Sourdough Lasagne Sheets
Fresh sheets are the single biggest upgrade you can make to a lasagne, and they take about half an hour once the dough has rested. They soften into the sauce in a way dried sheets never quite manage.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 batch sourdough pasta dough (200g 00 flour, 100g discard, 2 eggs, ½ tsp salt)
To finish
- Semolina flour, for dusting
Method
- Prepare the dough. Make and rest the sourdough pasta dough as directed.
- Measure your dish. Before rolling, measure the internal length and width of your lasagne dish so you can cut sheets to fit with minimal waste.
- Roll. Roll each quarter to the second-thinnest setting, about 1mm. Sheets that are too thick stay stodgy in the middle of a lasagne.
- Cut to size. Trim each sheet into rectangles that fit your dish. Keep the offcuts — they make excellent maltagliati for soup.
- Blanch (optional). For a very wet sauce you can skip this. For a thicker ragù, blanch each sheet for 30 seconds in boiling salted water, then refresh in cold water and lay flat on a damp tea towel.
- Layer. Build your lasagne as usual. Fresh sheets absorb more liquid than dried, so make the sauce slightly looser than you normally would.
- Rest before baking. Leave the assembled dish to stand for 20 minutes before it goes in the oven. The sheets begin softening into the sauce and bake far more evenly.
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
Do I need to boil fresh lasagne sheets first?
Usually not. If your sauce is generous and reasonably loose, the sheets will cook through in the oven. If your ragù is thick and dry, blanch them for 30 seconds first, otherwise the edges can stay firm.
How thick should lasagne sheets be?
About 1mm — the second-thinnest setting on most machines. Thicker sheets stay stodgy in the centre of the dish, and thinner ones can disintegrate under a heavy ragù.
Can I make the sheets in advance?
Yes. Layer them between sheets of baking paper dusted with semolina and refrigerate for up to two days, or freeze for up to three months. Freeze them flat, stacked with paper between, and use from frozen.
Why is my fresh lasagne dry?
Fresh pasta absorbs considerably more liquid than dried, so a sauce calibrated for shop-bought sheets will not be enough. Loosen the ragù and béchamel, and let the assembled dish stand for twenty minutes before baking.
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