The Quick Fix For Overly Wet Hand-Pulled Noodle Dough
When you take the time and effort to make fresh pasta, there's nothing worse than finding yourself in a sticky situation with dough that's just too wet to work with. But just because the dough has too much liquid doesn't mean it cannot be saved. Unlike dough that is too dry, with a simple trick and a little know-how, you can rescue that soggy dough and transform it into delicious, tender pasta. Fortunately, all you need to redeem the dough is more flour to soak up the extra liquid.
The reason wet pasta dough can be a real problem is that it becomes difficult to roll out and shape into noodles. Start by sprinkling flour onto your work surface. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the surface as you continue to add in more flour. It is, however, important to avoid incorporating too much extra flour. Also, don't try to incorporate the flour from the work surface into the dough. Instead, you'll add it to the top of the dough and work it in.
Remove excess flour as you sprinkle it into the dough
Now comes the fun part: Kneading the pasta dough. Using your hands, gradually work additional flour into the dough, folding and pressing until it reaches a smooth, pliable consistency. Be patient and add flour little by little, as too much flour can result in tough, dense pasta. Each time you add flour, dust off any excess that does not stick to the dough as you pick it up to continue working and kneading it.
As you knead, pay attention to the texture of the dough. It should feel soft and slightly tacky, but not overly sticky. If the dough still feels too wet, continue adding flour until it reaches the desired consistency. Add a pinch of flour, about half to one tablespoon, at a time to keep from adding too much flour. Once you can knead the pasta dough without it sticking to your hands, you should stop adding flour.
Once your dough is properly balanced, roll it out into your desired shape and thickness, whether it's silky strands of spaghetti or delicate sheets of lasagna. With your newly salvaged dough in hand, the possibilities for pasta perfection are endless.