Foolproof dough

Name: Foolproof dough
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 0
Ingredients: Type 00 flour 3 ¼ cups; White wine 0.8 cup; Fine salt 1 ¾ tsp; Extra virgin olive oil 2 ¼ tbsp

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Lactose Free
Vegetarian
Vegan

Difficulty: Very easy
Prep time: 10 min
Makes: pieces
Cost: Very low
Note +30 min. of resting

PRESENTATION

So here's the deal, this crazy pastry, called pasta matta in Northern Italy, really really stands out among unique pastry recipes. I mean, the dough is pretty cool. It skips the usual butter you'd find in pasta brisée—using just a bit of oil instead. Seriously good. That tiny change gives the crust its crispy bite while keeping it light. Folks call it "pasta morta" since there's no yeast involved, meaning you skip those long rise times. Just let the dough rest for about half an hour, and boom, it is ready to roll. People often roll it out super thin, which makes it extra crunchy after baking. And sometimes, a splash of white wine goes into the mix, making it soft and elastic enough to stretch into almost paper-thin sheets. Really, that's part of the secret behind many unusual pastries from the region. Cooks often add chopped thyme or rosemary for a nice aromatic twist, and the scent from the oven is—no question—something else.

In Northern Italy, pasta matta shows up in everything from rustic pizzas to savory croissants and strudels. The flavor is pretty neutral, which is great—making it perfect for all sorts of savory fillings or toppings—think cheese, greens, ham, or roasted veggies. What's fun? This dough makes it easy to get creative with exotic pastry ideas at home since it pairs well with almost anything. Compared to other unconventional pastries from global traditions, this one keeps things simple and flexible, so you can shape it into parcels, wrap up leftovers, or roll it out for a quick rustic tart. And listen, the golden edges come out super crisp, and thanks to those herbs, every bite has a bit of extra flavor. For anyone who likes to play around with creative baking recipes, pasta matta brings a lot to the table. The dough has been around for ages in the region, but it always feels fresh—like, for real—because of how easy it is to try new things with it. Whether you’re after something classic or want to experiment with moist veggie fillings, this dough covers a ton of ground for rare pastry recipes.

How to prepare Foolproof dough

To prepare the foolproof dough, pour the flour 1, salt 2, and wine 3 into a bowl.

Also add the oil 4. Mix with a spoon or fork 5 until the ingredients start to combine 6.

Start kneading by hand 7, then transfer the dough to the work surface 8 and continue working it 9.

You should obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough ball 10. Wrap it in plastic wrap 11 and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. At this point, you can roll out the foolproof dough 12 and use it in your recipes!

Storage

You can store foolproof dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, well wrapped in plastic wrap.

Tip

You can enrich the foolproof dough with poppy seeds, fennel seeds, or even cumin seeds to make it more unique.
If you don't want to use only wine, you can split the amount in half and use 100 g of water and 100 g of wine.

For this preparation, it is recommended to use a very thin sheet.

Use a good quality table wine, preferably dry.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.