Thank you a lot, you and your family should have countless blessing from your baking on Erev Pesach. It is an unforgettable experience, it’s very moving and it’s unfortunate that we are so ignorant it’s unfeasible. I recall being told that 18 minutes is really a spiritual number and a fence against the strict prohibition, that we don’t get chometz gamur at 18 minutes, but that we have to go by the 18min and be careful and as you wrote, in 7-8 minutes (and a lot of sweat) it’s finished, if there are enough people one can do a little bit quicker (6 min or so, if I recall right). As for the salt, I remember asking as a child, it’s clear that old-style salt is wet and thus we never use in Pesach cookies (those we make with flour and egg / oil / honey etc) but modern salt, what is wrong with it, and could we not put it in the oven so we make sure it’s dry? Even non-shmura flour (fit for Pesach) may have a little bit of humidity and we are not concerned. I was told this too is a spiritual concept, and I was told something about not using salt and water to bake (which we may imagine is ok to do in a similar way it is possible to add fruit juice or egg or wine etc. to matza – my grandfather was Sefardi) lest it quickens the process. I can’t remember the details, years later I asked Rabbis and I was told we don’t use salt, not even if it’s completely dried, to bake Pesach cookies; and in regards to matzot and salt, my husband has never heard about it, he was not told is forbidden nor is permissible. Sadly there is no one left to ask, from either families. Thank you again.
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