flipMinchah, Fine Flour Cakes with Oil and Salt
Minchah, Fine Flour Cakes with Oil and Salt
Why this dish? In the Book of Job, it is God himself who invokes Behemoth to remind man of his smallness before the Creator. What could be more fitting than an offering turned toward that Creator? The minchah, a cake of fine flour kneaded with oil and salted with the "covenant of salt," is the humblest and purest tribute in Leviticus—unleavened bread that rises in smoke toward Him who shaped the great beast.
Small flat unleavened cakes, kneaded with fine flour and olive oil, salted according to the covenant of salt, baked golden on a hot stone. Simple, noble, without sugar or leaven—the offering in its nakedness.
Lift your eyes to Him who made me, first of His works, and do not come before Him empty-handed. You have no flock? Bring the finest of your flour. Knead it with fresh oil, put neither leaven nor honey—nothing that sours or swells—but never forget the salt, for salt is the sign of the covenant that cannot be broken. Make small cakes, let them brown on the hot stone: their smoke rises straight, and that is enough. The Most High, who has laid me among the reeds, accepts the gift of the heart as much as that of the rich.
- •Fine wheat flour (semolina) — one measure (base)
- •Virgin olive oil — enough to knead (fat and binder)
- •Salt — a generous pinch (salt of the covenant)
- •Water — a little (hydration)
- •Frankincense (olibanum) — a few grains (burned as tribute, not eaten)
Minchah, Fine Flour Cakes with Oil and Salt
Small flat unleavened cakes, kneaded with fine flour and olive oil, salted according to the covenant of salt, baked golden on a hot stone. Simple, noble, without sugar or leaven—the offering in its nakedness.
Why this dish? In the Book of Job, it is God himself who invokes Behemoth to remind man of his smallness before the Creator. What could be more fitting than an offering turned toward that Creator? The minchah, a cake of fine flour kneaded with oil and salted with the "covenant of salt," is the humblest and purest tribute in Leviticus—unleavened bread that rises in smoke toward Him who shaped the great beast.
Lift your eyes to Him who made me, first of His works, and do not come before Him empty-handed. You have no flock? Bring the finest of your flour. Knead it with fresh oil, put neither leaven nor honey—nothing that sours or swells—but never forget the salt, for salt is the sign of the covenant that cannot be broken. Make small cakes, let them brown on the hot stone: their smoke rises straight, and that is enough. The Most High, who has laid me among the reeds, accepts the gift of the heart as much as that of the rich.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fine wheat flour (semolina) — one measure (base)
- Virgin olive oil — enough to knead (fat and binder)
- Salt — a generous pinch (salt of the covenant)
- Water — a little (hydration)
- Frankincense (olibanum) — a few grains (burned as tribute, not eaten)
Ingredients
- Fine semolina or all-purpose flour — 300 g (base)
- Extra virgin olive oil — 6 tbsp (+ a little for brushing) (fat and binder)
- Fine salt — 1 tsp (seasoning)
- Warm water — about 120 ml (hydration)
Method
- Mix flour and salt, make a well and pour in olive oil.
- Add warm water gradually and knead until a smooth, supple dough forms, without leaven. Rest 20 minutes.
- Shape small flat cakes by hand, about 1 cm thick.
- Cook on a very hot baking sheet or stone (or dry pan) 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden and slightly puffed.
- Brush with a drizzle of olive oil upon removal and finish with a last pinch of salt.
How it was made : Leviticus describes the minchah baked "in the oven, on a griddle, or in a pan": fine flour, oil, and frankincense, but no leaven or honey on the altar, for they ferment. A portion of frankincense was burned as a "pleasing aroma" and the rest went to the priests. Salt was mandatory—"the salt of the covenant of your God."
The contemporary twist : Served warm with a drizzle of new oil and a veil of za'atar: the oldest offering becomes the purest appetizer.
Sources : Leviticus 2:1-13 (the minchah, offering of flour, oil, frankincense, and salt) · Job 40:15-24 (God invokes Behemoth)
Behemoth · Charactorium
