will begin. Thinly rolled cakes are placed on a dry roasting pan, without oil and baked like a waffle between two hot metal surfaces. At home, you can simply bake matzo in the oven.
IN finished form unleavened matzo is thin and brittle, but at the same time dense cakes of a completely white, floury color. Because of its composition and cooking technique, the unique Jewish bread is considered one of the healthiest. Kosher matzo is eaten as bread, and is also ground into the so-called matzo flour, from which many festive dishes(it is strictly forbidden to use ordinary flour during Passover).
Recipes from matzo are very diverse, they are used not only as a basis for toasts (sandwiches) for forshmak, puddings, cookies, cakes, pies are baked from flour based on it, and dumplings are prepared. Matzo is fried, used for breading cutlets and fish, as well as making pancakes.
step by step photo recipe for making unleavened cakes
Ingredients:
- flour - 250 g;
- water - 125 ml.
Cooking process:
Thoroughly sift the flour through a sieve into a kneading bowl or pour it in a high slide onto a clean work surface. In the center of the flour we make a large depression and pour ice water (unboiled) into it. Knead the dough quickly so that no lumps form.
You should get a tight and dense, but pliable and elastic dough, like plasticine. We spread it on a silicone mat or on a work surface, lightly dusted with flour, and divide it into 6 equal parts.
Roll out the dough into very thin cakes - each is no more than 1.5 mm thick. The shape can be either round, or more oblong or oval. We often pierce the surface of each cake with a table fork to ensure free air movement during baking (the matzo will not bubble). You need to work very quickly, not forgetting about the 18 minutes allotted for cooking, which are given for kneading, rolling and baking unleavened cakes in the oven. Otherwise the matzo will not be considered kosher.
We place the dough cakes on a dry baking sheet and immediately send it to the oven, preheated to 160-170 degrees, for 5 minutes.
Gently, so as not to burn yourself, turn the matzah over to the other side and bake for another 3-4 minutes, until the cakes begin to lightly brown around the edges.
The matzo is very thin and crunchy, like crackers.
The tortillas have excellent storage properties and are ideal for grinding into matzo flour, both coarse and fine. If desired basic recipe can be used as a basis for your culinary experiments, adding, for example, herbs or spices - you get a new, completely different taste, although such matzo will no longer be considered kosher.
Matza: recipe and photo from Nika specially for the site Notebook
Bread is an international dish. Each race or nationality has a variety of it. And here it is no longer important from which source this product is baked: maize, rye, wheat or breadfruit. The main thing is that all nationalities have a meal made from flour, which is given special importance. But only the Jews assign such an important role to their bread and are so sensitive to both its composition and its preparation.
An impartial description
From the point of view of a non-Jew, matzah - what is it? Thin, insipid, dry flat cakes that have absolutely no taste, and even from the very beginning (for Russian and European taste) are stale. They must be baked without yeast, without eggs, without oil (even vegetable and even for greasing a frying pan), and at the exit such bread should be pale, thin and brittle. And if in recent years the same lavash has replaced the usual loaves and loaves for many, then Jewish matzah is not very tasty, probably even for the Jews themselves, and can only seduce those who are diligently losing weight. However, it is full of deep sacred meaning, and therefore is not just a food product.
Correct matzo
If you remember what real matzo is, that it is not only very lean bread, but also a part of the Jewish religion, then you must respect the traditions of its preparation. So, the flour from which these cakes are made, should "be able" to ferment, but with her abilities, she should not be allowed to do this. That is, rye, barley, spelled, oats, wheat are suitable as a basis. But almost always matzah is made from wheat flour.
Three types of Jewish bread
In fact, there are four varieties of it. However, chametz is a very special case. It does not carry a semantic meaning, since it is prepared using yeast and other ingredients besides flour and water. That is why it is forbidden not only to eat chametz, but also to have it in the house during the whole week of Passover. This is what distinguishes its composition from the dough from which matzah is prepared (that this dough should be extremely bland, everyone has already understood). And if we take into account only bread prepared in a yeast-free way, then it can be divided into categories as follows.
The main criterion that this matzah is suitable for Easter, that this culinary product is made according to all requirements, is flour. The grain from which it is ground must be closely monitored from the moment it is harvested. Bread that meets these strict requirements is called shmura matzah, that is, preserved, preserved. This is an extremely festive, solemn option.
If vigilance begins after grinding grain into flour, baking from it is considered as if it were everyday. There are no special requirements for it, and there are even certain concessions that are inadmissible for sacred bread.
And the last type is matzo ashira, that is, rich matzo. What's this? Bread, the dough for which is kneaded without water, but with butter, wine, eggs, honey. It is no longer too kosher, it can be eaten by either weak old people, or seriously ill people, or children. Even pregnant women can use it only in case of heavy bearing.
For industrial bread, the rules are also observed
Technological progress has given rise to serious controversy: can matzo be baked in a factory? The Orthodox believed that machine grinding of grain into flour leads to its saturation with water, and therefore fermentation may begin, and the matzo will turn out to be wrong. Considering that even salt is not added to the dough (and it is not a fermentation provocateur, so this is just a manifestation of vigilance), such a harsh approach is not surprising. In modern production, the kneading process for matzo dough stops after 18 minutes to prevent possible fermentation.
Matza at home
If you want to taste Jewish bread, or if you need it to prepare other dishes, you do not have to look for a store that sells matzah. Its recipe is extremely simple, and even an inept hostess will quickly master it. For 3 kilos of flour, 5 liters of water will go, and you will not need anything else from the products. Flour is sifted and poured into a mound, on top of which a depression is made. It slowly, in a thin stream, pours water, and always cold. The dough kneads very quickly (remember: the whole process takes only 18 minutes!). This rule also has a technical rationale: unleavened dough dries quickly, if you stir, you will get dry crusts throughout the structure of the dough. Cakes are rolled out very thinly on a floured table. The thinner, the more authentic the matzo. Cracks are made with a fork, and the sheets are spread on a baking sheet. If you still did not know how to cook matzo, please note: the oven must be preheated in advance so as not to exceed the 18-minute limit. The cakes are baked literally within 2-3 minutes: the dough does not contain "heavy" ingredients and is rolled out very thinly.
It's not just bread ...
Matzo itself is not very tasty. However, it is used not only in the form of tortillas; there is flour from this bread product, on the basis of which one can simply culinary masterpieces... However, there are also matzo dishes that will satisfy even the most discerning palate. Let us mention, for example, "Matzyki". They take 5 sheets of matzo, 8 eggs (boil half, leave half raw), processed cheese, boiled potatoes and fried onions. Boiled eggs, cheese, potatoes and fried onions are passed through a blender. It is worth holding the matzo over the steam for a minute so that the leaves soften. Then there is sandwiching: a plate of matzo - a layer of filling - a plate of matzo, etc. It is better to coat Jewish bread with mayonnaise, but not necessarily. The resulting "cake" is cut into pieces, each of them is dipped in whipped a raw egg and fried in a skillet. You can sprinkle the cut pie with grated cheese and bake in the oven. In general, the filling for such a snack can be anything - unleavened matzo dough is compatible with all products.
For example, you can please children with delicious and quick cake... For him, out of 5 matzo plates, only one is left, and the rest break. The jam is diluted with boiling water and poured into the wreckage. While the syrup is absorbed, sugar and sour cream are combined. The cake mold is covered with foil (food grade, of course), filled with a mixture of soaked matzo and sour cream whipped with sugar. The last matzo cake is placed on top. All this stuff is put into the refrigerator for two hours, then turned over so that the matzo becomes the bottom, the film is removed, and the whole product is sprinkled with grated chocolate (chopped nuts, whipped cream, candied fruits). Your kids will be happy!
Bread is an international dish. Each race or nationality has a variety of it. And here it is no longer important what kind of source this product is baked from: maize, rye, wheat or fruits. The main thing is that all nationalities have a dish made from flour, which is given special importance. But only the Jews assign such an important role to their bread and are so sensitive to both its composition and its preparation.
An impartial description
From the point of view of a non-Jew, matzah - what is it? Thin, insipid, dry flat cakes that have absolutely no taste, and even from the very beginning (for Russian and European taste) are stale. They must be baked without yeast, without eggs, without oil (even vegetable and even for greasing a frying pan), and at the exit such bread should be pale, thin and brittle. And if in recent years the same lavash has replaced the usual loaves and loaves for many, then Jewish matzah is not very tasty, probably even for the Jews themselves, and can only seduce those who are diligently losing weight. However, it is full of deep sacred meaning, and therefore is not just a food product.
Correct matzo
If you remember what real matzo is, that it is not only very much, but also a part of the Jewish religion, then you must respect the traditions of its preparation. So, the flour from which these cakes are made, should "be able" to ferment, but with her abilities, she should not be allowed to do this. That is, rye, barley, spelled, oats, wheat are suitable as a basis. But almost always matzo is made from wheat flour.
Three types of Jewish bread
In fact, there are four varieties of it. However, chametz is a very special case. It does not carry a semantic meaning, since it is prepared using yeast and other ingredients besides flour and water. That is why it is forbidden not only to eat chametz, but also to have it in the house during the whole week of Passover. This is what distinguishes its composition from the dough from which matzah is prepared (that this dough should be extremely bland, everyone has already understood). And if we take into account only bread prepared in a yeast-free way, then it can be divided into categories as follows.
The main criterion that this matzah is suitable for Easter, that this culinary product is made according to all requirements, is flour. The grain from which it is ground must be closely monitored from the moment it is harvested. Bread that meets these strict requirements is called shmura matzah, that is, preserved, preserved. This is an extremely festive, solemn option.
If vigilance begins after grinding grain into flour, baking from it is considered as if it were everyday. There are no special requirements for it, and there are even certain concessions that are inadmissible for sacred bread.
And the last type is matzo ashira, that is, rich matzo. What's this? Bread, the dough for which is kneaded without water, but with butter, wine, eggs, honey. It is no longer too kosher, it can be eaten either by weak old people, or seriously ill people, or children. Even pregnant women can use it only in case of heavy bearing.
For industrial bread, the rules are also observed
Technological progress has given rise to serious controversy: can matzo be baked in a factory? The Orthodox believed that machine grinding of grain into flour leads to its saturation with water, and therefore fermentation may begin, and the matzo will turn out to be wrong. Considering that even salt is not added to the dough (and it is not a fermentation provocateur, so this is just a manifestation of vigilance), such a harsh approach is not surprising. In modern production, the kneading process for matzo dough stops after 18 minutes to prevent possible fermentation.
Matza at home
If you want to taste Jewish bread, or if you need it to prepare other dishes, you do not have to look for a store that sells matzah. Its recipe is extremely simple, and even an inept hostess will quickly master it. For 3 kilos of flour, 5 liters of water will go, and you will not need anything else from the products. The flour is sifted and poured into a mound, on top of which a depression is made. It slowly, in a thin stream, pours water, and always cold. The dough kneads very quickly (remember: the whole process takes only 18 minutes!). This rule also has a technical rationale: it dries quickly, if you stir, you will get dry crusts throughout the structure of the dough. Cakes are rolled out very thinly on a floured table. The thinner, the more authentic the matzah. Cracks are made with a fork, and the sheets are spread on a baking sheet. If you still did not know how to cook matzo, please note: the oven must be preheated in advance so as not to exceed the 18-minute limit. The cakes are baked literally within 2-3 minutes: the dough does not contain "heavy" ingredients and is rolled out very thinly.
It's not just bread ...
Matzo itself is not very tasty. However, it is used not only in the form of tortillas; there is flour from this bread product, on the basis of which simply culinary masterpieces are obtained. However, there are also matzo dishes that will satisfy even the most discerning palate. Let us mention, for example, "Matzyki". They take 5 sheets of matzo, 8 eggs (boil half, leave half raw), processed cheese, boiled potatoes and fried onions. Boiled eggs, cheese, potatoes and fried onions are passed through a blender. It is worth holding the matzo over the steam for a minute so that the leaves soften. Then there is sandwiching: a plate of matzo - a layer of filling - a plate of matzo, etc. It is better to coat Jewish bread with mayonnaise, but not necessarily. The resulting "cake" is cut into pieces, each of them is dipped in a beaten raw egg and fried in a frying pan. You can sprinkle the cut pie with grated cheese and bake in the oven. In general, the filling for such a snack can be anything - unleavened matzo dough is compatible with all products.
For example, you can please children with a delicious and quick cake. For him, out of 5 matzo plates, only one is left, and the rest are broken. The jam is diluted with boiling water and poured into the wreckage. While the syrup is absorbed, sugar and sour cream are combined. The cake mold is covered with foil (food grade, of course), filled with a mixture of soaked matzo and sour cream whipped with sugar. The last matzo cake is placed on top. All this stuff is put into the refrigerator for two hours, then turned over so that the matzo becomes the bottom, the film is removed, and the whole product is sprinkled with grated chocolate (chopped nuts, whipped cream, candied fruits). Your kids will be happy!
These Jewish flatbreads are called matzot or matzah. They are prepared from yeast-free dough that does not go through the fermentation process. This view bread is the only product that is permissible for consumption according to the Torah during the celebration of Passover, which is analogous to Easter among the Orthodox people. For the Slavs, this holiday personifies the Resurrection of Christ. The Jews arrange a similar celebration in honor of the fact that their ancestors left Egypt. However, when they began to interpret Scripture, the Orthodox were allowed to eat leavened bread, which personifies the human nature of Christ, while Catholics were allowed to use only unleavened bread (host), associated with purity, truth and sinlessness. Before the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, the Jews were ordered to ritually slaughter an immaculate young male lamb, bake it whole over a fire, and eat it with bitter herbs and matzah on Easter night, surrounded by their family. A little later, these sacrifices were banned. Now, during Passover, Jews only eat matzo.
In Israel, Passover begins in the spring on the 15th day of the month of Nisan. According to the Pentateuch, on the eve of the last Egyptian execution - the defeat of the firstborn, God gave the Jews an order to kill and roast the lambs and mark the doorframes with their blood. At night, God passed by the houses of the chosen people and they were saved. Today, no one makes sacrifices, but on a platter with an Easter dinner (seder) you can always find a symbolic roast lamb shank (zroa) participating in the ritual, but not used for eating. According to the totality of the traditional Jewish law - Torah, matzo can be used from the 1st day of the weekly holiday as a reminder that during the Exodus the Israelites took out dough from Egypt, which did not have time to turn sour, since they were driven out, and they hurried and baked from it unleavened cakes... During the seder ritual, it is envisaged to eat one olive-sized slice of matzo at dinner. However, according to tradition, during the entire evening for the use of matzah, several points arise.
Matzo is baked 2 weeks before Passover. In the Jewish Orthodox communities, this is done according to a recipe that has remained unchanged for several millennia. The joint hand-made flatbread begins with the formation of groups, which traditionally include only men. They prepare shmura matzah. These matzo leaves are made of wheat, which, from the moment the ears were cut until the flour was obtained, was protected from any contact with moisture. Three kilograms of this flour are carefully sifted by the Orthodox, they are poured in a slide, a depression is made in the center and water is poured into it. Then everything is quickly mixed, avoiding the formation of lumps. The finished dough is rolled into flat cakes no more than 1.5 mm thick. In order for the air to pass freely, the cakes are pierced in several places with a fork. Then the matzo is baked in the oven at a temperature of 150 degrees. It is very important in this culinary process to keep within 18 minutes - from the moment the flour is combined with water until the matzo is completely baked. Otherwise, the brittle white matzo plates cannot be considered kosher.
A plate of matzo can be bought not only in Israel, because the Jews celebrate Passover in all countries of the world. In any supermarket, flour-colored matzo can be found marked "Kosher Matzah for Passover." However, most of the Jews prefer not to deviate from ancient traditions and cook matzah on their own. These cakes can be eaten on weekdays, as well as cooked with it such dishes as macebray. For this, matzo flour is kneaded with eggs and milk and fried in oil. Ready-made tortillas can be eaten as independent dish or as a dessert, if sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon beforehand.
In anti-Semitic literature and popular superstitions, matzah is associated with the blood of Christian babies, that is, to unite with God, the Jews added a drop of such blood to the dough. According to the Israeli historian, the mutual rejection and fear of Jews and Christians is determined by the similarity of religious texts and the difference in symbols of religious themes. Matzah is not only ordinary food, but also ritual food, incomprehensible and therefore terrible for Christians.
Matzo- This is a traditional Jewish bread, which is customary to cook and eat directly during the national holiday of Passover. During the celebration, it is forbidden to eat many foods, including sourdough bread. Therefore, Jewish bakers cook matzo in large quantities.
Matzah is a round or square unleavened flatbread. They are mentioned in the Old Testament. It is believed that it was the Jewish people who came up with the recipe for making matzo, since during the fast it was impossible to use the classic leavened bread.
Today, this pastry is eaten not only on Passover, but also on any other days. Also, many others are prepared from matzo. original dishes, and the nationality of the chef does not play any role in the preparation of the flatbread.
An interesting fact is that matzo is often included in the menu of various diets, despite the fact that the product is made from flour. However, matzo does not have a very high calorie content: 350 kilocalories per hundred grams of product. Also, this baking contains a large amount of useful trace elements. In addition, matzo contains a lot of carbohydrates, which allows you to quickly saturate the body and restore strength, while consuming a small amount of the product.
Translated from Hebrew, matzah means squeezed or moisture-free dough. It was allowed to bake such a product from any grain that could be sourdough, but traditionally matzo was made from wheat flour. During cooking, only cold water since it prevented the dough from fermenting. Also, the matzo was pierced several times with needles before baking to deprive the dough of air bubbles. In addition, there was a strict procedure for the preparation and baking of the product, the duration of which should not exceed 18 minutes. This is exactly how much is needed for the fermentation processes to begin, which should not be allowed during the preparation of matzo.
Several centuries ago, matzo was prepared by several people at the same time, and the manufacturing process consisted of eighteen steps. Nowadays, baking can be done with your own hands without assistance. In our article, we will talk about this in more detail.
How to cook at home?
Cook at home Jewish matzah much easier than in the days of our ancestors. They had to use several people to make the cooking process more productive: one of them kneaded the dough, the second rolled it out, the third pierced the future matzo with needles to get rid of the air, and the fourth completed the process by sending the baked goods to the oven.
Today there are many bakeries in which the preparation of matzo is automated. But the most delicious pastries is known to be done at home. Therefore, we suggest that you adopt a simple recipe for making Jewish bread at home.
- Prepare necessary ingredients... For the matzo you will need cold water and wheat flour.
- Take a deep bowl, sift flour into it and make a small hole in which to pour water. Knead the dough until smooth and firm.
- Roll up ready dough into a thick roll and cut into equal pieces. Then they need to be rolled out so that their thickness is no more than three millimeters. Use a fork to prick the rolled dough pieces in several places to release the air.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, place the dough on a baking sheet and bake the matzo for ten minutes.
- The baked goods are ready when they are golden brown and slightly crispy.
This simple recipe for traditional Jewish bread will help you quickly make homemade matzo. We assure you that having tasted such food once, you will no longer be able to buy store-bought pastries, since homemade ones are always tastier.
Matzo Dishes
Matzo dishes are original and tasty food which is very easy to prepare. There are many varieties of appetizers and desserts that are made more delicious by adding Jewish bread. Alternatively, you can make from matzo tasty pie or cake. Since the cakes will be savory, you can use delicious cream from cream, condensed milk, chocolate or jam. Also, a pie with fruits, for example, apples, cherries, apricots or plums, will be very original.
Matzah can be added to first courses by making dumplings or balls from it, which are perfect for soup or borscht.
You can think of a large number of appetizers with meat, sausage, eggs, vegetables and fish, which can be made from matzo. If you show your imagination, you will get original and delicious dishes that will surely delight you and your family. The main thing is to bake matzo correctly, and then you can eat it with great pleasure.
