The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-02-10
UNIEAVENED BRED.
Cincinnati Bakers Are Three Months Prepar-
ing for the Passover.

ing for the Passover.
Over three thousand years ago the Israelites
made their exodus from bondage under Egypt
ian rulers, and ever since that time the week
following the fifteenth day Of the first Hebrew
month, the month of Nissan, has been set aside
for commemoration Of their departure. IL
was on the night of the fourteenth OF Nisan
that the Hebrews. now numbering o.OOO00O
were led TO freedom by Moses. In chapters
twelve and thirteen of Genesis the manner Of
celebration on the first night of the feast Is
partly told, and there il is commanded that un-
leavened bread be eaten on the first night and
no leaven be kept in the house at any time
during the week This Is in remembrance OF
the fact that the Jews in their hurry to leave
Egypt were forced 10 take along unleavened
bread. which they had to bake Ill the SUM-
This observance has been kept up by the Jews
at all times, in all places and under all clrcum-
stances great many lsraelites have sep
arate set of dishes to he used once year
during this week only, AM those who have not
an extra set of dishes Sour out their dishes
thoroughly. In Europe when they happen TO
have any bread or other sort of leayen IN
the house the housewife locks the pantry and
hands over the key 10 some old Christian
friend of hers to keep it till the feast Is over
The making of these unleavened cakes
called matzos has come 10 be quite an indus
try in this country. For three months before
the feast of Passover the matzo bakers are
busy. and nearly 5000 900 matzOs are baked IN
this city from the middle of January TO the
middle of April. This represents about
S4450O0.
Said the head baker at Moses Bing. Jr.'s,
bakery: We make about 8 900 matzos day,
for which we use four barrels of -four.
DO YOU use the ordinary four"
"Yes. but the finest quality and has TO be
examined by a Hebrew. who judges whether
il is satisfactory. We buy ours in this city.
Then the water used must be put into vessel
before shutdown and remain TO settle for the
whole night This bakery is for baking I'M
leavened bread only. and everything is espe-
cially gotten for this bakery, even to the rags
we use"
How do you prepare the -FOUR"
1--WE take say fifteen pounds of -four. and
mixing il with water. we put 1t into copper
kettle where it is thoroughly mixed. Then
this man, the knesder, takes it. and on this
block, by means of pressing on this heavy
beam, he knesds the dough to the proper CO.
hesiveness." The reporter saw block on
top of which was q beam four feet long fas-
tened by spring at the back of the block,
and there was man jumping on and on the
BEAM so as to make "A sort of artificial knead-
er. the beam rising when the man jumped on.
1T is then taken TO the next room" said the
baker "and about a third of it at time Is
passed seven times through these rollers,
which, YOU see are arranged like clothes
wringer's rollers, only these are iron. Having
been so pressed, it is of the proper thickness.
Care has to be taken here that while one piece
of dough is being pressed the other pieces
should not become too hard therefore man
is continually beating them. The piece of
dough, now a strip ten inches wide by ten feet
long, is put under the hands of a man. who
uses q roller much like the ordinary dough
roller. except that there are sharp projections
sticking out all around TO make the little holes
in the cakes Next TO him is a man with a
sharpened Wheel which he uses to cut the
strip into pieces, each the length of a cake
These pieces are put into an oven and. IN two
minutes they are DONE"
And the gentleman handed the reporter a
matzo, which was almost tasteless except for
the slight browning il had received.
Are these cakes made the same way in Eu-
roper"
Women knead the dough by hand and the
cakes are thicker than we make them here.
'Matzos cost about ten cents pound, and
the meal which we make by grinding broken
matzos costs eleven cents pound. We make
100 pounds of meal a day.-Cincinnati Times
Star.