Three-Egg Basic Pasta Dough

Best for machine rolling.

Favorite Vegetarian servings5 – 6 addedMay 2018

  1. Ensure that ingredients are at room temperature.
  2. Mound the flour in the center of a large wooden board or other work surface or in a large bowl to form a flour “volcano” with a “crater” in the middle. Pour the eggs and water into the crater. (For the all-yolk dough, lightly beat together the yolks and water in a small bowl, then pour into the crater.)
  3. Using a table fork, begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim. As more flour gets incorporated, push the flour up to maintain the crater shape so the egg doesn’t run out. (If the egg does run out, scrape up the liquid with a bench scraper or the side of a spatula and add it back into the mass.)
  4. If using the bowl, once about half the flour has been incorporated and the mixture has formed a shaggy mass, transfer the dough to a work surface, preferably a wooden board.
  5. Dust the board lightly with flour and begin to knead the dough. Keep incorporating the flour, turning the dough mass over several times while kneading so that the moist side of the dough is exposed to the flour, encouraging the flour to be absorbed. Scrape up and discard any leftover hard bits of dough.
  6. Use the heel of your palm to push the dough down and away, then fold the edge back over top to keep a basically round dough ball. Rotate the dough mass clockwise about 90 degrees each time if you are left-handed and counterclockwise if right-handed.
  7. Continue kneading the dough about 5 minutes, or until the dough is cohesive and moderately smooth. (Running the dough through the pasta sheeter will develop the gluten further, making it smooth and elastic.) If making stuffed pasta, the dough should stick lightly to your fingers. For pasta to be cut in sheets or in strips, add enough extra flour to make a firmer dough that releases easily from your fingers.
  8. The small bubbles that start to appear on the surface are a sign that the gluten has developed completely and the dough has been sufficiently kneaded.
  9. Form the dough into a smooth, round ball, pulling from the outside to the center on the bottom, so the bottom portion joins together in the center and the top is completely smooth. Cover the dough with a bowl, a damp cloth, or wrap it in plastic and allow it to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling. The dough will continue to absorb flour as it rests and relaxes.

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