Homemade Matzo with Horseradish Butter Recipe

Active Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs

Yield:

8 servings

Chef Hillary Sterling created these blistered wood-oven-baked Matzo with Horseradish Butter for a special Passover dinner. Her crispy, golden brown, bubbly homemade matzo may not conform to the most stringent religious standards, but they're miles better than store-bought. Crumble leftovers over soup or use them to whip up Matzo Brei.

Frequently asked questions

What is matzo made of?

At its most basic, matzo contains only two ingredients: flour and water. This recipe also includes salt and olive oil for flavor. Some versions are prepared with egg; various other flavorings can be used as well, such as onion, poppy seed, and honey.

How should matzo be rolled out?

For the lightest, crispiest matzo, be sure to roll out the dough as thin as possible. Most bakers simply use a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface, but some employ the help of a pasta maker to get the job done. Here, we aim for 11- x 8-inch rectangles, but the shape is not as crucial as rolling the dough very thin. Feel free to trim the edges for perfect rectangles, or forgo a specific shape altogether for a more rustic appeal.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

To make the horseradish butter, you'll start by roasting a head of garlic, which produces slightly caramelized, creamy cloves with a bit less bite than raw garlic. The recipe calls for only a single roasted clove, so you'll have lots left over for another use. For longer storage, place the cloves in a single layer on a lined baking sheet or plate and freeze the garlic until it's hard, then transfer to a small container or zip-close bag and return to the freezer until you're ready to use.

Ingredients

Horseradish Butter

1 medium garlic head
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted 83% (European-style) butter (such as Kerrygold) (4 ounces), softened
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon grated fresh horseradish
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Matzo

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 11 3/4 ounces), plus more for dusting
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

Directions

Make the horseradish butter

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut off and discard tip of garlic head, exposing tops of cloves. Drizzle trimmed garlic head with 1 tablespoon oil and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven until garlic is tender and lightly caramelized, about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Gently squeeze garlic cloves from garlic head, discarding skins. Place one of the roasted garlic cloves in a food processor. Reserve remaining roasted garlic cloves for another use.
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet over medium. Add chopped garlic; cook, stirring often, until garlic is tender but not brown, about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Remove from heat; transfer chopped garlic to food processor.
Add butter, prepared horseradish, fresh horseradish, salt, and lemon zest to food processor; process until combined, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Serve at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to one week.

Make the matzo

Place a pizza stone on middle oven rack. Preheat oven to 500°F. Stir together flour, water, olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until well combined and a dough forms. Lightly coat a second large bowl with oil. Transfer dough to oiled bowl; cover and let stand 15 minutes.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; divide into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into an 11- x 8-inch rectangle. Gently poke holes all over rolled dough using a fork. Brush dough rectangles lightly with oil and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Working in batches, transfer dough rectangles to hot pizza stone. Bake in preheated oven until bubbly and golden brown in spots, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely, about 10 minutes. Serve with horseradish butter. Store matzo in a zip-close bag at room temperature up to 3 days.

Originally appeared: April 2019