Baking Matzah

This is something that almost no one does — bake their own matzah for Passover. Lots of people do matzah-baking demonstrations and educational classes before the holiday, but this family is actually baking their own matzah for the Seder, in a home-made wood-burning oven. I walked up to their house at noon to take a few photos. I also recorded some video footage but I won’t have time to edit it until after the first day of Passover. Too much to do!

Matzah must be made in 18 minutes, from the moment that the water and flour are combined until the baking is finished. A timer is used. The water has to be mayim shelanu, water that has “rested.” It’s poured into jugs the night before and rested in a cool place until it’s needed for baking. (For an overview of the details, see this site.) You’ll notice that all the utensils are steel: table cover, rolling pins, mixing bowl.

Mixing flour and water in a steel bowl:

Rolling with a steel rolling pin on a steel-covered table:

Handing a raw matzah to the baker:

Preparing to put it in the oven, made of cinder blocks and metal plates (the upper compartment is for baking. The lower compartment is filled with burning wood and there is a plate in front to protect the baker from the heat):

Finished matzah drying on a cloth:

OK, back to the kitchen with me. Only a couple hours left before we start Passover!

Chag Pesach Kasher ve-Sameach!

Survival in the Matzah Wilderness

Yesterday we took a wrong turn and got lost in the matzah wilderness. We trekked for hours in the blinding sun, across the barren, flat sheet of matzah with no water in sight. Suddenly, the plateau came to an end. We stood on the edge of a high cliff, looking into a deep ravine below. Matzah Canyon! (Insert spine-tingling  music here)

Oh no! How will we ever get across?

We followed a wild goat trail along the edge of the cliff. Slowly we made our way down the cliff face, clinging to the sharp crumbly edges until we reached the bottom of the canyon.

At the bottom we had no choice but to follow the canyon’s route. Although we had hours of  hiking along the bumpy, crumb-strewn canyon floor ahead of us, at least it was shadier than the plateau above.

Is it my imagination or are the walls of the canyon getting smoother and less steep? Could we be approaching the mouth of the canyon? And … what’s that blue I see in the distance?

It’s the river! We’re saved!!!!

Photos taken with Canon PowerShot S5 in macro mode. Plot loosely based on a disastrous hike many years ago on which Baruch and I ended up engaged, although we could easily have ended up dead. But we didn’t, so here I am photographing matzah instead of eating it. 🙂

When You’re Tired of Eating Matzah….

… you can always photograph it!

Here we have an aerial view of a matzah desert with two volcanoes in the center. Towards the end of Passover one really does feel like one is crossing an endless expanse of matzah. (Canon PowerShot S5, macro setting.)

These shots are more typical photos of matzah, on a crocheted matzah cover that I made years ago. Also taken with a Canon PowerShot S5.

Just for the record (because I know someone will ask), here is the matzah cover itself. It’s my own design. The crocheted panel is tacked at the corners to a blue satin “envelope” with three compartments for the three matzahs that are used at the Seder.

Tonight is the beginning of the last day of Passover. Time for me to get back into the kitchen.