Take part in all the Passover festivities no matter your food allergies with this easy-to-make homemade gluten free matzo.
I’ve always enjoyed Passover. It’s a big holiday in my family. My aunt throws a big seder (a feast filled with wine, good food, singing and the story of Passover) every year. All my aunts, uncles and cousins come. We read through the Haggadah (a guide to the story of Passover) and eat all the delicious Passover food. The big food rule to be followed during Passover is that you aren’t supposed to eat chametz (anything made from wheat, barley, rye, oats, or spelt that has been allowed to ferment and rise). Some Jewish people also avoid kitniyot, which refers to legumes but also extends to things like rice, corn, soybeans, and lentils. So basically, Passover is the one time of year people understand what it’s like to have food allergies–everyone has to eat how I eat every day!
That said, matzo, unleavened bread that is a Passover staple, is not gluten free. It’s still made with wheat; it’s simply unleavened. You can find gluten free matzo in certain stores, but since I don’t need a whole box of the stuff for myself, I decided to try my hand at making my own!
I started by making a gluten free all purpose flour blend. I have a bunch of different gluten free flours in my pantry, so I pulled them out and threw a little bit of each into the mix. I used a decent amount of almond flour in this recipe, which is why my matzo looks more like whole wheat matzo than plain, but I promise it’s yummy!
All you do is mix your ingredients in a bowl (or in a food processor if you’re lazy like me), roll out your dough, cut it into pieces and stick it in the oven for a few minutes to crisp it up. All you need is 15-20 minutes and you’re ready to Passover-it-up!
Ok, Nicole. I kind of want to try this. But once I have my matzo made, what exactly do I do with it?
I’m glad you asked! These are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy matzo:
Ways to Eat Matzo
- With a little butter or margarine. Matzo is generally a little salty, so eating it plain with a little butter is a great snack.
- With almond butter and jelly. I LOVE this combo. It’s a little Passover PBJ. Well… ABJ.
- With eggs! Use it like toast and have some in the morning with some scrambled eggs and avocado on top.
- With charoset. Charoset, a fruit and nut relish of sorts, is another Passover staple. My aunt typically makes charoset with apples, cinnamon and walnuts like this one.
Now that you have a few ideas on how to use your matzo, let’s get to making it!
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown rice flour
- 2/3 cup potato flour
- 1/3 cup tapioca flour
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 2 cups all purpose gluten free flour blend
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 6-8 Tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
- Make your all purpose gluten free flour blend by mixing all ingredients in a bowl.
- Add all the dry matzo ingredients to a bowl or food processor.
- Slowly drizzle in olive oil as you stir (or pulse processor).
- Add water a tablespoon at a time until your dough forms into a ball without crumbling.
- Dust a counter with more all-purpose flour.
- Press your dough out and then roll into a square (you can trim the edges to get the right shape).
- Cut into four squares and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Gently poke each matzo in lines with a fork (this is optional. It just gives it that matzo look).
- Spray the tops of each matzo with a little cooking spray and bake for 12 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
- Let cool and enjoy!
Let’s Chat:
How do you eat your matzo?
Love this, such a great idea! I can’t wait to give this recipe a try.