Really good tested Gnocchi dough
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (391g)
- Sodium 0 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat oven to 220 C / 428 F
- Bake the potatoes over a wire OR on a baking tray padded with rock salt (if available) until a fork pierces them smoothly.
- Peal potatoes and mash them into a mixing bowl.
- Chill the puree to room temp
- Add egg yolks and mix thoroughly
- Add sifted salt, pepper and any other herb or spice and mix thoroughly
- Add sifted flour in batches until the mass forms to a dough that you can roll without sticking too much
- Flour your hands and a work surface.
- Roll a long even sausage like shape of dough and cut it to the desirable size Gnocchi.
- Place them on a floured tray separated from each other.
- *TIP* to give the Gnocchi its famous shape, simply roll the dumpling over a fork in one continuous motion
- Cook them in salty boiling water for a few seconds or until they float to the surface of the pan.
The Danger of Excess Moisture
Most cooks ruin potato gnocchi by boiling the tubers in water. Boiling saturates the flesh with liquid, demanding excessive flour later to bind the mass. Excess flour produces heavy, rubbery dumplings instead of pillow-soft pillows. Baking potatoes whole over a bed of rock salt draws out internal moisture through dry heat. Piercing the skin at 220 C allows steam to escape efficiently. Potatoes are fully cooked when a metal skewer enters the center with zero resistance.
Binding Without Toughness
Working the hot potato puree destroys the eventual texture. Cool the riced potatoes completely before incorporating egg yolks and flour. Add the sifted flour in small increments rather than dumping the entire weight into the bowl. Stop adding flour the moment the dough holds together without sticking aggressively to your palms. Freshly prepared dough requires immediate shaping and cooking, whereas commercial dry pasta relies on an extruded drying process that creates shelf stability and a denser bite.
