I had never heard about matzo bread since some days ago when I found a recipe just by chance (as it happens often ;-)).
I learned (a bit) about its history (it is a Jewish traditional recipe) and why it has no yeast (it should be prepared and baked immediately not to rise – even without yeast, the flour rise a bit the same).
As far as I understood, this matzo bread is an American version of the most original one that is made with just flour and water. As I read the post on Centered Plate site and saw the photos and the simplicity of the recipe, I just stand up, went to the kitchen and prepared it. Yes, it is really that simple and quick to prepare. Since then (last week), I have baked it three times. Yesterday I bought a new kitchen robot and to inaugurate it, even if it was late…I prepared it again 🙂
This recipe is so simple that you can’t fail it. I just added a little bit more flour than the original recipe – but I believe cooking is a little bit like playing that children game “cordless phone” (do you remember?), where we used to seat one after another and the first one whispered a word on the next child’s ear and he/she repeated the same until the last one who said out loud the word…that was never the same one first said by the first player! As we see and test a recipe, we add something of our own and it goes ahead 🙂
I used my bread machine kneading program first and my new robot yesterday, but it can be easily prepared using your hands, as it doesn’t need kneading (just mixing well the ingredients).
Editing on March 17th, 2015: it is a recipe I continue to prepare often (even yesterday). It is perfect when you want something tasty and quick for appetizer, for dinner and fits a snack. It’s irresistible, I bet you will agree after trying it.
- 280 g of flour
- 75 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- 150 ml of water
- 1 Tsp of salt
- Turn on the oven to 200°C/392°F.
- Cover 3 to 4 oven flat trays with parchment paper (or re-use the same and cook in more times)
- Mix all the ingredients until well combined.
- Transfer the dough to a well floured surface.
- Divide the dough in 12 pieces.
- Roll each piece out on the floured surface as thin as possible.
- Punch each with a fork and add some salt on their surfaces.
- Place them on the baking sheets (3 or 4 by each, depending on how big they are and the size of the trays).
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until they become a little colored.
- Buon appetito!
