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Passover:message of freedom and recipe

ehgf@mindspring.com
Sun, 31 Mar 2002 03:13:23 +0800
v102.n015.7
Hi All,

It's Passover, a celebration of freedom, for those of the Jewish faith. 
Those of you who are still slaves to your sourdough starters can be free, 
too :-) I mean this in fun as I respect the devotion it takes to create and 
maintain starters. Been there and done that.

Those who read my post, "Sourdough Saga and Salvation", know that I broke 
the bonds of slavery and got rid of every (there were many) nasty looking, 
starter filled jar taking up room in my fridge. I at that time suggested 
the use of the very pricey Lalvain du Jour from King Arthur. This powdered 
starter takes up no room and is always potent. It's loaves can take 2 to 3 
days, start to finish, depending on your schedule or desire to retard the 
dough to its fullest. This is one way to have awesome sourdough without the 
maintenance requirements of the typical starter. One doesn't have to worry 
about not capturing the "right" wild yeast etc, since the desired culture 
is in the powder.

There is another solution and ironically, I first read about it in "Breads 
 From The La Brea Bakery. You see, I think making Nancy Silverton's starter 
was the beginning of the end. It was the best starter I have ever had and 
the breads produced with it were simply phenomenal. The 14 days it took to 
create, however, took it's toll. The shocked expressions on the faces of my 
family and coworkers as I schlepped this container of glop wherever I went 
so I could "feed" it according to schedule, was enough to realize that I 
had to take my life back. Nancy Silverton suggests that you preserve your 
starter by drying it yourself. She suggests that you pour a cup of starter 
or more in a thin layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow it to 
dry at room temperature for about 3 days. Once dry, she says to peel it off 
the paper and store it in a tightly, closed plastic bag. To revive, 
dissolve the dried pieces in 78 degree water, stirring to soften, Proceed 
to feed with flour and water per the starter's schedule until it regains 
it's former strength. Since her starter requires so much starter to be 
discarded, I did try to dry some. My first attempt somehow went wrong as 
the drying starter began to smell badly. My second attempt was successful, 
but I have not tried to revive it as yet.

Since the only bread I wish to eat at this time is unleavened bread, I 
would like to share a recipe for home made Matzo. I urge everyone to try 
this recipe since it is not difficult to make, will take 2 hours from start 
to finish and it is simply the most delicious cracker suitable for any 
occasion. Unfortunately, it is not kosher for Passover, so is not for those 
who are strictly observant of this holiday's customs. Don't be put off by 
all the details or notes that follow. They just help to make this recipe 
fool proof.

MATZOS
By Lauren Groveman from "Baking with Julia"

4 c unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 c sesame seeds (optional, but try not to leave out. I believe they
are responsible for the delicious flavor)
freshly ground pepper (optional, but again gives a good flavor boost)
2 t coarse salt, plus additional for the tops of matzos
1 1/2 c of warm (105 F to 115 F) water

"Position a rack in the lower third of the oven, remove the other rack, and 
preheat the oven to the highest setting below broil, probably 550 F. Invert 
a large baking sheet (not a black one) *Note: I found that he high heat 
warped my sheet so use one that you don't mind turning ugly* onto the oven 
rack and preheat it with oven.

Put the flour and the sesame seeds and pepper, if you're using them, *Note: 
I prefer to add the pepper to the top of the matzos so I can gauge how much 
I want on each*, into a large bowl; whisk just to combine the ingredients. 
Whisk the salt into the warm water, make a well into the center of the dry 
ingredients, and pour the water into the well. Using your hands, mix the 
wet and dry ingredients together until you get a dough that cleans the 
sides of the bowl. The dough  may seem a little dry and shaggy, but some 
kneading will improve its look. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured 
work surface and knead until smooth about 3 minutes.

Divide the dough into 12 pieces and keep all but the piece you are working 
with covered. *Note: A 5 minute rest will make rolling easier, but is not 
always necessary* Roll the dough out on the floured surface until it is as 
thin as you can possibly roll it.You can aim for a rectangle that's about 8 
inches by 12 inches, but you're likely to end up with an oval, a circle, or 
a trapezoid of some sort. The irregular shapes you create are part of the 
charm. What's most important is that you roll the dough to an even 
thinness. Use as much flour as you need to keep the dough moving and turn 
the dough over occasionally as you roll to help you get the thinnest, most 
even sheet. Prick the dough all over with a docker or the tines of a fork 
and sprinkle the top lightly with the coarse salt. Run your hands over the 
dough to help the salt stick to the surface, but don't press down. *Note: 
Read my alternative instructions on how to prepare the matzo as well as get 
it in the oven*

Open the oven door, hold the sheet of dough by one end, and flip or fan it 
onto the hot baking sheet, as you would unfurl a beach towel, so that the 
portion of the dough that goes in first is near the back of oven. Try to do 
this as quickly as you can- you don't want to lose too much oven 
heat.(Don't worry about the salt that slides off the top). *Note: I have 
found this method very tricky to pull off. I've even burned myself trying 
it. Here is my modified method: After rolling dough out, I place it on a 
lightly floured peel. An inverted baking sheet could be used as well. I 
lightly spray the matzo with water prior to sprinkling with some salt and 
pepper as I believe this helps them stick better. After running my hand 
lightly over the spices, I prick the surface with a fork. I then with a 
quick pull back motion, deposit the matzo on the heated baking 
sheet*  Close the oven door and set a timer for exactly 1 minute. At the 
end of 1 minute, turn the matzo over (fingers work best here, but be very 
careful - this is an extremely hot oven), and bake for another (precisely 
timed) minute. The matzo is done when it is golden, blistered, and crisp. 
If the matzo needs more time, continue to bake it, turning it often for 20 
second intervals, until it is lightly golden and crisp. Keep your eye on 
it-....since each matzo needs close attention and not all the matzos will 
bake for the same amount of time. *Note: It is best to roll your dough out 
as close to the oven as possible. That way you can flip and remove matzos 
while preparing the next one to go* When baked, transfer the matzo to a 
cooling rack and continue with the rest of the batch.

The matzos will keep for several days at room temperature. Cover them 
lightly with foil and if the weather's humid, heat them in a moderate oven 
for a minute or two before serving- their crisp will come back."

These crackers are gorgeous in their rustic appearance and sublime with 
just butter or a wedge of cheese. Don't try subbing some whole wheat flour. 
I tried it once and the end result was not as good.

Enjoy!
Happy Easter and Happy Passover to you all!

Ellen aka Gormay