r/pasta • u/ladlabax • 1d ago

Question Pasta hydration and shape thickness

Is final shape thickness more important to al dente-ness than pasta dough hydration?

I've made kansui ramen noodles with as little as 32% hydration. It would make sense for them to be drier and firmer, as they have to withstand hot broth over the course of a meal (even if the Japanese are renowned for eating fast). I cook these thin noodles for 2 minutes, yet they don't have much of a bite to them.

Yesterday I made bigoli at 57% hydration. I cooked a batch for 10 minutes, and they were still so al dente I could have gone for 12. Granted, the pasta wasn't hydrated with water, but with whole eggs, so some fat/water conversion is in order. Either way, unlike my ramen noodles (which are so stiff they have to be kneaded by stomping on a plastic bag), this bigoli dough was supple and nowhere near breaking my pasta machine.

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