Pieter’s Rap

I had some extra time to today and instead of being bored I thought I will put myself to use. Expand my horizons. So what did I do…BAKING. I decided to bake a Jewish Matzah or unleavened bread. I have been looking for Matzah for the last 8 months with no luck, so I decided to bake it then myself. I told myself you can do it!!!

Armed with non raising fine flour, sunflower oil, salt and water I got busy. From reading the recipe it sounded quite an easy process. You take two cups of flour, 3/4 cup of oil, 3/4 cup of water and a teaspoon of salt. You put the flour, oil and salt into a bowl. You knead it bit and start adding the water. Not all at once. Then you knead further until it the dough is supposedly not sticky. Well, lets think about sticky. Sticky is a relative term for a inexperience baker like myself. I knead for 5 minutes (perhaps next time I will dot it a touch longer) and then put the whole piece of dough onto my baking tray. I tried to flattened it out with a roller. But the piece just move from one end to another and was sticking perhaps a bit to much to the roller than it should. Anyway, I got the dough into the oven and after 20 minutes it came out nice and brown.

I cannot understand why the baker was killed in the Bible and the cup bearer spared. Baking is a much more difficult skill to acquire. Look, anyone can take a glass and put some wine in it. Baking is another story.

To outcome looked fairly good, taste was quite pleasant. Very different from the once I bought in SA. It also looked different. Not as flat and hard. This is my first time after all.

Next time I will remember to use a fork or toothed comb to puncture the matzah, making rows of perforations across the length. Also to roll it to a 1/4 of an centimeter thick.

The wife she can come!!! Ha ha!

The important ingredients!

The before picture…might have rolled it a bit flatter. It was a trying effort!

The after picture…after 20 minutes nice and brown