Sometimes it can be difficult to feel connected to an event that happened so long ago, but sometimes we also have ways of recreating that event. To get a sense of how quickly the Israelites had to flee Egypt, so quickly, we are told, that they did not even have time for their bread to rise, here is the recipe for Matzah, that we are eating tonight:

  • 4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
  • 2 tablespoons mild olive oil (or, if you’re not keeping kosher for passover, you can substitute canola oil)
  • 3/4 cup plus up to 1/4 cup warm water

Mix the ingredients and roll out the dough into eight large pieces. Bake in an oven preheated to 500 degrees for about a minute on one side and then turn and bake for thirty more seconds on one side. In order for this to be considered matzah, the entire process from the time the flour touches the water must take less than 18 minutes

This is all the Israelites had time to do before leaving Egypt.


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haggadah Section: Yachatz