Saffron Dough

A beautifully golden dough perfumed with saffron, deeply rooted in the pasta traditions of Sardinia where it has been used for centuries to color and flavor flour-and-water doughs. The practice of coloring pasta with saffron is very old, and it produces pasta with a warm, floral aroma and striking golden hue. This dough is used for Sardinian specialties like malloreddus and ciciones.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons boiling water (for blooming the saffron)
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 160g 00 flour (about 1 cup + 3 tablespoons)
• 65g finely ground semolina flour (about 7 tablespoons)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 8 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (optional)

Method

1. Place the saffron threads in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let steep for at least 10 minutes until the liquid is deeply golden and fragrant.
2. Combine the 00 flour, semolina flour, and salt on a clean work surface. Mix together and form a well in the center.
3. Add the egg yolks and the saffron liquid (threads and all) to the well. Using a fork, beat the yolks and saffron together, then gradually incorporate the flour from the inner walls.
4. When the mixture becomes too thick for a fork, use your hands to bring the dough together. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, evenly colored a deep gold, and slightly tacky.
5. Wrap the ball of dough tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes before rolling it out or shaping.
6. For malloreddus, pinch off small pieces and press against a gnocchi board or the tines of a fork. For other shapes, roll out and cut as desired.

Tips

• Always bloom the saffron in hot water first — this draws out the color and flavor far more effectively than adding dry saffron directly to the flour.
• Pasta By Hand offers a semolina-only saffron dough for malloreddus: 800g semolina, 8 eggs, 55g water with 1 tsp saffron threads, 2 tsp olive oil, and 1 tsp salt — a richer egg-based variation.
• For a simpler eggless version (closer to traditional Sardinian malloreddus), use 450g semolina flour, 200g warm water with 1/2 tsp saffron bloomed in it, and 2 tsp salt.
• The color will dull slightly when the pasta is boiled, but the saffron flavor remains.
• Good saffron makes all the difference. Use real saffron threads, not powder, for the best flavor and color.

Used For