Chef Anne's All-Purpose Pasta Dough

By lorik

Ingredients

• Variation from Fine Cooking:
• 1 pound all-purpose flour
• 4 whole eggs, plus 1 yolk
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 1 to 2 tablespoons water or more if needed
• Serves 4
• 3-1/4 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 105mins
Cooking time 105mins
Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Preparation

Step 1

Recipe courtesy of Anne Burrell

Put the flour on a clean dry work surface. Make a hole (this is also called a well) in the center of the flour pile that is about 8 inches wide (bigger is definitely better here). Crack all of the eggs and the yolk into the hole and add the olive oil, salt and water.

Using a fork beat the eggs together with the olive oil, water and salt. Using the fork, begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture; be careful not to break the sides of the well or the egg mixture will run all over your board and you will have a big mess! Also, dont worry about the lumps. When enough flour has been incorporated into the egg mixture that it will not run all over the place when the sides of the well are broken, begin to use your hands to really get everything well combined. If the mixture is tight and dry, wet your hands and begin kneading with wet hands. When the mixture has really come together to a homogeneous mixture, THEN you can start kneading.

When kneading it is VERY important to put your body weight into it, get on top of the dough to really stretch it and not to tear the dough. Using the heels of your palms, roll the dough to create a very smooooooth, supple dough. When done the dough should look VERY smooth and feel almost velvety. Kneading will usually take from 8 to 10 minutes for an experienced kneader and 10 to 15 for an inexperienced kneader. Put your body weight into it, you need to knead! This is where the perfect, toothsome texture of your pasta is formed. Get in there and have fun!

When the pasta has been kneaded to the perfect consistency, wrap it in plastic and let rest for at least 1 hour. If using immediately do not refrigerate.

Roll and cut the pasta into desired shape.

Variation:
Make a well with the flour and add the eggs to the center. With a fork, lightly beat the eggs and gradually pull some of the flour into the egg mixture. Mix the flour and eggs together until well combined. Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic.

Cover the dough with a towel and let rest for 20 minutes.

Cut the dough into 6 pieces and cover with a towel. Pass one section at a time through a pasta machine. Start on the widest setting and pass the dough through. Begin lowering the machine’s setting down one notch at a time, and pass the dough through once on each setting, finishing on the last (thinnest) setting.

Lay the dough on a flat surface sprinkled lightly with flour and let the dough dry slightly. It should still be a little tacky and pliable, or it will not cut properly. Cut the dough into desired shapes