Method

• 1.
  Weigh out your ingredients and place the flour in a large shallow bowl. Using your fingers, make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the warm water. Use your hands to mix the water and flour. Once things have started to come together, you can tip the dough onto your work surface. You’ll still have small bits of flour everywhere and the texture will be very crumbly. Take a deep breath and squeeze everything together, moving the dough around with force to mop up any excess flour. You can cut the dough to reveal the wetter parts, which can then be used to mop up any remaining flour. Now we knead.
• 2.
  Squeeze your dough into a ball. Cup your hands around the dough and, using your palms, push the dough out, wrap your fingers around the top and roll it back in. Think of it as a tide going in and out, in and out. You don’t want to be tearing the dough apart, but using the stretch to push it forward and roll it back up. You may find it easier to push with the heel of one hand and roll the dough back up on itself with your other hand.
• 3.
  Remember to breathe. Even though we are unwinding here, we still want to keep moving at an energetic pace to prevent the dough from drying out. If things start to feel too dry, mist or wet your hands and continue to knead. Keep kneading the dough for 5-7 minutes, no more. You’ll notice the texture change substantially – it will become smooth and soft.
• 4.
  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or a tea towel and leave to rest for 20 minutes. Breathe. Nice job.
• 5.
  To make cavatelli, you will need a gnocchi board. Make your desired quantity of semolina dough. Cut off a small chunk of dough, approx. 5cm x 2cm, and roll it into a rope about 1cm thick. Keep the rest of the dough covered with a tea towel to stop it drying out.
• 6.
  Cut the rope into 1cm lengths. Lightly flour a gnocchi board and hold it up on an angle with the base resting on your work surface.
• 7.
  Place a piece of dough at the top of the board. Place the side of your thumb on the dough, then drag the dough down the gnocchi board so it almost curls over your thumb, creating a ridged curl.
• 8.
  Repeat, ensuring the board remains well floured.