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Unleavened Bread: What is it? 

When the people of Israel fled Egypt during the first Passover, there was no time for their bread to rise. So as they journeyed to the land promised by God, they relied on unleavened bread to sustain them. To remember their journey, and to commemorate our own yearly walk into new freedom, we are a people that celebrate the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread.

This year, the Feast runs April 9^th-15^th, so mark your calendars! Today we rid our lives of common leavening agents. The major culprits of today are yeast, baking powder, and baking soda. Not only will we be preparing food without them, but we also remove them entirely from our pantries and homes.

Just as a little leaven affects an entire loaf, unchecked sin multiplies in our lives.  The Spring Holidays invite us into freedom. And the Feast of Unleavened Bread invites us into holiness and freedom from sin. And by removing leavening products, we are renewing our commitment to the removal of sin in our lives. As a result, we eat matzah, or unleavened bread. And we eat a lot of it…

With a little creativity, matzah can find a place in almost all your favorite recipes—bread, pizza crust, and lasagna noodles. I have even seen some pretty creative matzah cakes and matzah-bread houses (in lieu of gingerbread houses).

If you are new to unleavened bread, here is Susan Boyd’s fail proof recipe.

The Recipe: How to Make it 

¼ cup white flour

¾ cup whole wheat flour

¼ tsp. salt

¼ cup oil

2 Tbsp. cold water

Sesame seeds (optional)

Stir flour and salt together. Add oil to flour and mix with a fork. Sprinkle the cold water over the dough and mix it in. Roll the dough onto a cookie sheet, score it into squares, and pierce with a fork.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Because of the small number of ingredients and the quick turnaround time, baking unleavened bread is a great way to engage your kids during the holiday. Not only does it create an opportunity to share the stories of Passover, but it also builds traditions that your children will pass along to their future generations.

Unleavened bread may sound intimidating, but like most things Yahweh invites us into, it is pretty simple.  And it is full of rich goodness. So go ahead, start planning your unleavened recipes. You won’t regret it.

Be sure to look for our post sharing Susan’s GF Passover Almond Danish Pastry.