What is matzoh?
Matzoh (also referred to as matzah or matzo) is an unleavened bread, mainly comprised of flour and water. Store-bought matzoh look like light brown crackers while home-made ones have varying shapes with crispy edges. They taste plainer than crackers and have a chewier texture. Matzoh goes great with many things, such as honey or jam.
Matzoh is a staple in Jewish belief, and it is consumed in huge quantities during a Jewish event called the Passover, which occurs just before Easter.
When making bread, the dough is usually left to rise for an hour or so before baking. With matzoh, that is not the case. The reason is rooted in the first Passover. In the Bible, when the Jews set out to leave slavery in Egypt, they were all in a hurry. Most of the families were baking bread, but since they had no time, they decided to bake the dough as it was.
Matzoh is an enduring kind of bread. The recipe is mostly unchanged over the course of centuries, and matzoh itself lasts for a long time. A store-bought pack of matzoh can last for years if stored right.
Still, there is nothing like home-made matzoh. Making your own matzoh ensures that you have fresh bread even if there's a food shortage.
How to make matzoh
Making matzoh only takes around 18 minutes. For others, time does not really matter. As a prepper however, you need to learn how to work fast when the situation demands it. Prepare the following materials to make your own matzoh:
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup of water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven at 400 F.
- In a large bowl or container, combine all the ingredients. Make sure to combine them well.
- Sprinkle flour on the tabletop and place the dough on top of it. Knead the dough thoroughly.
- Divide the dough into equal-sized portions.
- Roll each piece of dough very thinly. Use a heavy rolling pin if you have one. Don’t worry about the shape because the thinness is the crucial part.
- Use a fork to poke holes into the dough to avoid too much puffing while baking.
- Slide the dough inside the oven. If you can fit in more than one dough, just bake them together.
- Let one side bake for 2 minutes before flipping it on the other side. Let that side bake for also 2 minutes.
After taking them out of the oven, let them cool a bit on a plate or a rack. Once cooled, you can either eat them immediately or store them for later.
How to store matzoh
Storing matzoh is easy. If stored properly, they can be eaten up to two years or more. Here are some tips on storing matzoh:
- Keep the matzoh in an air-tight container to prevent staling and insect infestation.
- Store the container in a cool, dry place. Do not let it get wet.
- If the matzoh is getting stale, just slide it in the oven for five minutes.
Matzoh is the ideal food if you ever find yourself in an SHTF situation. In the wild, you can make matzoh yourself with fire, flour, and water. Try making one yourself today.
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