Buckwheat Pasta Dough (4 Foolproof Recipes)

I have tried many pasta dough recipes, including some with buckwheat flour. 

This post is a collection of all the buckwheat pasta doughs that have worked best for me.

You’ll find:

• The best beginner recipe for pasta dough with buckwheat.
• A recipe for gluten-free pasta dough with buckwheat widths.
• A variation for pasta dough with 100 percent buckwheat (advanced)
• A healthy recipe for pasta dough with buckwheat and whole spelt flour

Also linked within this article is an advanced tutorial for homemade buckwheat pasta.

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How to Make Buckwheat Pasta Dough (Step by Step).

This pasta dough is my favorite because it combines the tangy taste of buckwheat and the important dough properties of gluten-containing wheat.

The dough is not entirely gluten-free, but it contains very little wheat. It should, therefore, be manageable even for people with celiac disease (for more information, see the instructions for buckwheat pasta linked above).

For this recipe, you will need the following:

• A large worksurface
• A dough scraper
• A fork

If you have a food processor, then you can make your work much more manageable. More on that later in the article.

Step 1: Empty the flour onto the work surface and form a well.

First, empty the flour onto the work surface and add salt and eggs.

Step 2: Add the eggs, salt, and oil to the well and whisk with a fork.

Then whisk the eggs and gradually work the flour from the outer wall into the egg mixture, creating a viscous liquid.

Step 3: Using the dough scraper, mix in all the flour.

Scrape off any scraps on the fork so as not to waste any, and continue with the dough scraper or your hands.

Thoroughly mix in all the flour until you have a crumbly mixture.

Then, using your hands, bring the crumbs together to form a lump.

If the mixture does not want to form a lump, you can add a little water in a large amount (picture 2).

In the next step, you will incorporate the remaining dough crumbs on the work surface.

If you need help with this step, you can find tips against crumbly pasta dough here.

Step 4: Knead the dough for at least 8 minutes until the surface is smooth.

Now you need to knead the crumbly mass into a homogeneous dough.

There are several kneading techniques, one of which I find particularly compelling:

Apply forward pressure to the dough with the heel of your hand. Then, pull the dough back again with the other hand, turning it slightly by about 45°. Repeat the process until all the dough crumbs are incorporated.

Knead the dough for at least 8 minutes or until the surface feels silky and no longer sticks.

If the dough still sticks to your hands, you will need to sprinkle flour on the work surface and work it in.

Step 5: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and rest it for 30 minutes.

Once the pasta dough has the right consistency, you can wrap it in plastic film and let it rest for 30 minutes.

The resting time is crucial because it rearranges the protein chains responsible for the dough’s stretchiness. This allows the dough to be rolled out thinly without returning to its original shape.

You have successfully made buckwheat dough!

Now all you have to do is shape it into delicious pasta and prepare a sauce to go with it.

Here is a tutorial on how to make buckwheat pasta yourself:

• Homemade buckwheat pasta (vegan & gluten-free).

Variations for pasta dough with buckwheat

The basic recipe for buckwheat dough is especially suitable for beginners, as it is the easiest to work with.

Of course, there are other variations, the traditional noodle dough for soba noodles, for example, is made from 100 percent buckwheat.

Here I present three other alternatives that I have tried so far.

Gluten-free pasta dough with buckwheat and chickpeas.

So far, the best gluten-free alternative to the wheat dough I’ve found is chickpea flour. Chickpeas contain lots of protein that can mimic the effects of gluten (also a protein). 

Pure chickpea flour also works for gluten-free pasta dough, but it takes some time and is only to some’s taste. However, in the small amount used here, you can only feel the benefits of the improved consistency.

Noodle dough for soba noodles made from 100 percent buckwheat.

This pure buckwheat dough is crumbly and difficult to roll out without cracking. While it is possible to achieve an excellent result, it requires a lot of practice.

I prefer one of the other dough mixes because of the difficulty. Although soba noodles in Japan are made with only buckwheat according to some traditions, you will regularly find the mixture with wheat flour.

Healthy buckwheat dough with spelt flour

This dough combines intensely aromatic spelt flour with tangy, nutty buckwheat. It goes exceptionally well with spicy tomato sauces.

Pasta dough for a Pasta maker: with buckwheat and chestnut flour

What you need to know about pasta dough with buckwheat

Inspite of the name, buckwheat has nothing to do with wheat. Instead, it is a pseudo-cereal and, unlike hard and soft wheat, does not contain gluten.

This is both an advantage and a disadvantage:

About 1 percent of the population suffers from gluten intolerance (celiac disease) and must avoid goods containing gluten, such as pasta. 

Buckwheat, fortunately, offers itself as a substitute. It contains many proteins, and they are responsible for the structure of the dough.

Unfortunately, gluten is the protein that gives pasta dough its most essential properties, namely elasticity and plasticity.

Therefore, recipes high in buckwheat flour are more fragile than recipes containing wheat. They are also more challenging to roll out and require longer kneading, but with the right mix, it is still possible to make pasta from buckwheat flour. 

The flour is an exciting alternative to wheat flour not only because of the absence of gluten but also because of the taste: buckwheat has a nutty, slightly tart flavor that goes great with rich sauces.

Can you prepare pasta dough with buckwheat in advance?

You can prepare pasta dough with buckwheat for several hours before storing it wrapped in cling film. The dough should be kept refrigerated if the storage time is longer than 4 hours. In the refrigerator, it will preserve for about 48 hours.

Can buckwheat pasta dough be stored in the refrigerator?

You can store buckwheat dough in the refrigerator for a day without any problems, but there is a risk that the dough will become brittle. So before rolling out, the dough should be at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Can buckwheat pasta dough be frozen?

In principle, pasta dough with buckwheat can be frozen, but the dough will become brittle when thawing. To thaw the dough more quickly, it is a good idea to press it into a disk, wrap it airtight in plastic, and place it in a freezer-safe box.

What is the best way to store pasta dough with buckwheat?

It is best to process pasta dough within 3 hours and store the pasta a little longer if necessary. You can keep the dough refrigerated overnight if there is no other way.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this post, feel free to comment!

Here are three other articles that might interest you:

• Homemade Pasta Dough: Full Guide
• Wholemeal pasta dough (recipe with and without egg)
• Recipes for pasta dough with spelt flour (with egg, wholemeal, vegan)

Have fun making pasta at home!

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