Matzah Ashirah- Egg Matzah

Matzah Ashira (Egg Matzah)

In Peninei Halacha, Pesach, by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, we find the following rather definitive statement about eating so called egg matzah on Pesach.

“The hametz that the Torah forbids, is comprised of flower and water (only). If flour was kneaded with fruit juice – even if the dough sits a full day and rises- it is not considered hametz since (sic) rising of this kind is different from the type forbidden by the Torah.  The category of “fruit juice” (mei peirot) includes wine, honey, milk, eggs, and oil, in addition to all juices squeezed from a fruit, like apple or berry juice.  Because fruit juice does not cause dough to become hametz, one may knead, bake, and eat such dough on Pesach.  Never the less, one would not fulfill the mitzvah of matzah on the first night of Pesach with it, because the Torah calls matzah “lechem oni”(poor man’s bread).  Matzah made from fruit juice is “matzah ashira” (rich man’s bread).  In English, this is colloquially known as egg matzah.  It contains more than a taste of just flour and water.”

If, however, even a tiny drop of water drips into the fruit juice mixed dough, the whole thing becomes forbidden, as adding water can actually hasten the process and make the dough hametz.  As a result, the rabbis forbade mixing dough with fruit juice and water during Pesach (SA 462:1-3)

Ashkenazic custom has been to not allow “egg matzah” out of fear that some water might have gotten into the dough.   We do not see this as a credible threat in today’s modern food plants with rigorous supervision.