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The Rambam rules that if flour is mixed with fruit juice but no water, it cannot become chametz (הלכות חמץ ומצה פרק ה) :

ב חמשת מיני דגן אלו--אם לשן במי פירות בלבד, בלא שם מים בעולם--אינם באין לידי חימוץ; אלא אפילו הניחן כל היום עד שנתפח כל הבצק, הרי זה מותר באכילה: שאין מי פירות מחמיצין, אלא מסריחין. ומי פירות, הן כגון יין וחלב ודבש וזית ומי תפוחים ומי רימונים וכל כיוצא בהן משאר יינות ושמנים ומשקין--והוא, שלא יתערב בהן שם מים בעולם; ואם נתערב בהן מים כל שהוא, הרי אלו מחמיצין.

The Shulchan Aruch paskens this way also, but the Rema says we have a minhag to be machmir for healthy people.

Nowadays, we can use baking soda and flour to make all sorts of chametz-like food with without adding any water, e.g. cookies, cake or mezonos rolls. I had two questions:

  1. Do any Sefardi poskim prohibit such foods on Pesach? (Perhaps since baking soda makes it even more chametz-like?)
  2. Do Sefardim actually eat such foods on Pesach?
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    Take a look at the Papachado cookies which Hacham Ovadia and his son Hacham Yishak =]
    – Hacham Gabriel
    Commented Mar 24, 2013 at 4:23
  • (cont') say are Mutar but Hacham Yaakov Yosef says they are Asur because they are not careful enough to make there sure there is no water.
    – Hacham Gabriel
    Commented Mar 24, 2013 at 4:49
  • papouchado.co.il/?id=118
    – Robert S. Barnes
    Commented Apr 4, 2015 at 20:43

1 Answer 1

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According to this article, we do :-)

THE LAWS OF PESACH by Rav David Brofsky Shiur #2: The Laws of Pesach Defining Chametz (1)

R. Yosef Karo (Shulchan Arukh 462:1-4) rules in accordance with the view of Rabbeinu Tam and the Rambam, who permit matzot made with fruit juice. The Rema, however, concludes that Ashkenazim should refrain from eating matza ashira, but the elderly and sick may eat matza ashira when necessary.

To this day, Sephardic Jews eat matza ashira for the duration of the festival (except for the mitzva of akhilat matza on the first night), while Ashkenazic Jews refrain from eating matza ashira. Some Sephardic Jews refrain from eating matza ashira during Pesach out of fear that the egg matza or other matza ashira products contain water. The Mishna Berura (15) explains that Ashkenazim are concerned with the opinion of Rashi, and are also concerned that the fruit juice mixed with the flour contains some water as well. He adds (18) that one may keep matza ashira in his possession until after the festival.

EDIT 16/4/2016

Here is such a product, made in Bnai Brak here in Israel:

enter image description here

It's made with special flour for matzot, sugar, soya oil, wine and eggs. I'd like to emphasize that this is not matza flour, but flour for matzot.

On the heksher it says, "According to the ruling of Rav Ovadia Yosef" and the Rabbanut of Holon.

I'm still not sure why this was voted down.

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    That's flour + juice in less than 18 minutes. I'm not aware of anyone who follows the Rambam that you could do flour + juice + hours and hours.
    – Shalom
    Commented Apr 7, 2015 at 11:04
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    It's just not available on the market, but otherwise we would.
    – 147zcbm
    Commented Apr 7, 2015 at 12:22
  • @Shalom The Shulchan Aruch rules like the Rambam regarding kneading. See the same article: "[Shulchan Aruch] similarly rules like the Rambam in permitting one to work the dough for the entire day, although the concerns of the Terumat Ha-Deshen and the Rosh are also recorded."
    – Robert S. Barnes
    Commented Apr 7, 2015 at 16:21
  • @147zcbm www.papouchado.co.il/?id=118
    – Robert S. Barnes
    Commented Apr 7, 2015 at 16:23
  • @RobertS.Barnes oh yeah we have those all the time. They're delicious.
    – 147zcbm
    Commented Apr 7, 2015 at 18:00

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