Sourdough Potato Gnocchi
Gnocchi is not really pasta, but nobody puts it anywhere else. Discard gives these a subtle sourness that stops potato dumplings tasting flat. The whole job is keeping the mixture dry and handling it as little as you can bear to.
Ingredients
Gnocchi
- 800g floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper or King Edward
- 150g 00 flour (or plain flour), plus more as needed
- 60g sourdough discard, cold
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
To finish
- Semolina flour, for dusting
- 60g butter, sage leaves, grated hard cheese
Method
- Bake the potatoes. Bake the potatoes whole in their skins at 200°C for about an hour, until completely tender. Baking rather than boiling keeps them dry, and dry is everything here.
- Rice while hot. Halve them and scoop the flesh straight into a potato ricer while still steaming. Spread the riced potato on a tray and let the steam escape for 5 minutes.
- Combine lightly. Scatter over the flour and salt, add the discard and egg yolk, and bring it together with a bench scraper. Stop the moment it forms a dough — kneading develops gluten and gives you rubber.
- Test one. Roll a single gnocco and drop it into simmering water. If it holds together, carry on. If it disintegrates, work in another tablespoon of flour and test again.
- Roll and cut. Cut the dough into six. Roll each into a rope about 2cm thick and cut into 2cm pillows.
- Ridge them. Roll each piece down the back of a fork or a gnocchi board, pressing lightly with your thumb. The ridges hold sauce; the dimple helps them cook evenly.
- Cook. Simmer in well-salted water in batches. They are done 30 seconds after they float to the surface — around 90 seconds in total.
- Finish. Lift straight into foaming butter with sage, toss gently, and finish with grated cheese.
No starter yet?
Every recipe here begins with a live culture. You can buy sourdough starter from us — lab-verified, active in about two hours, free UK delivery. Then keep the discard for pasta.
FAQ
Why did my gnocchi fall apart in the water?
Not enough flour to bind, or potatoes that held too much water. Always test one before shaping the whole batch. If it disintegrates, work in another tablespoon of flour and test again — it is much easier to fix at that stage.
Can I boil the potatoes instead of baking them?
You can, but baking gives a noticeably better result. Boiled potatoes absorb water, which means you need more flour to bind them, which makes the gnocchi heavier. If you must boil, do it in the skins and let them steam dry thoroughly.
Can I freeze sourdough gnocchi?
Yes, and it is the best way to store them. Freeze shaped gnocchi apart on a semolina-dusted tray until solid, then bag them. Cook straight from frozen, allowing an extra 30 seconds or so.
Do I need a gnocchi board?
No. The back of a dinner fork produces essentially the same ridges. A board is slightly faster once you have the knack, but it changes nothing about the result.
Why are my gnocchi heavy?
Too much flour, or too much handling. Both develop gluten and toughen the dough. Combine the ingredients only until they just come together, and resist the urge to knead.
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