Why do we eat matzah during Passover? Matzah reminds us that when Pharaoh finally greed to let us go, we had to leave Egypt fast! There was no time to get ready or to wait.
Eating matzah at the seder reminds us of slavery and also of freedom, because we took it with us to eat when we could not stay as slaves even one more hour.
Matzah is made of the same dough as bread, but we mix and bake it much faster. That’s why it stays flat and dry. In fact, matzah needs to be prepared in 18 minutes or less. PJ Library educator Lisa Litman shows you how easy it is to make your very own matzah at home as a family. Try it yourself with the recipe below.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of flour + 2 tablespoons for rolling out the matzah
- ⅓ cup of water
Preparation
- Put a baking sheet in the oven; preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
- Set 2 tablespoons of flour, your rolling pin, and a fork down next to a clean work space.
- Set a timer for 16 minutes (18 minutes maximum). Start the timer.
- Mix together 1 cup of flour and ⅓ cup of water.
- Knead until it forms a smooth dough.
- Divide the dough into four balls; roll out each ball into a large, thin circle.
- Using a fork, quickly pierce each bread about 25 times on each side to prevent rising. The holes should go completely through the bread.
- With at least 5 minutes left on the timer, remove the hot baking sheet from the oven.
- Place the breads onto the baking sheet. It's okay if they overlap.
- Bake for 2 minutes.
- Open the oven and carefully flip over the breads; bake for an additional 2 minutes until the matzah are lightly browned and crisp.
- Share your homemade matzah with friends and family during Passover!
This Activity Works With These Books:
Find more Passover crafts and activities on the PJ Library Passover hub.
April 18, 2019