Application Guide

Remove the dough from the pan. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest
at room temperature for 30 minutes. (The dough can be refrigerated at this point
for up to 3 days, but bring to room temperature before rolling out.) The dough is
now ready to roll out and cut as desired.
To roll the dough by hand: Dust your work surface with all-purpose flour. Divide the
dough into 3 equal portions, keeping the reserved dough balls covered to prevent
drying out. Place the ball of dough on the work surface and with the rolling pin,
roll back and forth. Then begin to roll in one direction, away from you. Make a
quarter turn and roll in the other direction until the dough stretches into a rounded
rectangle about
1
/
8
inch thick. Roll the dough around the rolling pin and unroll to
stretch the dough further (this is how the old Italian grandmothers do it). Keep the
dough as thin and as light as possible. Work quickly, as the dough dries out.
To cut the dough by hand: Sprinkle the dough with flour and bring the 2 opposite
ends of the dough together in the center. Repeat 2 more times, until you have a
tight double jelly roll of pasta. Hold the roll with one hand and, with a sharp
chef’s knife in the other, slice into
1
/
8
,
1
/
4
-, or
1
/
2
-inch-wide thin, medium, or wide
noodles. You can slip the dull edge of the knife under the center of the dough and
lift the noodles, they will unravel over the knife. Or lift the noodles with your fin-
gers.
To roll the dough with a pasta machine: Attach the pasta machine onto your counter
and set the smooth rollers to the widest opening. Dust your work surface with all-
purpose flour. Divide the dough into 4 to 6 equal portions, keeping the reserved
dough balls covered to prevent drying out. Place the ball of dough on the work
surface and press to flatten, to a width no wider than the opening of the machine.
Run the dough through the machine. Dust with flour as necessary. Fold in thirds
and run through the machine again. Run the dough through the machine 2 more
times, but don’t fold the dough again.
Set the notch on the machine to the next smallest setting and run the dough through
the rollers. Continue rolling and stretching the dough, using a smaller setting each
time, until the smallest setting is reached. Most machines have 6 graduated set-
tings. You can skip some settings. The dough strip will be long and delicate.
To cut the dough with a pasta machine: Adjust the cutting mechanism of the machine
to the desired width and run the dough through to cut. You can run the cut pasta
directly out onto a baking sheet dusted with some semolina.
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