Buckwheat Dough

A hearty, nutty-flavored dough that blends buckwheat flour with wheat flour, originating in the Valtellina valley of Lombardy where buckwheat (grano saraceno) has been cultivated since the fourteenth century. Buckwheat is not actually a grain but a herbaceous plant related to sorrel and rhubarb. Because buckwheat flour lacks gluten, it must be combined with wheat flour to hold together — the dough crumbles rather than stretches, requiring careful handling.

Ingredients

• 78g 00 flour or all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
• 78g buckwheat flour (about 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons)
• 78g finely ground durum (semolina) flour (about 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons)
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• as needed water

Method

1. Combine the 00 flour, buckwheat flour, and durum flour on a clean work surface. Mix them together and form a well in the center.
2. Place the egg yolks and olive oil in the well. Using a fork, beat the yolks and gradually draw in the flour from the inner walls.
3. When the dough becomes too thick for a fork, use your hands to bring it together. This dough will feel different from standard pasta dough — it crumbles more easily because buckwheat flour has no gluten. Add a small amount of water if needed to bring it together.
4. Knead gently for 5 to 8 minutes. The main goal is to form a firm, neat ball. Do not overwork the dough.
5. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
6. Working carefully, roll the dough into a round about 1/16 inch thick on a lightly floured surface, watching the edges to make sure it doesn't crack. If making pizzoccheri, cut crosswise into strips about 2 inches long and 1/3 inch wide.

Tips

• Buckwheat flour has no gluten, so it must be blended with wheat flour. As Vetri notes, if you try making pasta dough with just buckwheat flour, it will be too crumbly to hold together.
• Vetri's buckwheat dough uses equal parts 00, buckwheat, and durum flour — this three-flour blend provides structure while letting the buckwheat flavor come through.
• The Encyclopedia of Pasta's pizzoccheri recipe uses a simpler 50/50 blend: 1 cup buckwheat flour to 1 cup all-purpose flour with eggs and water.
• Unlike normal pasta dough, this one crumbles. The main thing is to press it into a firm, neat ball before resting.
• Handle this dough gently when rolling — it does not have the elasticity of wheat-only doughs and can crack at the edges.

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