sf wrote:
>
> I found one at a good price at Ross (baby steps - find out if I like
> it before making an investment), but the instruction manual surprised
> me by saying not to use any water on the unit. OK, I can understand
> not putting it in the dishwasher, but not even hand washing in the
> sink. Is this normal? I can't visualize pasta dough not sticking to
> it.
>
> I'm sure my dough will not be perfect to begin with, but JL is giving
> me some pointers.
>
> --
>
> Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

Correct, use absolutely no water on the roller type pasta machines (as
opposed to extruder type), or they will rust badly. The machine is
provided with a brush to brush the crumbs off after they have dried.
Occasionally you may need to use a butter knife or similar to dislodge a
digger crumb stuck at the edge of the rollers.

You add flour to the dough as you work it, so it should never be
particularly soft or sticky and stick to the rollers. Your pasta dough
should not be a soft cohesive dough when you go to roll it, if it is it
has way too much liquid in it. The dough should start out clumpy and
crumbly and after a few passes through the rollers at their widest
setting it should begin to hold together. Roll and fold repeatedly,
dusting with flour as the outside starts to get tacky and the dough will
begin to smooth out. Take the dough down a few steps towards the final
thickness, dusting with flour as needed and then let it rest a little
while to relax. Roll to final thickness after resting and then run
through the cutter rollers, manually cut, or use in full sheets for
lasagna as needed.

It helps to have a second set of hands available to crank the machine
and handle the dough. The Kitchenaid pasta roller accessory for the
mixer is very handy if working solo. FYI, the Kitchenaid accessory is
made in Italy as is the Atlas manual machine.