Spring brings warmer temperatures, budding trees and the smell of fresh-baked unleavened bread. With the beginning of the sacred year (April 1), Passover and the Night to Be Much Observed (April 14), and the Days of Unleavened Bread (April 15-21), pcg bakers are getting ready to obey God’s command from Exodus 12: “Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread.” We asked ministers’ wives at the headquarters congregation to share their favorite, tried-and-true recipes that they make for their families during this festival. Here are several recipes for savory and sweet, classic and new breads that you might want to bake for your family during this feast of Unleavened Bread.
Classic unleavened breads
Whole Wheat Unleavened Bread
- 5 cups whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
- 1½ cups butter, softened
- ½ cup honey
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 cups whipping cream
Cut butter into flour. Add rest of ingredients. Mix well.Roll out dough to ¼-inch thickness. Cut into circles.Bake at 325°F for 12 to 15 minutes.
Wheat Bran Unleavened Bread
- ½ lb. of whole wheat flour
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 lb. butter
- Salt, honey, raisins and/or nuts, to taste
Mix flour and bran. Mix butter with sugar (or honey) and salt.Mix eggs with milk. Then, join butter to the flour mixture.Next, add eggs with milk. Mix all until smooth. Pour onto a greased pan.Bake in a preheated oven (325°F) for about 45 minutes.
Cottage Cheese Crescent Rolls
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 2-3 cups whole wheat flour
- ¼ tsp. salt
Sift flour and salt together. In a separate bowl, mix softened butter and cottage cheese until smooth. Add lightly beaten egg and mix well. Slowly add flour and mix till smooth.Divide dough into 3 small, round flat disks. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.Roll out each disk into a circle on floured board; cut into pie-shaped wedges.Roll up each wedge and place on greased or parchment-lined baking sheet with point tucked underneath. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Norwegian Lefsa
- ⅓ cup butter
- ½ cup flour
- 1 tbsp. granulated sweetener
- 1 tsp. salt
Combine dry ingredients. Cut butter into flour mixture. Add potatoes.Take 1-2 inch balls and roll out on floured counter into 1/4-inch thickness.Cook on dry skillet, medium temperature. Flip to cook both sides (similar to tortillas).Enjoy as a savory bread or as a sweet bread with butter, cinnamon and sugar.
Specialty unleavened breads
Unleavened Pear Bread
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup granulated natural sweetener
- ¾ cup oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. salt
- 4 cups finely chopped peeled ripe pears
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
In a bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla. In a different bowl, combine flour, cinnamon and salt. Stir into egg mixture just until moistened. Stir pears and walnuts into batter. Spoon into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes or until done.Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
Cheese Biscuits With Cayenne
- 2 cups flour
- ½ lb. butter
- 1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 tsp. cayenne
- ½ tsp. salt
Mix dry ingredients; then add butter and cheese. Form into small balls. Bake for 10 minutes in a 400°F oven.
Goat Cheese and Pecan Crackers
- ⅓ cup pecans, finely chopped
- 8 oz. fresh goat cheese
- 4 oz. (8 tbsp.) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose whole wheat flour
- Pinch coarse salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
- ¼ cup milk
- Parsley leaves
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread pecans evenly on small baking sheet and toast in oven until fragrant, (5-7 minutes). Set aside and leave to cool. Combine goat cheese and butter in bowl of electric mixer and beat until smooth. Add flour, toasted pecans, salt and pepper and mix until just combined and crumbly. Add milk and mix until mixture comes together. Dough will be quite stiff. Divide dough evenly into three disks. Wrap two in plastic wrap; set aside. On lightly floured work surface roll out unwrapped disk to a 12x15-inch rectangle.Carefully fold dough in half and transfer to a baking sheet. Unfold and prick entire surface with a fork at 1-to-2-inch intervals. Mark with a knife into squares or rectangles. Brush dough very lightly with water and press parsley leaves over dough. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. Repeat with remaining dough.
Gluten-free unleavened breads
Cheese Rounds
- ¾ cup butter
- ½ cup almond meal
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Dash of salt
- 2 tsp. paprika
Cream butter until light and fluffy. Add cheese, flour, salt, seeds and paprika.Form into dough ball. Chill for 2 hours. Shape into small, even balls.Place on parchment paper. Sprinkle with extra seeds. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes—do not brown.Cool on sheet. Remove carefully after cooling.
Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- ¾ cup honey
- ¾ cup oil
- 1½ cups mashed bananas
- ½ tsp. salt
- 4 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup raisins
Beat honey and oil. Stir in bananas and salt. Gradually blend in oats, walnuts and raisins. Drop onto greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F.
Mock Matzo
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- ⅓ cup almond meal
- 1 tbsp. flaxseed meal
- 2 tbsp. solid coconut oil
- 3 tbsp. warm water
- ¼ tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 450°F. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Mix coconut oil into the dry ingredients using your hands. Add water a little at a time until the dough makes a ball and isn’t too sticky. Knead well, making sure there are no big chunks of coconut oil. If the dough is sticky, add additional potato starch. Take walnut-sized pieces and press with your fingers onto the parchment-covered baking sheet until flat and thin. Smooth out edges, if desired, and use a fork to prick rows of holes. Cook for 10 minutes, watching carefully to make sure they don’t get overdone. (Slightily under-baking is better than over-baking.) Remove from oven as soon as edges become slightly brown and while the tops are still white.