The Simply Filled Pantry is excited to bring you organic Durum wheat! Have you ever noticed when you buy high quality pasta the ingredients list Semolina flour? That is what Durum wheat is called once it is milled!
So what is so special about Durum/Semolina flour? It maintains a slightly gritty texture, even milled finely and this is excellent for holding onto sauces.
Personally, I have made pasta just a handful of times. In between I have read a few more articles and watched a video or two to see more technique options. One day I hope to have this down like bread or flour tortillas, no hesitation to dive in for a weeknight dinner. That's the goal.
Although pasta dough has to be soft enough to knead, it is quite stiff, yet we are still developing the gluten strands. Keep in mind the gluten development helps the dough hold together, just like in bread or tortillas.
The recipe/method I am sharing below is with 1 modification; adjust from 5 eggs to 6 or 7 eggs to increase the liquid volume in this dough. Side note about eggs; There is a variance in a large egg from 46-54g (3-1/8T to 3-5/8T) of liquid which would make a significant difference in dough; either super stiff or super sticky. To avoid this, crack all your eggs, whisk gently and add to your dough a little at a time, till you have a pulled together dough ball, soft enough to be pulled by the kneading action of your mixer, but not as soft as bread dough. Note: Some recipes suggest adding water to soften stiff dough. In my trials, I found it very difficult to incorporate the water additions without a lot of extra work.
It is possible to do in a mixer if you keep your dough properly hydrated. A Kitchen Aid or Ankarsrum can handle it, but I am not sure about the Bosch (from a video I watched).
The recipe is quite simple, Durum flour, EVOO/Avocado oil, eggs. Plus, 1C other bread flour for dusting as you run through your pasta roller and laying out your sheets between steps.
Rolling out the dough and catching the cut pasta is kind of nice to have a second person till you get comfortable with the process.
Basically, you just have to be willing to dive in, have fun learning this super fun skill so you can eat amazing, fresh pasta! All of ours has been edible : )
Equipment: Pasta Roller: I found a Marcato Atlas 150 pasta roller at a thrift store for $10, and I have seen others out there. Also the attachments for KA mixers are at thrift stores, garage sales, estate sales, etc or you can buy either of these new.
Ready to try pasta? Order your Durum berries then check out this gal, video on YouTube or Your Guardian Chef from Italy to get you started.