Homemade Matzos
Victor Protasio
If you’ve only eaten matzos from a box, homemade ones are a revelation—light, fresh, and totally addictive. And even inexperienced bakers can make them; this recipe from Blake Joffe and Amy Remsen, owners of Beauty’s Bagel Shop in Oakland, California, has enough olive oil to make the dough supple and easy to handle.
How to Make It
Step 1
1
Set a pizza stone on an oven rack and heat oven to 500° for about 45 minutes (if you don't have a pizza stone, set a large baking sheet on a rack and heat until oven is hot).
Step 2
2
Put 2 1/4 cups flour, kosher salt, and oil in a food processor. With motor running, slowly add 1/2 cup water. Dough will come together into a ball and should feel soft and supple; if it is sticky at all, add more flour, 1 tbsp. at a time.
Step 3
3
Divide dough into 12 portions. Using a floured rolling pin, roll 1 portion at a time on a well-floured work surface into a round about 8 in. wide and just thin enough to see through. Lightly sprinkle with sea salt and press it in with your hands. Prick dough all over with a fork (this will prevent the dough from puffing up too much).
Step 4
4
Flour a wooden peel or back of a baking sheet generously and transfer dough to it. Gently slide dough onto hot pizza stone. Bake until matzo is light golden and crisp on each side and a bit darker at the edges, turning once with a wide spatula, 2 to 3 minutes total. Transfer matzo to a cooling rack and make remaining matzos the same way.
Step 5
5
Rebake any matzo that isn't crisp in the center, which may be the case if they baked on a baking sheet; put matzos on a rimmed baking sheet, reduce oven heat to 250°, and bake 15 to 25 minutes more.
Ingredients
About 2 3/4 cups flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup olive oil
About 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
Directions
Step 1
1
Set a pizza stone on an oven rack and heat oven to 500° for about 45 minutes (if you don't have a pizza stone, set a large baking sheet on a rack and heat until oven is hot).
Step 2
2
Put 2 1/4 cups flour, kosher salt, and oil in a food processor. With motor running, slowly add 1/2 cup water. Dough will come together into a ball and should feel soft and supple; if it is sticky at all, add more flour, 1 tbsp. at a time.
Step 3
3
Divide dough into 12 portions. Using a floured rolling pin, roll 1 portion at a time on a well-floured work surface into a round about 8 in. wide and just thin enough to see through. Lightly sprinkle with sea salt and press it in with your hands. Prick dough all over with a fork (this will prevent the dough from puffing up too much).
Step 4
4
Flour a wooden peel or back of a baking sheet generously and transfer dough to it. Gently slide dough onto hot pizza stone. Bake until matzo is light golden and crisp on each side and a bit darker at the edges, turning once with a wide spatula, 2 to 3 minutes total. Transfer matzo to a cooling rack and make remaining matzos the same way.
Step 5
5
Rebake any matzo that isn't crisp in the center, which may be the case if they baked on a baking sheet; put matzos on a rimmed baking sheet, reduce oven heat to 250°, and bake 15 to 25 minutes more.
