Matzo that tastes good!

Hard to even imagine, but Dan Barber (well-known and well-regarded chef at Blue Hill in NYC) has a fascinating article about the subject in today's New York Times.

Very thoughtful piece--thanks for posting!

Machine-made matzo will never taste good. It's the Wonder Bread of the genre. Some of the handmade ("shmura" = watched/guarded) matzos are wonderful, but because they're monitored from before grinding to packaging they are exceedingly expensive (from $10 to more than $30/lb) but they are well-baked with a more rounded flavor (comparable to a really good Neapolitan pizza crust). I doubt it has anything to do with the flour, it's just the toastiness of the final product.

Thank you for the timely article.

At work, we have been perplexed in the past week with a box of matzo from Lubavitch Matzah Bakery*:



The only other time that I've tasted matzo was at Fairmount Bagel, Montreal. It was probably not shmurah but it was fresh and crispy.

The dominant flavor of the Lubavitch matzo was char, a characteristic likely not shared with machine/store-bought varieties. It didn't taste as thin as it looks, but provided a satisfying snap when broken. Eaten on its own, this was to me the pure essence of crispness and smokiness. It paired well with the fatty foods like lox and nova lox from Russ & Daughters.

*Lubavitch is located at the heart of Crown Heights, one of Brooklyn's Hasidic communities. The entrance was nondescript among the other residential apartments surrounding it. I stood outside hesitantly before asking one of the customers walking out if they sold matzo inside. People seemed bemused that I was there, and asked me if I were Jewish. Each 1lb box was $23.

Lubavitch Matzah Bakery
460 Albany Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11213
(718) 778-7914

My Dad used to buy a case of those Lubovitch matzohs every year and distribute them to friends and family. It's true that it has more character than "factory" matzoh, but it is still just matzoh. There's not a lot to get excited about for me.

Just *matzoh*?! Steve did you ever try Fairmount Bagelry's version in Montréal?

Ummmm.

Geo

I've never tasted any shmurah matzah, but I find Jews rarely seem to *like* any matzah (bring on my fellow MOTs who lurve it). The people I meet who say, "oh, I love Matzah!" never had to eat it instead of bread for a week.

Geo wrote:Just *matzoh*?! Steve did you ever try Fairmount Bagelry's version in Montréal?

Ummmm.

Geo

Nope. Just the bagels. Never was even tempted.

I've made it myself for my last few Seders--you have to watch the clock but it's kind of fun and the results are definitely tastier than the boxed kind (which, yes, I still like.)

Here's my recipe--no idea where it came from but I'm sure it's online someplace.

Homemade Olive Oil Matzo--must be completed within 18 minutes!!

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
Sea salt
Fennels Seeds
Dried onion
Dried garlic
Black Pepper

1. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Put flour, salt and olive oil in a food processor. Once machine is on, add 1/2 cup water. ontinue to run machine until dough forms a firm ball, rides around on blade and is not at all sticky. (If you prefer, whisk together the water and oil and add this to machine all at once.)

2. Pulse salt, fennel seeds, dried onion & garlic and black pepper in grinder.

3. Cut dough into 12 small balls — this is easiest if you cut the ball in half, then half again, then into
thirds — and flatten each into a 3- to 4-inch patty. On a well-floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll each patty into a 6- to 8-inch circle. The shapes can be irregular, but dough should be so thin you can almost see through it. Sprinkle with spice mix.

4. Put dough on ungreased cookie sheets, sprinkle with sea salt if you like, and bake for about 2 to 3
minutes, keeping a very close eye on breads — they can burn very quickly. Once they begin to puff up
and brown, flip and cook for another minute or so on second side. Repeat with all the dough and let cool completely.

Here's the Fairmount matzoh that Stevez has disdained. This is the sesame seed version, there's also a poppy seed version. The 'bread' itself is incredibly crisp, while, at the same time, chewy, loaded with flavor--note the nicely browned surface. A meal by itself....

Geo
matzoh by Geo, on Flickr

boudreaulicious wrote:I've made it myself for my last few Seders--you have to watch the clock but it's kind of fun and the results are definitely tastier than the boxed kind (which, yes, I still like.)

Here's my recipe--no idea where it came from but I'm sure it's online someplace.

Homemade Olive Oil Matzo--must be completed within 18 minutes!!

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
Sea salt
Fennels Seeds
Dried onion
Dried garlic
Black Pepper

1. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Put flour, salt and olive oil in a food processor. Once machine is on, add 1/2 cup water. ontinue to run machine until dough forms a firm ball, rides around on blade and is not at all sticky. (If you prefer, whisk together the water and oil and add this to machine all at once.)

2. Pulse salt, fennel seeds, dried onion & garlic and black pepper in grinder.

3. Cut dough into 12 small balls — this is easiest if you cut the ball in half, then half again, then into
thirds — and flatten each into a 3- to 4-inch patty. On a well-floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll each patty into a 6- to 8-inch circle. The shapes can be irregular, but dough should be so thin you can almost see through it. Sprinkle with spice mix.

4. Put dough on ungreased cookie sheets, sprinkle with sea salt if you like, and bake for about 2 to 3
minutes, keeping a very close eye on breads — they can burn very quickly. Once they begin to puff up
and brown, flip and cook for another minute or so on second side. Repeat with all the dough and let cool completely.

We have also made matzo the last few years. Agreed there is a certain adrenaline rush to getting it done within 18 minutes. We always celebrate with our Tom-Hanks-in-Castaway moment, shouting "I have made matzo!"

Thank you for sharing this recipe. It sounds much tastier than what we have used, a Fine Cooking recipe with three ingredients: Flour, salt, water. Looks like we'll be upping our flavor game for 5776. Technique-wise, we've mixed the dough in a Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough hook, and rolled them out in a pasta machine, so we wind up with smallish squares. Thank you, and Happy Passover everyone!

Geo wrote:Here's the Fairmount matzoh that Stevez has disdained. This is the sesame seed version, there's also a poppy seed version. The 'bread' itself is incredibly crisp, while, at the same time, chewy, loaded with flavor--note the nicely browned surface. A meal by itself....

Geo
matzoh by Geo, on Flickr

That does look way better than plain matzo. Do people use that type of fancy pants matzoh for Passover?

I know some do! Pretty rad, but it's legit.

Geo

It's on my list the next time I'm in Montreal.