Homemade matzo (or matzah) recipe for Passover is crispy and delicious. This matzah recipe turns flour and water into golden and perfectly salted unleavened bread made from scratch in under 18 minutes.
If you are looking for gluten-free matzos or a classic matzo brie recipe, you are in luck! Also see my passover recipe guide.
Matzo can be used in many creative ways beyond its traditional purpose. Crushed matzo can be used as a substitute for breadcrumbs in recipes such as meatballs or stuffing, like in my matzo lasagna or Mexican Matzo Brei chilaquiles. Matzo can also be used to make homemade matzo pizza by topping it with your favorite pizza toppings and baking it in the oven. Another unique way to use matzo is to make matzo ball soup, a popular Jewish dish consisting of matzo meal dumplings in a flavorful broth. For something sweet, I can't recommend my chocolate toffee matzo crack or sweet matzo brie enough!
Celebrating Passover Away from Home
The baby was already seated in his high chair, clamouring for food with cooing that sounded strangely like "abba," or dad in Hebrew (but actually meant 'apple').
And as I pulled the last tray of homemade matzos from the oven, their freshly-baked, cracker-like skin golden with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt, we all breathed a sigh of relief: there will be Passover here after all.
This year, G and I celebrated Passover far from (all of) our homes, with his brother's family in Kitchener. Readers of the blog may remember our visits to Kitchener from this post, where we made Hubbard squash pie, gawked at the world's cutest nephew, and frolicked in an Amish pumpkin patch.
Those who live in Canada may know Kitchener as the home of one of the country's largest Oktoberfest celebrations, and a sizeable German and Old-Order Mennonite population. No matter how you think of Kitchener, this summary should be enough to illustrate one thing: it is no Jewish paradise.
Homemade Matzah Recipe Tips
Keep It Quick – To be kosher for Passover, mix, roll, and bake your matzo within 18 minutes. Work fast and roll the dough as thin as possible for a crisp texture.
Use the Right Ingredients – Traditional matzo is made with just flour and water. For a kosher Seder, use special Passover-approved flour with no prior liquid contact.
Store & Repurpose – Keep homemade matzo in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Crush leftovers for pie crusts, mix into trail mix, or use in soups and casseroles.
How to make matzah when you are away from everything
To be completely honest, when I first decided to spend Passover night in Kitchener, I didn't think too much of it. But then the phone calls and messaged started getting in, and it quickly became clear that the prospect of putting together an elaborate celebration for a holiday you know very little about may not be high on the list of two working parents of an 18-month-old, no matter how nice and accommodating they are.
And so, in the days leading up to our visit, G exchanged a slew of emails with his brother, detailing the various stages of the Seder night and providing a list of ingredients we would need to make that night at least semi Jewish, and fun for everyone involved.
We realized that things like matzo meal, cake meal, potato starch and the customary Seder plate would have to be brought along, packed alongside our shirts and underwear like presents from a bygone era (in G's words: "Jews during the Holocaust had to contend with a lot worse to celebrate the holiday, so shuttup").
But the closer we got to our departure date, the more I started worrying about the matzo recipe (also spelled as matzah crackers, if you're Israeli).
What is matzo?
The matzo (matza, or matzah) is the ubiquitous cracker of Passover, a dry, cardboard-like substance that Jewish kids like to smear with Hashachar chocolate spread and eat in a hurry, its tiny crumbs spreading over any surface within a one-mile radius.
It's the only bread most Jews will eat for the 7 days of Passover, and to most, much more of a burden than a boon. But above all else, matzo is also brittle, large, difficult to find in a non-Jewish area - and difficult to transport.
As this trip happened on the very first day I've had off after the end of the Jewish Food Project, I knew I wouldn't have time for fancy prep or the search for hard-to-find ingredients. And so, I was hoping I could magically find matzo in Kitchener or in my layover in Toronto, as I made my way through the St. Lawrence Market , or the urban scape of Queen Street West.
But when my hopes amounted to naught, I realized there would only be one recourse: to develop my own homemade matzo recipe.
Is making homemade matzos difficult?
I am happy to report that despite my fears and worries, this wasn't such a difficult task. It is very easy to make a stack of homemade matzos within 18 minutes, without a food processor or any fancy equipment!
The batter for the homemade matzos came together faster than it took me to google the recipe, and the practical aspect of baking these crackers involved no more than fastidious rolling and a (VERY) quick blast in a hot oven on a pizza stone or a pre-heated baking sheet.
Is Homemade Matzo Kosher for Passover?
If you make it exactly as I instruct, then yes, it will be! But not kosher for the Passover Seder.
To be kosher for Passover, a matzo recipe needs to rely on special flour that has been deemed as having no contact with liquids. A cook should take no more than 18 minutes (18 is a holy number in Judaism) from the moment they combine the flour and water to when the matzos have to leave the oven.
So while the timing is easy enough to achieve with my simple recipe, the only challenge is the kosher-for-Passover flour... But if you're in a dire situation and you want to have access to matzos for your Passover seder, then I think allowances can be made.
To be kosher for Passover eve, however, a matzo recipe must contain nothing but water and flour. Omit the salt and any flavourings to satisfy that requirement.
However, I feel that the goal of this homemade matzoh recipe is to provide an alternative that allows people to celebrate the spirit of Passover wherever they are.
Matzo a.k.a. Matzo Recipe Ingredients
To be kosher for Passover, a matzo recipe needs to be super basic! The ingredients of matzo are flour, water. You can also add a touch of salt. Matzo can be made with a variety of flours including wheat, spelt, barley, or rye. Some variations may also include eggs or oil to add flavor and texture. However, traditional matzo is made with just flour and water and is usually unleavened to adhere to Jewish dietary laws during Passover.
How to make Homemade matzo for Passover
Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) and place a pizza stone (ideally), pizza tray or a 10-by-15-inch baking sheet (realistically) on the bottom oven rack.
Mix the dough
In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients, using ¾ cup water to start, until they come together to form a dough.
Roll dough into 8 sheets
Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Working a piece at a time, flatten each ball slightly and roll it out as thinly as possible with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces. You can trim the dough pieces as well. Use a fork to prick holes in the surface of the dough.
lf salted matzo is desired, brush or spray the dough surface lightly with water and sprinkle with salt to taste.
Bake matzo sheets
Carefully place some of the pieces of dough onto the pizza stone, pizza tray or baking sheet. They should fit snugly. Bake until the surface of the matzo is golden brown and bubbly, 30 to 90 seconds.
Using tongs, carefully flip the homemade matzo pieces and continue to bake until the other side is golden browned and slightly blistered, 15 to 30 seconds. Just let the matzoh get a few dots of light brown; do not let the matzoh turn completely brown as it will taste burnt.
Keep careful, constant watch to keep the matzoh from burning; the exact baking time will vary from oven to oven and may get longer with subsequent batches.
How to store Homemade Matzo
Homemade matzo will last for 2-3 days without going stale in an airtight container outside the fridge.
The possibilities for using leftover matzo are endless, and with a little creativity, you can turn this versatile ingredient into a delicious and satisfying meal.
More Passover Recipes
For more delicious recipes to round out your passover table, try my homemade gefilte fish recipe or stick to the classic jewish chicken soup. Serve with a side of my grandmother's Russian jewish carrot tzimmes and chewy coconut macaroon pyramids for dessert.
Recipe
Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.
Last-minute homemade matzos
Equipment
- Baking sheets
Ingredients
- 4 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour plus more for rolling (I imagine a combination of whole wheat or spelt flours would also work great)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for sprinkling
- 4 tablespoons mild olive oil
- 1 cup warm water plus up to an additional ½ cup (I have used the whole 1.5 cups in my matzos)
- Flaky sea salt fresh herbs, dried herbs, garlic, or any other toppings you'd like (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) and place a pizza stone (ideally), pizza tray or a 10-by-15-inch baking sheet (realistically) on the bottom oven rack.
- In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients, using ¾ cup water to start, until they come together to form a dough. If the dough seems dry, add more water, a touch at a time.
- Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Working a piece at a time, flatten each ball slightly and roll it out as thinly as possible with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
- If you're looking for neat matzos, trim the rolled-out dough pieces into rectangles (I prefer the rustic look myself). Use a fork to prick holes in the surface of the dough.
- lf salted matzoh are desired, brush or spray the dough surface lightly with water and sprinkle with salt to taste.
- Carefully place some of the pieces of dough onto the pizza stone, pizza tray or baking sheet. They should fit snugly. Bake until the surface of the matzoh is golden brown and bubbly, 30 to 90 seconds. Using tongs, carefully flip the matzoh pieces and continue to bake until the other side is golden browned and lightly blistered, 15 to 30 seconds. Just let the matzoh get a few dots of light brown; do not let the matzoh turn completely brown as it will taste burnt. Keep careful, constant watch to keep the matzoh from burning; the exact baking time will vary from oven to oven and may get longer with subsequent batches.
Berta says
Speaking Russian and living abroad for most of my life has meant that I've met many people of Jewish background, but I don't know much about their traditions and/or religion. I really enjoyed this post, as well as your other similar posts. Please keep writing them 🙂
kseniaprints says
Yay! I'm glad someone is enjoying my ramblings about Jewish traditions. I love putting them to paper, but sometimes I wonder if anyone except other Jews is actually interested in this stuff - and considering the fact they know most of it already, I often don't know why I bother! But in all truth, I love sharing the beauty of Jewish traditions with my non-Jewish friends. There is so much we can learn from each other!
Berta says
Definitely 🙂
shoshybee says
I would hope you realise that these aren't actually kosher for the Passover Seder.
Passover matza is only flour and water. they can't have any other ingredients and your article is misleading for people who don't know any better...
kseniaprints says
Hi Shoshy, thank you for your thoughtful comment. I made an adjustment in the text that clarifies what changes need to be made to make this matzo kosher for passover eve.
Susan says
So glad I found this awesome recipe after not being able to find organic matzoh this year. This is much better than store bought!!! Thank you & Chag Pesach Sameach.
Deeba Kalanchvi says
I am so happy that I found your recipe. I tried it yesterday and it tasted amazing. Thank you so sharing it with us.
kseniaprints says
I'm so happy you liked it, Deeba!
Jere Cassidy says
I honestly never knew what matzo is so I was glad to your post and the reason for making it.
kseniaprints says
Thank you! It's a pretty big deal for Jewish households
Gwynn Galvin says
I've always wanted to learn how to make matzo. Thank you!
kseniaprints says
Hope this gives you the inspiration & push to try 😉
meryl says
Ksenia, Passover matza is just wheat flour, water and 18 min baking for use at the Seder . But if you can't eat wheat...is there a gluten free version which is not usable for the seder but can be enjoyed? Maybe even in matza brei, one of the most delicious things in life. Years ago, before gluten was a problem, I described it to my technician, students and post doc before the holiday - big eyes, pleading. I brought in a pan and the ingredients, we cleaned up the big lab hot plate, and voila, matza brei for 8 in 2 batches.
I tried a "gf matza" recipe. We never throw food out, there's always some wayto make it edible. Not with that!
kseniaprints says
Hi Meryl, I haven't been able to make a gluten free homemade matza that I like yet! I buy one that I use for matza brei and it's fine, but I haven't been able to land on a homemade one yet (I've tested chickpea flour and an all-rice flour one). You will be the first to know when I do!!!