# Doughs Turning Gray?



## linecook854

Pastry is not my thing so please excuse my ignorance if this sounds stupid. I've noticed some doughs that I've made have turned a grayish silver color after sitting in the walk-in overnight. This doesn't happen if I freeze them after making however. For example I made ricotta gnocchi and it looks fine for about a day then turns all gray after about 24 hours, doesn't happen when I freeze it immediately though. I saw this happen too with some other dough (I think it was pasta dough). However, I have made bread (can't recall the exact recipe) that I let raise for 2 days or so in my home fridge and it did NOT go gray.

Does this happen when eggs are added? Does it happen when it's stored in stainless steel containers? Is something reacting to the flour? Is this oxidization? I'm stumped please help!


----------



## laurenlulu

Yes, I believe the potato in your gnocchi oxidized causing the discoloration. Not sure about why pasta dough would turn, I haven't had this happen before.


----------



## phatch

Eggs will turn bad pretty quickly once out of their shell. I'd blame them for the pasta dough going off.


----------



## linecook854

Thanks for the input. There was no potato in the ricotta gnocchi, only ricotta eggs and a little flour. Its weird because I've seen this happen at 3 different restaurants plus one time at my house. The outer surface of the dough usually stays the same color but the middle goes gray. Could this be old eggs? Does anyone else make pasta doughs or any other doughs and keep them for a day or more in the walkin?


----------



## kaiquekuisine

Linecook its the eggs.

I make homemade pasta quite often , and they can even be refrigerated for a day but u will soon start to notice that the color changes. 

The longer it stays refrigerated , the darker it gets. 

The eggs will cause the darkening of the dough especially the dough wasnt used in the same day or the day after. 

Freezing is a great way to keep doughs , such as pasta dough for longer periods of time. But if they are kept out , or not frozen u will soon see them darkening. 

Pasta needs to be dried and used , or dried , cut and made into little nests and frozen. 

I once made dough , didnt roll it cuz i got lazy , instead wrapped it and stored it in the fridge. The next day i noticed it was darker , and gray around the edges.  Eggs dont last long once out of there shells.


----------



## joelzer0

With pasta it is the eggs and should be discarded. I give my pasta no more than 48Hrs in the fridge.

With the bread its a different story. You can still use grey dough as it is not spoiled just oxidized. The color will bake out. To postpone the greying wrap in plastic so that it contacts the doughs surface. Or coat lightly with cooking spray.

Good luck!


----------



## cookfast123

I have done research for years and I think I finally have solved the grey pasta dough discussion!

With this method you can keep pasta, raviolis and what ever egg dough recipe you have for up to 5 days (if you want)

I only do this in the restaurants I work in because I never know how much pasta I'm going to sell and I don't like to freeze them because of the moisture content the dough will receive.

I use an all organic carton egg yolk, 00 flour, olive oil and kosher salt. this is a small carton of egg yolks about 32-36 egg yolks per carton. I you need to read the carton for the liquid amount.

Per carton I add 1 tsp of citric acid, this keeps the egg from turning my pasta dough grey

Recipe

1 carton egg yolks

1 tsp citric acid

1 tsp olive oil

Around 3 cups +- 2 tbl 00 flour

1 tsp kosher salt

In a stainless steel bowl whisk the citric acid and the egg yolks together. In kitchen Aid with a dough hook attached add the flour, olive oil and salt. Gradually add the egg yolk and citric acid mixture until a firm elastic dough forms, remove the dough from the bowl an need it into a smooth ball. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to form.


----------

