Pasta from scratch no machine. Dough is too tough

Question

So l did find a discussion about this but not exactly what l wanted answered. Im not a chef but l do enjoy trying out stuff in the kitchen (much to my kids joy) and this was the first ever time to try making my own pasta. I did my research first before l started so l didnt accidentally make my kids sick.
Anyway, l followed the recipe.. 2cups flour, 3eggs, salt and oil right...watched a video and we are going through this together... I let it rest for 30mins came back and started to roll and fold.. Yeah that didnt work out. Dough was snapping back and seemed too tough. So l left it again for another 10mins came back and still tough.
Im at a loss now. The dough really is difficult to roll and seems to 'shrink' just a bit so its not coming out as thin as l wanted it. Please help...lm stuck and dont know what to do. I really dont want to throw it out ld rather salvage it make it something else instead if push comes to shove

Panashe · Answer

Sorry to give feedback so late.  I think l will try that on the second try. And l had left it for 30 mins in room temperature then the other 10 mins in the fridge after it refused to roll. Actually helped some. Then l tried patting it with wet hands then roll it. Pat then roll. In the end it did roll but not as thick as l wanted but  it was okay. I left it to dry then change of plans had me freezing it. Cooked it two days later and my family said it tasted better than store bought pasta. Or they were sparing my feelings coz my arms still hurt from the kneading workout

Nancy · Answer

Panashe - I'm just an average make of homemade pasta, no expert, but I do have a few reactions and tips.
My guess is you didn't leave the mixed dough long enough before your rolled it out (30 plus 10 min). My experience is that it needs about 2-3 hours rest at room temp before it relaxes enough to roll out.
But what I don't know is what to do with a dough that has been made, rested, didn't work, and kept another day.
Why not try rolling it out now? It may work, it may not, but you have nothing to lose and maybe a batch of pasta to gain.
For futures, of the recipes I've made, the easiest and most reliable has been one from the late Marcella Hazan (in her books and online).
I can't now find the version that recommends 2-3 hours resting time, but saw it last night. Here's the basic one.
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/01/classic-cookbooks-marcella-hazans-homemade-tagliatelle-bolognese-meat-sauce-recipe.html

Lori T. · Answer

Why not grate the dough into a pot of boiling water?   That type prep goes by plenty of names, but it's all still basically grated pasta dough.  The size it ends up depends on your grater hole size, but I would suggest you use a fairly coarse size.  It will float when it's done, and can be enjoyed with the sauce you had in mind to use.

Pasta from scratch no machine. Dough is too tough

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