Homemade Matzah & The Feast of Unleavened Bread

We are in the season of the Feast of Unleavened bread. We had a lovely Passover Seder with friends of ours this past Shabbat. So in light of this season, I thought I would share a homemade matzah recipe, no matter how you spell it (matzo, etc).

To get a recipe for Apple Walnut Charoset, click here. 

 Whole Grain Matzah - Unleavened Bread

Move two oven racks to the top and near top positions. You will be baking these in the top 1/2 to 1/3 of your oven. Prepare cookie sheets with silpat mats or parchment paper. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine in a bowl (or in a food processor):

3 cups whole grain flour (I used a combination of spelt, wheat, corn and einkorn flours, and a few whole seeds of millet, flax and sunflower)
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix well (if using food processor, use "s" blade or dough blade on pulse setting until combined well). Add flour as needed to get a dough that isn't sticky, but not too dry. Divide into 12 pieces (or for the size above, they were more like 14-16 pieces per batch). Roll out, adding flour as needed, to keep from sticking. You can roll out extra thin for a more cracker-like type of matzah or you can roll a little thicker to get a softer and thicker matzah. After rolling, make sure to pierce with a fork or dough docker to keep the matzah from rising. Bake on prepared sheets for 6 minutes per side, for a total of 12 minutes baking time. (The size of matzah in the photo above is about a larger hamburger bun size that is flat, but not as thin as cracker type.)

Variations: I added basil and sun-dried tomatoes to one batch. My son added honey to another batch. He also added basil and oregano to a batch that we eventually made into small matzah pizzas last evening. I want to try adding some garlic next. You can come up with variations just by adding favorite seasonings or add in finely chopped fruits or vegetables.

Simple & Quick Pizza Crust

I use this recipe every time I need something quick for pizza preparation. It reminds me of a biscuit crust. This recipe makes enough for a good thick crust for a cookie sheet size pizza. If you want thin and crispy use this recipe for two sheets or make half the recipe.

We had this last night topped with marinara sauce, spinach, broccoli, garlic, onions, and sliced tomatoes, and a sprinkle of oregano. My children loved it. (See added edited note about photos.)

Simple & Quick Pizza Crust

4 cups whole wheat (or other whole grain) flour, also works with gluten-free flour!
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/3 cup water

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Prepare your pizza pan by oiling it. I use coconut oil. You can use cornmeal to flour it if you like as well. Spread, roll out or pat into pan. When rolling, use a glass tumbler to roll right in the pan. Prick with fork. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, without toppings (or only 5 minutes for a thin crust).

Remove from oven after pre-baking. Then add toppings as desired and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until done. Be sure to watch the thin crust to make sure it doesn't burn on the bottom.

Edited to add: the option of a gluten free crust will work with this recipe. I have now made this successfully at least three times this way. And it is still like a biscuit crust. The photo above shows the gluten-free crust dough waiting to be put on my sheet to prebake. Here it is starting the prebake.

 And then of course, afterward...

So good!
Toppings in the photos: my daughter's pizza sauce, garlic, onions, 3 colors of local bell peppers, a kale and spinach chopped mix, and my favorite - Kalamata olives!

Dehydrator Flax Bread

This recipe comes from the Hallelujah Acres magazine, Health News. I was pleased, when I made this the other day, how well it turned out. Flexible enough to be used as a wrap if not dried too crispy. And yet can still be dried a little more for a less flexible option.

No grain, no gluten, no yeast. The term "bread" meaning more about how you use it than what it contains. High in fiber, raw, and high in omega-3 fatty acids, it helps sweep out your colon for better health. Great as a new addition in our house. I can't wait to play with the recipe a little to have other flavor options. Spread with a little raw nut butter and roll it up. Mmmm.

Flax Bread

Mix together, making sure there are no lumps of raisins sticking together and set aside:
2 cups ground flax seeds
1 cup raisins

Put into blender separately:
2 cups water
2 apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Stir all ingredients together. Let stand for about 30 minutes. Spoon 1/3 of the mixture onto a teflex sheet for your dehydrator. Spread it out with a spatula (approx. 1/8" thick, without holes). Push any raisins on the edges more into the center. Repeat with the other portions of the mixture.

Dehydrate at 105 degrees F. for at least 2 hours. Then flip bread over onto the mesh sheet and peel away the teflex sheet from the bread. Leave bread in for another 2 hours depending on how dry you like your bread (make sure there are no more wet looking areas). The thicker the bread, the longer it will take to dehydrate. Don't let it get too crispy. If left more flexible, you can use it as a wrap.

My notes: I put the mixture on parchment paper, as I don't own the teflex sheets (yet) for my Excalibur food dehydrator. I didn't follow the 1/3 mixture idea in the recipe, but rather did more "individual bread slices" amount by eyeballing it (about 4x5" size roughly). This to me was helpful, because when I went to flip them over, some needed more drying time than others. Made this way, you can get about 12 "slices" from one batch.

Initially, I thought it would have a more cinnamon raisin bread flavor. It is not that strongly flavored. It did smell good when dehydrating though. Next time I might add more cinnamon. Pleasantly sweet without overpowering in that department.

I used the darker brown flax seeds, so it looked more like a dark bread. If you used the golden flax seeds, it would be lighter in color. Hard to tell it's made out of flax seeds once you eat it. A plus for people not into the "health" aspect of this bread. Taste? Great!

Old World Black Bread

This recipe is for all those bakers out there wondering if they will ever like rye bread. If you are like me and just can't get to liking rye bread because of the strong caraway seed taste, this bread is for you. The nice thing about making things from scratch is that you can change things depending on your preference.

I honestly cannot remember if there ever was caraway seeds in this recipe someone gave me. I've been making it so long this way, I heartily enjoy this lovely dark rye bread sans caraway. This is a wonderful dark pumpernickel bread which lends itself to baking as a round bread giving lovely oval slices.

Old World Black Bread

Combine:
2 cups warm water
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast

Stir together separately, then add to yeast mixture:
2 cups rye flour
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup rolled oats (optional)
1/4 cup carob powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir in:
1/3 cup molasses

Let everything stand for 10 minutes. Add:
2 cups whole wheat flour (or 2 1/2 cup spelt flour)

Add additional whole wheat flour as needed until you have a stiff dough. Knead vigorously for 10 minutes, or until dough is moist, but not sticky. Allow to rise until double (about 1 hour) in a lightly oiled bowl covered with a slightly damp thin towel (I like flour "sack" towels for this).

Punch down and shape into round or oval loaf and place on (oiled or lined with parchment paper) cookie sheet. You can, at this point, lightly "dust" your loaves with additional rolled oats, if desired, and press gently. Then slash with a sharp knife an "X" (about 1/2 inch deep) on top of a round loaf before rising. Or two to three parallel slashes across an longer oval loaf before rising. Let rise 45 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes or until it sounds hollow when loaf is tapped on the bottom. Yields one 22 oz. loaf.

Stuffing Anyone?

I was making vegetarian stuffing for our Thanksgiving banquet at church yesterday and thought it would be a timely post for this week.

I found the recipe by Anne on vegweb.com. I made slight changes, so I am posting my version. The original recipe had a few optional ingredients and slight differences from my version. This tastes similar to that "stove" stuff. It's really good and everyone will enjoy it, vegetarian or not.

Vegetarian Stuffing with Gluten-Free Option

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Put into a 9 x 13 baking pan in the oven to toast, about 15 minutes, watching closely (can even use a dry skillet on stovetop if needed, toasting the bread cubes in batches):
8 cups cubed bread (gluten-free bread can be used instead... great either way!)

Put in a large skillet:
2 Tablespoons coconut oil (or other high heat oil)

When heated, add and saute the following three (or four), over medium heat until onion is translucent:
1 medium onion, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
chopped or sliced mushrooms, amount as desired (optional, but makes it a more of a main dish)

Separately mix the following together:
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon salt (or seasoned salt)

Add the seasoning and nuts to the toasted bread.
Carefully drizzle with:
2 cups vegetable stock (gluten-free, if needed)

Mix gently. Bake, uncovered for 20-30 minutes.

Homemade Pizza

Pizza is one of those meals that everyone loves and it brings back good memories too. From reward pizza parties in elementary school to college, eating pizza in dorm rooms and so much more, a comfort food.

My husband was a youth pastor at a church when we were dating and first married. Once we made homemade pizzas for a fundraiser. We made prebaked crusts, cooled them, added sauce and did simple toppings. We had earlier gathered pizza orders for the kinds we were making. We then packaged them up in plastic wrap and pizza boxes and had people pick them up on a certain day.

I don't remember if we made much money or even if the pizzas were popular, but I do remember the memories. And at the request of a former youth (who now is married and has a family of her own!), I am posting the recipe for the pizza crust that I use. I include ideas for toppings as well.

Homemade Pizza (This appears in the "More-With-Less Cookbook" as Cheese Pizza. I have made my own variations on the ingredients.)

Combine in a large bowl:
1 cup warm water
1 package yeast (scant Tablespoon of bulk yeast)

When dissolved, add:
2 teaspoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil (optional)
1 1/4 cup whole grain wheat or spelt flour

Mix well, until smooth. Add:
2 cups additional whole grain flour, or enough to make a stiff dough (may not need full amount)
(may use part unbleached flour to make a lighter crust...100% whole grain dough is great and fine, but many people will want to ease into this and start out slowly...using some unbleached flour is a good first step)

Knead until elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in oiled bowl and let rise until double, about 30-45 minutes (depending on room temperature and humidity). Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Form 2 balls for a thin crust, or use the full recipe for a thicker crust. You do not need a round pan. I often make pizza with my jelly roll/cookie sheets. Pat out or use a straight, tall drinking glass (or a special pastry short rolling pin) for rolling out directly on a oiled pan. Take a fork and prick dough (not edges) Let rise 10 minutes.

I will pre-bake the crust by itself for about 5 minutes at this point. If I'm making it a thin crust (one batch of dough to two large pans) there's no need. Just make sure that you aren't putting too many toppings on. Otherwise it won't bake well all the way through. (Note on crust in photo: This was made with about half and half unbleached flour and freshly milled whole spelt four.)

Topping Ideas It's best to only have 2-4 toppings for each pizza if thin pizza...if you have a thicker, prebaked crust, turn down the heat to 400 degrees and don't overload the pizza. The photo above shows a pizza made with the thick option (one recipe batch of dough for one jelly roll/cookie sheet pan size - this makes a very thick crust). Toppings that day: fennel seeds, minced fresh garlic, diced onions, broccoli, mashed and seasoned tofu, and fresh pineapple. So good!

Tip: don't have overly wet ingredients or the crust won't bake properly

Sauce: Any homemade or prepared sauce you prefer...doesn't need to be a tomato sauce either. (I like to sprinkle some fennel seed on the pizza. If you decide this option, layer sauce first on the crust, then the fennel seeds, then the other toppings.)

Veggies:
garlic
onion (red is nice)
bell peppers
mushrooms (not just white button)
hot peppers
fresh or sun dried tomatoes
spinach, fresh or frozen (thawed and squeezed dry)

Other:
black (ripe) olives
pineapple (yes!)
anything you might like to try on a pizza...be creative!

Once assembled, put a sprinkling of oregano on top and put into the hot oven. Depending on thickness, bake for about 20-25 minutes or until done. Don't forget to put red crushed pepper on the table for people to add if they like. Enjoy!

Flour Tortillas

I have made homemade corn tortillas before (delicious), but it's been a long time since I made homemade flour tortillas. I have forgotten how good they can be. It's true that when you start making them at home, you'll wonder why it took you so long. They are that good. My daughter couldn't get enough of them.

Looking for a recipe, I came up with a couple of versions of the basic recipe. Some had flour, water, oil, and salt. Others added baking powder. I decided to do one batch (one dozen) of one recipe with baking powder and another batch without. My recommendation is to make it without, because I didn't think that it made that much of a difference. And I like fewer things in my food to do the job. It's nice to know I could still make these without baking powder in the house.

Here is my version of rustic flour tortillas...chewy and pull-apart-able goodness.

Rustic Flour Tortillas

1 3/4 cup unbleached flour

1/4 cup whole grain wheat or rye flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder (optional)

3 Tablespoons oil (or less)

2/3 -3/4 cup warm water

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Mix the oil in with the warm water and pour them in the dry ingredients and mix together. The dough should not be too dry or wet. If too dry, add water. If too wet, add flour. Knead for a couple of minutes. The dough should be moist. Let the dough rest for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 12 pieces, rolling them into small balls between your hands. Cover them with a thin damp towel to rest for at least 10 minutes (up to 1 hour or so).

To shape, use a rolling pin to roll them out thinly. Rolling from the middle out, rotating the dough circle to get a more even shape and turning over. Use flour on the rolling pin to keep the dough from sticking. They should be about 7 inches in diameter or so, about 1/8 inch thick (they shrink slightly when you cook them).

To cook, preheat a dry skillet on medium heat for a few minutes. You will not need any oil to grease the pan. It helps to keep the tortilla from sticking to the pan by "shaking" the pan or moving it with your fingers carefully while cooking. Cook for about 30 seconds on one side, then flip over and do another 30 seconds on the second side. As the first ones cook you'll be able to adjust your stove as necessary, finishing the rest the same way. They will be done when light brown spots start to appear. It may puff up.

To keep them warm, put on a plate and cover with a dry towel, placing part of the towel underneath to keep the bottom one from getting soggy. Keep them covered, opening only to put another cooked one inside, until serving time. Serve while still warm.

A great link to learn more about what goes into making flour tortillas and other tips, check out James W. Peyton's web page on flour tortillas.

______________________________________________

Gadget review: Revel Tortilla Maker (CTM 660 -120 V):

I had a chance to do something yesterday that I've been interested in doing for awhile. I borrowed a friend's electric tortilla maker. It shapes and cooks.

Like a waffle iron that has flat plates, this small appliance does the work of rolling out the tortillas and then proceeds to cook them right away. Very convenient.

I'm not sure if I will ever buy one, but it satisfied my curiosity about this gadget. If I ever find one (or one similar) second hand and cheap, I would not pass it up.These run about $30-40 dollars new, so you have to think about how much you make tortillas to make it worth the price if you can't wait for it to show up on the second hand/garage sale market.

If you have a rolling pin (and some time) and a stove top, tortillas can easily make it to your supper table. An inexpensive (non-electric) tortilla press makes the work go faster. This electric gadget a little quicker, but not much. I have used a (non-electric) tortilla press before and that is handy too, doing the job of rolling out in one easy motion. The cooking part has to be done on the stove, but otherwise makes the tedious job of rolling out much quicker.

You might do what my friend finds useful for her growing family. She uses this to shape and start the cooking, then transfers it to another skillet on her stove to finish cooking and keep things moving. This can be a good idea when you want to get more done in less time. When I used it, I cooked them exclusively on the tortilla maker, because I wanted to see how it could do the whole process. I liked the results. Next time, I might do some on the stove and some in the maker to make it go quicker, using the tortilla maker to shape them all. Some people find using a couple of skillets on the stove to cook them is handy as well.