of water in it — Decameron, Day 8, Tale 3 After the ingredients are mixed and briefly kneaded into a homogenous but stiff mass, pasta dough is rested to allow the flour particles to absorb the water and the gluten network to develop With time the dough becomes noticeably easier to work, and the finished noodles end up with a cohesive consistency rather than a crumbly one The dough is then rolled gently and repeatedly to form an ever thinner sheet This gradual sheeting presses out air bubbles that weaken the dough structure, and organizes the gluten network, compressing and aligning the protein fibers, but also spreading them out so that the dough becomes more easily stretched without snapping back Egg Pasta and Fresh Pasta Noodles made from standard bread wheat and eggs are preferred in much of northern Europe, and most fresh pastas sold in the United States are of this type Eggs perform two functions in noodles One is to enhance color and richness Here the yolk is the primary factor, and yolks alone can be used; their fat content also makes the dough more delicate and the noodles tender The second function is to provide additional protein for moderate-protein flours used in both home and industrial production The egg white proteins make the dough and noodles more cohesive and firm, reduce the gelation and leaking of starch granules, and reduce cooking losses In U.S commercial noodles, dried egg is added at 5–10% of the weight of the flour In Italy, Alsace, Germany, and in specialty and homemade noodles in the United States, fresh eggs are used, and in larger proportions They may be the only source of water in the dough Some pastas from the Piedmont region in northwest Italy contain as many as 18 yolks per pound of flour/40 yolks per kg ... weight of the flour In Italy, Alsace, Germany, and in specialty and homemade noodles in the United States, fresh eggs are used, and in larger proportions They may be the only source of water in the. ..most fresh pastas sold in the United States are of this type Eggs perform two functions in noodles One is to enhance color and richness Here the yolk is the primary factor, and yolks alone can be used; their fat content also makes... make the dough and noodles more cohesive and firm, reduce the gelation and leaking of starch granules, and reduce cooking losses In U.S commercial noodles, dried egg is added at 5–10% of the weight of the flour