Dose and knead
Semolina and water in a vacuum mixer. Vacuum removes bubbles: without it the pasta comes out opaque and brittle.
Pasta
Industrial dry pasta
All the quality of a pasta is decided at two points: the protein in the semolina and the drying curve. The rest is shape. And bad drying does not show in the plant, it shows when the customer boils it.
Formulation per 100 kg of dough
| Component | Amount | Why it is there |
|---|---|---|
| Durum wheat semolina | 68 – 70 kg | Minimum 12 % protein. With soft wheat the pasta disintegrates on cooking and leaches starch into the water. |
| Water | 30 – 32 kg | Exact hydration defines plasticity. Too little gives brittle dough; too much, pasta that sticks during drying. |
| Egg (egg pasta only) | per regulation | Changes colour, flavour and structure. Its use and proportion are regulated in most countries. |
Process
Step by step, with the temperatures.
Extrude
Screw press forcing the dough through the die. Dough temperature must not exceed 45 – 50 °C.
Cut
Knives at the die set the length of the format.
Pre-dry
Fast initial drying that fixes the shape and stops pieces sticking together.
Main drying
The critical phase. High temperature (75 – 90 °C) gives firmer bite and a shorter cycle; low temperature (50 – 60 °C) gives better flavour and takes far longer.
Stabilise and pack
Slow cooling to ambient before packing. Packing warm causes condensation inside the bag.
| Control point | Value |
|---|---|
| Semolina protein | > 12 % |
| Dough hydration | 30 – 32 % |
| Maximum extrusion temperature | 45 – 50 °C |
| Final moisture | ≤ 12.5 % |
| High-temperature drying | 75 – 90 °C |
| Low-temperature drying | 50 – 60 °C, 18 – 30 h |
| Cooking loss | < 8 % of dry weight |
Troubleshooting
What went wrong, and why.
Half the craft is reading the defect. These are the ones that keep coming back.
| What you see | What caused it |
|---|---|
| Fine cracks (cracking) | Dried too fast or cooled abruptly. The pasta looks fine and snaps by itself in the bag or on cooking. |
| Pasta disintegrates on cooking | Low-protein semolina or soft wheat. No process compensates for it. |
| Cloudy cooking water | Starch leaching: same cause as above, or extrusion at excessive temperature. |
| Smooth, shiny surface | Teflon die. Not a defect as such, but sauce clings less; a bronze die gives the rough surface that holds it. |
| White or black specks | Impurities in the semolina, or bubbles from kneading without vacuum. |
Frequently asked
What people ask before they start.
Bronze or teflon dies?
Bronze gives a rough, porous surface that grips sauce and is what quality artisanal pasta uses; it wears faster and runs slower. Teflon gives a smooth, glossy surface, lasts far longer and runs faster. It is a commercial positioning decision before it is a technical one.
High or low drying temperature?
High temperature cuts the cycle from 24 hours to six or eight, hardens the gluten and gives pasta that better survives overcooking; in exchange it loses wheat flavour and aroma. Low temperature gives a better product and worse productivity. Most industrial plants run hot; premium pasta still dries slow.
Can I use ordinary bread wheat flour?
You can, and some low-price markets do, but it is not semolina pasta: it breaks up more, clouds the water and lacks the firm bite. If you intend to compete on quality, durum wheat is not optional.
Contact
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