Kate's Cuisine » Doughs

Fresh Pasta Dough

kate — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 03:42:15 +0000

2 cups all-purpose flour $0.44
3 large eggs $0.51
1/2 teaspoon salt $0.01

Total Cost $0.96

1.) On a countertop or other large work surface, place the flour in a mound. Make a fairly large well in the centre. In the centre, place the eggs and the salt.

2.) Start by lightly whisking eggs and salt together, being careful not to touch the flour. Once the eggs are beaten, slowly incorporate the flour. Do this very slowly! Take about a teaspoon of flour each time and mix well with the egg mixture. When fully incorporated, take another teaspoon of flour with the fork and fully incorporate into the egg mixture. Keep doing this until it becomes difficult to move the fork through the flour and egg. Once that happens, mix the flour and eggs with your hands, mixing until it’s just combined and a nice, elastic dough forms.

3.) Form the dough into 2 or 3 small bowls. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Then use immediately, or freeze for later use.

4.) When ready to use, roll the dough out as thinly as possible using a pasta machine – this will be the “1″ setting. Follow the machine’s instructions, which is usually to start with the thickest (the biggest number) and work your way to the thinnest (the smallest number.)

5.) Once your dough is rolled you can make whatever kind of pasta you want! For these long noodles, you can put the rolled pasta dough through the cutters on the pasta machine. You can also cut it yourself with a sharp knife.

6.) When noodles are ready, bring a large pot of salted water up to a rolling boil. Add the fresh pasta noodles for two to three minutes, until el dente, and drain. Toss with your favourite sauce.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

Chris Bianco’s Pizza Dough

kate — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:20:02 +0000

Why buy it when it’s so easy to make?

2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast (one 1/4 oz. envelope) $0.33
2 cups warm water Free!
5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour $1.21
2 teaspoons fine sea salt $0.02
Extra virgin olive oil, for the bowl $0.02

Total Cost $1.58

1.) Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cups flour and the salt, stirring until smooth. Stir in an additional 2 cups flour; continue adding flour (up to 1/2 cup), 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until dough comes away from bowl but is still sticky.

2.) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead with lightly floured hands. Start by slapping the dough onto the counter, pulling it toward you with one hand and pushing it away from you with the other. Fold the dough back over itself (use a bench scraper or a wide knife to help scrape dough from surface). Repeat until it’s easier to handle, about 10 times. Finish kneading normally until dough is smooth, elastic, and soft, but a little tacky, about 10 minutes.

3.) Shape dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl; turn to coat. Cover with plastic, and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume, 3 hours. Press it with your finger to see if it’s done; an indent should remain.

4.) Scrape dough out of the bowl onto floured surface, and cut it into 4 pieces. Shape into balls. Dust with flour, and cover with plastic. Let rest, 20 to 30 minutes, allowing dough to relax and almost double.

5.) Add toppings of your choice for traditional pizza or use for stromboli, panzarotti, or breadsticks. Place in oven and cook as directed in whichever pizza/stromboli, etc. recipe you’re using.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Read the review here

Flaky Pie Crust

kate — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:07:47 +0000

This pie crust is everything you think of when you think ‘perfect pie crust.’

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour $0.44
1 teaspoon salt $0.01
1 cup solid vegetable shortening $0.44
3/4 cup cool water (not cold) Free

Total Cost $0.89

1.) Measure flour and salt into a large bowl making a well in the middle. Put shortening into the well.

2.) Coat both hands with flour well. Being careful not to touch the shortening, break up the shortening into chunks. This is an important step. Do not allow the heat from your hands to touch the shortening. Try to have as little contact with the shortening as possible.

3.) With both hands, work the flour into the shortening using a circular, rubbing motion, always keeping contact with the flour, not the shortening. Continue to pick up more flour as you go and continue to incorporate it into the shortening.

4.) Continue until the dough starts to look like small peas and the shortening is completely incorporated into the flour (there should be no large chunks of shortening still left.)

5.) Pour half of the water in, gathering the dough into a small ball. Continue adding the water very slowly until the dough just comes together and is soft enough to form a ball and hold its shape. Do not knead the dough as you would with bread dough.

6.) Once the dough can be shaped into a ball, divide it up into 3 or 4 equal portions. Cover the dough and refrigerate for later, freeze, or use now.

Read the review here