Homemade herb pasta in KitchenAid pasta roller coming out with holes

I'm using the KitchenAid pasta attachment roller to make pasta dough. I've been making herb-infused pasta by puréeing herbs into the eggs and making the recipe per the KitchenAid instructions (7/8 cup eggs/liquid to 3 1/2 cups flour). After mixing and resting, the dough falls apart as it comes through the roller (setting 1, speed 2), or has holes in it. The first time I made it, it seemed way too wet, but even after adding over a cup more flour, it still wouldn't stick and I had to toss it. The next time, it seemed way too dry, so I added a bit more water to just get it to stick, and it seemed less holey, but required a lot of re-rolling to get a sheet without punctures. What am I doing wrong?

Claire S
  • Posted by: Claire S
  • December 26, 2017
  • 5742 views
  • 1 Comment

1 Comment

Voted the Best Reply!

702551 December 26, 2017
It's a shame you didn't bother to post a photograph, but I'll hesitate to guess that the dough may need more kneading and may be a bit on the wet side.

I occasionally see this when I make my own pasta. I have modified one of the Serious Eats pasta recipes, but in the end, it comes down to experience of what pasta dough should feel like, not following a recipe by rote nor reading a three page article.

Flours have different levels of moisture depending on brand, flour type, time of year, etc. Eggs can be different sizes or have different proportions of yolk/white.

On my hand crank pasta machine, I'll just run sheets through the thickest roller setting, double the sheet, and run through again, with periodic resting. That will develop the gluten structure and also dry out the dough a bit.

Too wet and you'll see problems like holes, tearing, inconsistent thickness, noodle strands sticking to each other, etc. It takes some experience to understand what good pasta dough is.

Best of luck.
 
Recommended by Food52