"Alan Calan" ha scritto nel messaggio
>I bought one of those on Sunday in anticipation of the snow storm. I
> also wanted to use up a William Sonoma credit that I had. So, what> went
> wrong:

Using a motorized pasta roller/cutter with no experience, that's all.
>
> I followed the recipe for egg pasta provided in the manual of the
> roller/cutters. It said 3.5 cups of flour (I used 125 grams x 3.5 or
> 437 grams), 3 eggs, 1/2 easpoon of salt and one tablespoon of water.
> It made very dry dough that would not come together.

Yes, it certainly would. Unless making a regional specialty, I use 100 g of
flour and one egg, pinch of salt. Period. You make up the difference among
eggs during the rolling when you flour the pasta to keep it moving.

>>So I started> adding water and I'd bet all in all I added close to a 1/2 a
>>cup or> more.>
> The dough seemed better. I cut it into 4 pieces and let it sit for 20
> minutes. I then made the first batch of linguini. I ran it through
> the roller till I got to five, only folding on the #1 setting. What
> should I have done next? I took out the roller and put in the
> linguini cutter. It worked pretty well even though the linguini was
> much too long. I put the linguini in a twisted pile like they do in
> videos. I just remembered there might be some you tubes on this.
>
> I put the roller back and did the next piece of dough but this time
> cutting it in half again. So now what again? do I roll out all the
> dough and then cut? That is what I did but I did not lay out the
> rolled pasta dough straight, I folded it once crossing over the end> under
> it. I did that 6 times and then put in the cutter.

I didn't really understand all that. For what it's worth I teach to roll
then cut, leaving a towel over the lumps of unused dough. Many don't fold
and roll anywhere near enough. Do that on number 1 until the pasta sheet,
which you have been dusting with flour, feels like damp skin.

> I could not separate the dough into a straight piece again and it
> became a nightmare.

It dried because it was left too long. You can't possibly work fast enough
the first (100) time to leave pasta sheets around. Nobody cam, it's not
your fault.

When I finished, everything stuck
> together.

When your cut pasta exits the cutter, drop it on some flour and gently
swoosh with your fingers then arrange as you please. Alternatively, have a
clothes drying rack ready and lay the pasta strings on flour then gently
transfer onto the rack. They will at least be separate, although they also
dry quickly.

> I'd appreciate any technique questions. The woman in William Sonoma> said
> she makes the dough on the counter, making a whole in the> mountain of
> flour and putting the eggs and water in the hole and> incorporating the
> flour. She said it makes for lighter pasta. I> wonder if I used too much
> water.

I am sure you did. Don't add any at all and use her technique. You will
quickly find that you can't add too much flour, it won't let you. The
crumbly bits you begin with start to smooth out and become stretchy as the
egg takes up the flour. It is simply one of the most sensuous kitchen
chores there is. The more you feel your way through the work, the better
the pasta. Then refrigerate 30 mins or so in pieces wrapped in plastic.