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Rambam’s “Poor Man’s Bread” (Lechem Oni) Recipe

Serves: 4 matzot
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 cup + 4 tbsp (180 g) wheat flour
    (not from thin bran or coarse bran)

  • ½ cup (125 ml) fresh orange juice
    (or pomegranate juice, grape juice, any fresh fruit juice or water)

Featured in Hélène Jawhara Piñer‘s Cookbook:

From the third book of Rambam’s Mishneh Torah (12th century CE), “Zemanim” (Times), Hametz u-Matzah, the laws of Passover:

5:20: “On the first day, it is forbidden to knead or baste [the matzot] with any other substance besides water; not because of the prohibition against chametz [yeast], but rather so [the matzah] will be ‘poor man’s bread.’ It is only on the first day that the ‘poor man’s bread must be commemorated.’”

6:5: “Matzah that was kneaded with fruit juice, one may fulfill one’s obligation with it on Pesach. However, [the dough] should not be kneaded with wine, oil, honey, or milk, because of the requirement for poor man’s bread, as explained above. A person who kneaded [dough with one of these liquids] does not fulfill his obligation. One cannot fulfill his obligation with matzah made from thin bran or coarse bran. However, one may knead flour together with its bran and make it into a loaf and fulfill one’s obligation with it. Similarly, a loaf made with very fine flour is permitted, and a person may fulfill his obligation with it. We do not say: this is not poor man’s bread.”

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 536°F (280°C) and line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Keep a rolling pin and a fork close to you; according to the rabbinic law above, for the matzah to be kosher for Passover the preparation should not be longer than 18 minutes from beginning to end.

2. Mix together the flour and the liquid, and knead the dough for 2 minutes. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and roll them into balls. Each ball should fit in the palm of your hand. Put them in the freezer for 2 minutes.

3. Lightly flour a work surface and a rolling pin, and spread each ball into a very thin layer of dough (about 6 inches in diameter). You can use a large cookie cutter if you would like a round shape.

4. Place the matzah on the foil-lined baking sheet, and prick it with a fork across its surface. Bake for 2 and a half minutes on one side and 30 seconds on the other side.

5. Remove from the oven and put on a cooling rack.