It’s often difficult to find recipes that fit into a spiritual and wholistic diet. However, this morning, I found a recipe for Authentic Israeli Unleavened Bread on a wonderful website called The Biblical Nutritionist. This is the website for Annette Reeder, a Christian nutritionist, international speaker, and have been a biblical health coach for over 20 years. She has several nutrition and diet courses based on biblical studies.
The recipe on her website for Israeli Unleavened Bread grabbed my attention because it reminded me so much of “Bannock“. If you’re not familiar with bannock, it is a type of bread that goes back to pioneer times. It is believed that Scottish fur traders introduced bannock to Native Americans in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Many of the native cultures around North America have a version of bannock or unleavened bread as well. Flour tortillas would fall into this category. There are also flatbread recipes around the world some with leavening some without, including Roti, chapati, pita, Aish Baladi (Egypt), and Himbasha (Ethiopian)..just to name a few.
Bannock and Israeli Unleavened Bread are almost identical, only differing by one ingredient: a leavening agent such as baking powder.
Why “Unleavened” Bread?
The use of unleavened bread in Israeli and Christian tradition is mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Exodus.
Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters.
Exodus 13:7
It is seen as a symbol of the Israelites “haste when they escaped from slavery in Egypt.” According to tradition, God commanded the Israelites to celebrate the event with a feast of unleavened bread.
This is why God commanded the Israelites to commemorate this event by celebrating the feast of unleavened bread. By eating this kind of bread, they will always remember the victory that God has given them to enter the promised land.
The Biblical Nutritionist
Comparing Bannock and Israeli Unleavened Bread
Basic Bannock Recipe
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- enough water to make a soft dough
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup water
Below is Annette’s Israeli Unleavened Bread instruction video:
