Pasta Formula

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milling flour directly into liquid for bread dough

Egg Dough Formula

My basic pasta formula is 62% hydration. For normal fettucini and angel hair pastas I use my Kitchen Aid roller and cutter attachments. I do have a gnocchi board that I play with occasionally but I can get fresh pasta on the table in 90 minutes or so if I use the KA. I have rolled it out by hand also, and it’s fun, but the KA is convenient and fast.

For two people, with leftovers

  • Break 3 or 4 large eggs into a bowl and weigh them.
  • To end up with 62% hydration, add 100 grams of flour for every 62 grams of eggs. So if you have 150 grams of eggs, you'll need: 150/0.62 = 242 grams flour.
  • Weigh out and mill the correct amount of flour, based on the above formula. I think Sonoran works well here but you can use any wheat variety you want, or even a mixture of several varieties!
  • Add the flour to the egg mixture and knead the dough by hand for 10 minutes or so, to develop the gluten. Dip your hands in water or flour as needed. You want to end up with a dough that feels like children's playdough - firm and just slightly sticky.
  • Cover your dough ball tightly with plastic wrap or put it into a small air-tight bowl. Let it rest for at least 20 minutes. You can put it in the fridge overnight if you wish.
  • When you're ready to make pasta, cut the dough ball into 4 pieces. Flatten each ball out into rough squares, thin enough to fit into the Kitchen Aid pasta roller attachment.
  • Starting at the thickest setting, roll each square thru the Kitchen Aid. I do at least 2 passes at each setting and I usually go down to at least setting #5. Sprinkle extra flour onto the dough as need to keep it from sticking.
  • When you have each square rolled out, change attachments to the cutter and cut out at whatever width you want. These days I usually do the angelhair pasta, I like how it holds my usual sauces.
  • I've tried drying the pasta on a rack, but it's easiest for me just to form it into little bird's nests on my pasta board (sprinkle it with extra flour as you form the nest, so the strands don't stick together). Each bird's nest is about one helping of pasta. If you have any leftover, it's easy to slide each nest into a sandwich bag and then put it in the fridge or a freezer bag and freeze it.
Fettucini and angelhair pasta bird's nests on a board.

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Note:
  • All views expressed are my own opinions, based solely on my own research and experience. I am not a professional baker. Nothing in this blog is professional nutritional or medical advice. I do not include affiliate links, I am not compensated for any links or recommendations on this blog.