Homemade pasta question

[taxlady]

I have made pasta from flour (hard, whole grain, wheat flour) and water a number of times. I have a pasta machine.

Folks here have recommended letting the dough rest. Should I knead the dough before or after letting it rest? How long would you recommend to let it rest? I will do most of the kneading with the pasta machine. I'm making the pasta for tonight's supper, so it isn't going to rest very long this time

 

[chopper]

I let the dough rest after kneading (about 20 minutes). Then I process with the pasta roller attachment on my KichenAid mixer.

 

[jennyema]

I knead it till it's shiny with no bubbles and then let it rest for 15 min or so

 

[Whiskadoodle]

When you all say "knead it" , does that mean knead it with your hands like making bread, or with a mixer attachement, or start running it through the rollers a few times? Or---

Thanks.

 

[GLC]

Kneading by hand. You could use a mixer dough hook, if you're making that much pasta that would be a large enough ball to be worked in the mixer. I actually have seen people do a sort of kneading by folding and sending it through the machine with the rollers set a maximum distance apart. But what matters if the texture, smooth and shiny, than how you get there.

 

[taxlady]

When you all say "knead it" , does that mean knead it with your hands like making bread, or with a mixer attachement, or start running it through the rollers a few times? Or---

Thanks.

I knead it just a teensy bit by hand and then just run it through the rollers until I think it's done. That usually takes at least 10 times through on the thickest setting.

 

[taxlady]

Kneading by hand. You could use a mixer dough hook, if you're making that much pasta that would be a large enough ball to be worked in the mixer. I actually have seen people do a sort of kneading by folding and sending it through the machine with the rollers set a maximum distance apart. But what matters if the texture, smooth and shiny, than how you get there.

That's what my Italian friend taught me and that's what I do. It seems easier than by hand and I don't have a dough hook on my mixer (well I do, but it's a useless joke.)

 

[taxlady]

I let the dough rest after kneading (about 20 minutes). Then I process with the pasta roller attachment on my KichenAid mixer.

Thanks chopper. I mixed up the dough and gave it a couple of folds by hand, then let it rest for the 20 minutes you suggested. Then I "kneaded" it by running it through the rollers a bunch of times. It did seem to handle better than when I don't give it a rest.

 

[chopper]

Thanks chopper. I mixed up the dough and gave it a couple of folds by hand, then let it rest for the 20 minutes you suggested. Then I "kneaded" it by running it through the rollers a bunch of times. It did seem to handle better than when I don't give it a rest.

Good. I'm glad it seems to be working. Now I'm hungry for some lasagna made with home made pasta noodles. Will have to make it soon!

 

[taxlady]

Good. I'm glad it seems to be working. Now I'm hungry for some lasagna made with home made pasta noodles. Will have to make it soon!

You know you don't even have to boil the fresh lasagna noodles first. Just put a bit of sauce in the bottom of the lasagna pan before you put the noodles and let them get cooked in the oven.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

I knead it just a teensy bit by hand and then just run it through the rollers until I think it's done. That usually takes at least 10 times through on the thickest setting.

Kneading by hand. You could use a mixer dough hook, if you're making that much pasta that would be a large enough ball to be worked in the mixer. I actually have seen people do a sort of kneading by folding and sending it through the machine with the rollers set a maximum distance apart. But what matters if the texture, smooth and shiny, than how you get there.

Ahh, good info. I have a hand pasta rolller and multi size cutting blades ( garage sale, I'm sure). The one time I used it, I really gummed things up, and it's taking up valuable space. I think the recipe I used had egg(s) in it.

 

[taxlady]

My recipe: 200 grams whole grain, wheat, bread flour (I'll use less next time), add water and stir. Add more water if all the flour isn't moistened and stir by hand. Add water till it feels right. Knead a few folds until uniform.

Let it rest for 20 minutes. Knead with the rollers until it seems right. Next time I will look for shininess

 

[chopper]

You know you don't even have to boil the fresh lasagna noodles first. Just put a bit of sauce in the bottom of the lasagna pan before you put the noodles and let them get cooked in the oven.

Right. And it is SO good!

 

[chopper]

My recipe: 200 grams whole grain, wheat, bread flour (I'll use less next time), add water and stir. Add more water if all the flour isn't moistened and stir by hand. Add water till it feels right. Knead a few folds until uniform.

Let it rest for 20 minutes. Knead with the rollers until it seems right. Next time I will look for shininess

So...what did you make? Spaghetti, lasagna, ravioli, or what???

 

[taxlady]

So...what did you make? Spaghetti, lasagna, ravioli, or what???

Made linguine. The cutters on my pasta machine don't successfully make spaghetti. Had it with leftover chicken cacciatore.

 

[Chef_Jacob]

Whether you knead the dough before or after, it usually takes about 8-12 minutes for the dough to fully hydrate anyways. That's why I prefer to work the dough just long enough so it comes together, let rest for about 20 minutes and then use the rollers on my pasta machine to do most of the kneading for me. It usually takes about 10-15 passes on the widest setting before my dough becomes smooth and elastic, at which point I'll start "dialing it down" to my desired thickness.

Bottom line, all that really matters is the quality your end product IMHO.

 

[CWS4322]

On my bucket list--mastering pasta making...I've made it a few times (tortillini and ravioli), but not "noodles."

 

[GLC]

Another flat alternative is corzetti. A cut out pasta disk, about 2-inches across, embossed on both sides with a corzetti stamp. The impression helps hold sauce. It's a different sort of pasta form that lends itself well to chunkier ingredients and can be used in salads. Very striking when done with bright green spinach pasta or red pepper pasta. Best price I've found is at Fantes:
Pasta Makers
I'm going to turn and carve my own stamp in olive wood with my own design.

 

[CWS4322]

I see another appliance purchase.......this forum may be free, but all the cool new toys sure aren't!

 

[taxlady]

I see another appliance purchase.......this forum may be free, but all the cool new toys sure aren't!