Baked Unleavened Bread is a flatbread with no leavening. This is how to make a quick handmade soft Matzo. Known within the Jewish community-it represents a meaningful feast in memorial of the Biblical event called Passover. This recipe for unleavened bread can be eaten for 7 days without complaints! We love it as a staple bread without leaven, because it’s so good! Wonderful for passover holiday (Pesach) or serve as a bread side!
We can eat this homemade Matzo recipe any time of the year, not just Passover! It’s a staple at our home with these grilled chicken kabobs and is like pita bread with no leavening! Soft and chewy, this flatbread can easily become a family favorite!
Unleavened Bread
Making Matzah flatbread is such a great way to observe the feast of Unleavened Bread! The Lord’s Passover was a memorial feast kept as an everlasting ordinance for the Lord that was to take place for seven days in the first month of the year (the 14th of the first month in Hebrew from the evening to the 21st day of the month at evening.) On our American calendar that would be the month of April. The Jewish nation was to eat roasted lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs as a memorial of God’s deliverance from Egypt. Unleavened bread was to be eaten for seven days and leaven was to be removed from their houses from the first to the seventh day.
“No manner of work shall be done on them: but that which everyone must eat-that only be prepared by you” Exodus 12:16. This Bible verse indicates that unleavened bread was to be made by hand in each family. It’s interesting that Matza is commercially available nowadays in a crisp cracker-like style when it was commanded to be prepared.
Matzo
It’s a time you can not only read about a symbolic event that occurred in the Bible but as a way to show family and children what it’s about. If you are strictly following the Halakha (Jewish law) for Pesach (Passover) then Kosher flour such as wheat, (preferably a kind that doesn’t come into contact with water at any stage during its production) is recommended. Since the Bible does not indicate which flour the Hebrews used, I’ll leave it to the baker to decide.
That being said, our Passover is Christ “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” 1 Corinthians 5:7. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t look upon the scriptures of the old testament as examples of God’s redemption of His people. It’s a wonderful experience for children to watch and observe this ordinance given to Israel by Moses. And since “the children of Israel baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt” Exodus 12:39, so it is-Baked Unleavened Bread with no leavening and simple ingredients! We love this soft Matzo bread, it’s a family ritual to observe the events with our family!
Want a stove-top recipe for Matzah? Try our skillet Unleavened Bread Recipe. Many of our readers have commented on how they have used it for communion and other meaningful events!
Got leftovers? Turn it into a Matzo meal by drying it in the oven and then crushing it into crumbs for a Matzo Ball Soup!
FAQ:
What is Unleavened Bread?
Unleavened bread is a flatbread that consists of no rising agents. Known as Matzah or Matzo within the Jewish community–it represents a symbolic element with great importance. This 4 ingredient recipe is a great way to incorporate a Biblical approach to the Passover holiday.
There are many variations to making Unleavened bread. However, if you strictly want to follow the Halakha (Jewish law) for Pesach (Passover) then Kosher flour such as wheat, (preferably a kind that doesn’t come into contact with water at any stage during its production) is recommended by the suggestion of a Jewish Rabbi.
Furthermore, all the Biblical details of the Lord’s passover is given in Exodus chapter 12 and 13. The children of Israel baked unleavened cakes of the dough, (mentioned in Exodus 12:39.) This verse indicates that the bread was not leavened and that it was baked. However, the Bible does not indicate which flour they were to use, as every household probably had different flour.
What to Serve With Unleavened Bread?
The Scriptures indicate that unleavened bread was to be eaten with a lamb taken from a sheep or goat and with bitter herbs. Although the Bible doesn’t indicate the other dishes eaten with unleavened bread for the seven days they were to eat it, I’ve noticed meat, fish, soup, grains, vegetables, and cookies to be on the list of Passover Recipes.
Just make sure to use Kosher for Passover ingredients and no leaven. No leaven means no yeast, no baking soda, or baking powder.
Does Unleavened Bread have Oil?
Since the scriptures do not indicate whether the children of Israel were to use oil or other specific ingredients besides the order of no leaven (the dough was baked and had no leaven, Exodus 12:39.) Perhaps, each household prepared unleavened bread in their own way as long as they didn’t use any leaven. If you think about it almost every cook bakes bread differently.
Tips:
- Parchment paper helps with easier handling and the need to use less flour.
- Score the top.
- Broil for pretty bread spotting.
- Dry leftover to make Matzo meal for recipes like Matzo Ball Soup!
How To Make Baked Unleavened Bread (Soft Matzo):
Baked Unleavened Bread (Handmade Soft Matzo)
Equipment
- 18x13 baking sheet
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 2 1/3 cup flour (plus more for dusting)
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup water
Instructions
How To Make Unleavened Bread:
- Combine the ingredients to make a ball of soft dough.
- Cut a piece of parchment paper 18" long. Sprinkle with flour and roll the dough into a 15x8 oval atop of the parchment paper.
Lightly score the top by running a knife through the top to make diamond shapes. (Don't cut all the way down. This is just to make serving easier and presentable.)
Transfer the paper onto a baking sheet and place it on the bottom rack of the oven. Broil at High for about 5 minutes per side or until bread is spotted and golden brown.
Notes
- Pan Size: I use a large 18x13-inch sheet pan. I like to invert the pan and place the paper over the inverted side before baking (optional.)
- Flour: unbleached all-purpose flour or flour of choice.
Nutrition per serving
