How Do I Ferment Pasta Dough?

To ferment the pasta you need it to rest in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours or up to 3 days. The longer the pasta ferments the more of a “sour” taste it will have. To receive the full benefits for gluten reduction it needs to ferment for 72 hours. For our family we like to make the pasta dough and let it ferment for 24 hours which still provides so many benefits without too much of a sour flavor. This will also break up the process and make it feel more manageable.

What Do I Do When I’m Ready To Shape The Pasta?

Before you roll out your dough you want to bring it to room temperature. No, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t do this step but it does help the dough to be more pliable. After the fermenting process is complete it will add some hydration to the dough. You will need a little bit of flour on hand for dusting the dough as it becomes tacky to prevent sticking to the machine. After the dough has come to room temperature you can form into desired shape and cook immediately or create nests and freeze.

Important Note:

Don’t give up. Making pasta is so fun but it is a lot of work. The first time won’t be perfect. The beauty is in the imperfections. Ugly pasta still tastes good. Keep learning, keep cooking, keep making memories!

Sourdough Egg Pasta

Course: Dinner

Ingredients

1 1/2 c 00 flour, Kamut flour, or all purpose flour
2 eggs
1 Tbl olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 c active natural yeast (sourdough start) or discard

Directions

Place flour in a bowl or in a heap on a table or board.
Create a well in the center and add the remaining ingredients to the well.
Mix with a fork or hands starting with the ingredients in the middle and slowly working in the flour. Continue until the dough can be gathered into a ball.
Knead for 5-7 minutes after the flour has all been incorporated. The dough should be smooth and elastic.
Wrap in plastic or cover in a bowl. Allow dough to rest for 30 minutes. For a longer fermentation place directly in the fridge for desired time anywhere from 4 hours to 3 days. If you you place the dough in your fridge bring to room temperature before rolling out the pasta.
Before you form the pasta, prepare a pot of water and place on the stove over medium-high heat and add salt.
Cut the dough into 4-6 equal parts. Work with one piece at a time and keep the remaining pieces covered to prevent drying out.
Flatten the dough with hands until it’s 1″ thick.
Next, using a rolling pin or pasta machine roll until thin, dusting with flour as you roll so it doesn’t stick to the table/machine.
Cut into desired pasta shape.
Cook in boiling, salted water for 2-3 minutes.
Remove the pasta using a spider ladle or pasta spoon and transfer directly to sauce.

Notes

If using sourdough discard you will need extra flour.
The longer the dough ferments the more “sour” it will taste.
Fermenting the dough will cause the dough to be more moist and will require the use of a little extra flour when rolling out the pasta to prevent sticking.