Bread is an international dish. Each race or nationality has a variation of it. And here it doesn’t matter which source the product is baked from: maize, rye, wheat or breadfruit. The main thing is that all nationalities have food made from flour, which is given special importance. But only the Jews give their bread such an important role and are so kind to both its composition and its preparation.
Impartial description
From a non-Jewish point of view, matzo - what is it? Thin, fresh, dry cakes, which absolutely have no taste, and even from the very beginning (for the Russian, and the pan-European taste) are callous. They are necessarily baked without yeast, without eggs, without oil (even vegetable and even for greasing a frying pan), and at the exit of such breads should be pale, thin and brittle. And if in recent years the same pita bread has replaced the usual loaves and loaves for many, then the Jewish matzo is not very tasty, probably even for the Jews themselves, and can only seduce those who diligently lose weight. However, it is full of deep sacred meaning, and therefore is not just a food product.
Right matzo
If you remember what real matzo is, that it is not only very lean bread, but also 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 roam, but with her abilities one cannot let her do it. 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, the chametz is a very special case. It does not carry a semantic load, as it is prepared using yeast and other ingredients, in addition to flour and water. Therefore, it is forbidden not only to eat a chametz, but also to have it in the house throughout the whole week of Passover. This distinguishes its composition from the dough from which matzo is prepared (that everyone has already understood that this dough should be extremely fresh). And if we take into account only bread prepared in a yeast-free way, then we can divide it into categories as follows.
The main criterion that just this matzo is suitable for Easter, that this culinary product is fulfilled according to all requirements, is flour. The grain from which it is ground should be closely monitored from the time of collection. Bread that meets these strict requirements is called matzoh shmura, that is, preserved, preserved. This is an exclusively festive, solemn option.
If vigilance begins after grinding grain into flour, baking from it is considered as if everyday. There are no special requirements for it, and even there are certain concessions that are unacceptable for sacred bread.
And the last species is matsha ashira, that is, rich matzoh. What is it? Bread, for which the dough 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 patients, or by children. Even pregnant women can use it only in case of heavy bearing.
Rules for industrial bread
Technological progress has generated serious debate: is it possible to bake matzo at the factory? Orthodox believed that machine grinding of grain into flour leads to its saturation with water, and therefore fermentation can begin, and matzo will turn out to be wrong. Given that even salt is not added to the dough (and it is not a provocative of fermentation, so this is just a vigilance), such a harsh approach is not surprising. In modern production, the kneading process for matzo dough is stopped after 18 minutes to prevent possible fermentation.
Matzo at home
If you want to taste Jewish bread, or if you needed it for cooking other dishes, you don’t have to look for a store selling matzo. The recipe is extremely simple, and even the inept hostess will quickly master it. 5 liters of water will go to 3 kilos of flour, and you will not need anything else from the products. Flour is sifted and poured with a knoll, on top of which a depression is made. Water is poured into it slowly, with a fine stream, and always cold. The dough is kneading very quickly (remember: the whole process takes only 18 minutes!). This rule also has a technical justification: fresh dough dries quickly, if you hesitate, you get dried crusts throughout the dough structure. On a table sprinkled with flour very thinly rolled cakes. The finer the more authentic the matzo. Punches are made with a fork, and the sheets are spread on a baking sheet. If you still did not know how to cook matzo, consider: the oven must be preheated in order not to exceed the limit of 18 minutes. Cakes are literally baked for 2-3 minutes: the dough does not contain “heavy” ingredients and is rolled very thinly.
This is not just bread ...
Matzo itself is not very tasty. However, it is used not only in the form of cakes; 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 demanding tastes. We mention, for example, “Matsyki”. They take 5 sheets of matzoh, 8 eggs (half boil, half left raw), cream cheese, boiled potato in their skins and fried onions. Boiled eggs, cheese, potatoes and fried onions are passed through a blender. Matsu should hold on to the steam for a minute so that the leaves soften. Then comes the interlacing: the matzo plate - the filling layer - the matzo plate, etc. Jewish bread is better to coat 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 pan. You can sprinkle the pie with grated cheese and bake in the oven. In general, the filling for such an appetizer can be anything - a fresh matzo dough is compatible with all products.
For example, you can please your children with a delicious and quick cake. For him, out of 5 matzo plates, only one is left, and the rest breaks. Jam is diluted with boiling water and poured into debris. While the syrup is absorbed, sugar and sour cream are combined. The cake mold is covered with a film (food, of course), filled with a mixture of soaked matzo and sour cream whipped with sugar. Top is the last matzak cake. All this stuff is put in the refrigerator for two hours, then it is turned over so that the matzo becomes a bottom, the film is removed, and the whole product is sprinkled with grated chocolate (chopped nuts, whipped cream, candied fruit). Your children will be happy!