WHOLE GRAIN SPELT MATZOS

Whole Grain Spelt Matzos image

Whole grain spelt flour makes a deliciously addictive matzo. This unleavened flatbread is part of the Passover tradition for Jewish people but can also be enjoyed by anyone all year round.

Provided by Melissa Johnson

Categories Recipes

Time 26m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 4

Ingredients

1 cup whole grain spelt flour or 130g fresh-milled spelt berries
1/4 cup water or more if needed (60-70g)
2 Tbsp light olive oil (28g)
a pinch of salt (no more than 1/4 tsp)

Steps:

These instructions are to make a one batch of six matzos within 18 minutes. If you're not observing Passover though, you can take your time, and you may want to double or triple the recipe all at once, rather than bake in multiple start-to-finish batches.
Place a large baking sheet or pizza stone in your oven one level up from the middle shelf. Preheat to 475°F -- for about 20 minutes if you're using an aluminum baking sheet, and for about 30 minutes if you're using a stone. I used an aluminum sheet and found there was no need for parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Measure all the ingredients, and then mix them together in a bowl. (I used my hand from the get-go and segued into kneading with that messy hand.) If you want to make the matzo in less than 18 minutes, start the timer just before you add liquids to the flour.
Knead the dough on a clean surface for 2-3 minutes, and add more flour or water as needed to get a pliable and not-sticky consistency.
With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a very thin oval sheet about 1/16" to 1/8" thick (see the photo above). Use flour as needed to roll the sheet and shift it around.
With a fork or a pastry docker, poke holes on both sides of the sheet.
Cut the sheet into six pieces. If desired, trim the edges so you have rectangles. Then collect all the scraps, knead them into a ball, adding a few drops of water if needed to get the dough to come together. Then quickly roll out one more matzo (round) with this leftover dough and poke holes on both sides of it too.
Carefully pull your hot baking sheet from the oven, and transfer the matzos onto it.
Bake for 2 minutes, then flip over each matzo. Also turn your baking sheet around if one side is browning faster than the other.
Bake for another 2 minutes, keeping a close eye on the matzos during the last minute because if you happen to roll slightly thinner or thicker dough than I did, you may need a minute less or a minute more to get slight opacity of the matzos and a few brown spots.
Remove the matzos from the oven and cool them on a rack.
Once completely cooled, the matzos can be stored in an airtight container for several days or longer.