Tipo '00' Flour & Water Pasta Dough
Traditional Tuscan eggless pasta dough crafted from soft Tipo '00' flour, lukewarm water, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt — velvety, extensible, and born for hand-rolled Pici.
Four Honest Ingredients
Soft Tipo '00' wheat flour hydrated at 50% with warm water, softened with extra virgin olive oil and seasoned with fine sea salt.
Tipo '00' Mound & Glass Bowl Crater
Tip 200g of soft Tipo '00' flour directly onto a bare wooden pasta board. Press the rounded bottom of the glass bowl firmly into the center of the mound and lift cleanly away to sculpt a wide, compacted crater.
Leak-Proof Flour Walls
Ultra-fine '00' flour is much lighter than coarse semolina and breaches easily. Compressing the crater with a glass bowl packs the inner rim tightly so water cannot escape.
Warm Water, Olive Oil & Pinch of Salt
Pour 100ml of lukewarm water gently into the center of the flour well. Drizzle 5ml of fruity extra virgin olive oil onto the water and sprinkle 2g of fine sea salt over the top.
Lukewarm Hydration (~38°C / 100°F)
Warm water hydrates soft wheat starches quickly and dissolves the sea salt crystals right inside the crater so the dough feels supple from the very first knead.
Fork Emulsion into Creamy Batter
Stir gently in small circles with a fork, emulsifying the olive oil into the salted warm water while sweeping thin wisps of flour from the inner wall until a smooth, thick ivory batter forms in the center.
Locking In the Olive Oil
Whisking to a pancake-thick paste before collapsing the walls traps tiny olive oil droplets uniformly inside the hydrated starch, preventing greasy streaks later.
Bench Scraper Folding & Chopping
Use a stainless steel bench scraper (tarocco) to fold the dry outer flour rim inward over the wet center. Chop straight down across the mound repeatedly to cut the flour evenly into moist, hydrated flakes.
Zero Sticky Fingers
Soft '00' flour turns gluey during the first 60 seconds of hydration. Letting the steel scraper do the initial mixing keeps 100% of your hydration inside the dough instead of stuck to your hands.
Palm-Heel Kneading & 30-Minute Rest
Gather the hydrated mass and knead energetically on the raw wooden board with the heels of your palms for 8–10 minutes, folding and rotating until you hold a porcelain-smooth, ivory sphere. Wrap tightly in cling film and rest 30 minutes at room temperature.
Soft Like an Earlobe
Properly kneaded '00' water dough feels noticeably softer and silkier than egg pasta — cool, matte, and supple like modelling clay without sticking to clean palms.
