Homemade Potato Gnocchi

• Begin by filling a medium pot with 8 cups (1.9L) of water and ½ tablespoon of kosher salt. Next, peel, rinse, and halve (smaller) or quarter (larger) the potatoes into roughly the same-sized large pieces. (See FAQs for other potato cooking methods) Add them to the pot and bring the pot to a boil on your stovetop. It’s okay to allow some bubbles while boiling but keep them gentle. You don’t want the potatoes moving around too much in the water. Boil on medium for between 30-45 minutes (until fork tender).
• While the potatoes are boiling, separate the egg yolks from the whites into a small bowl and set the yolks aside. Also, measure out your 00 flour for the dough. Have it plus extra for dusting ready.
• Once a fork slides into the center of the largest piece(s) of potato without resistance, drain the pot over a colander. (See FAQ for a more detailed description of doneness) Use tongs to immediately add the pieces of potatoes to a potato ricer and push them through and back into the empty pot. When you’ve riced all of the potatoes, dump them onto a clean counter or work surface.
• At this point, add salt to the egg yolks and whisk or stir the yolks until they aerate a bit. Then, pour the egg mixture over the riced potatoes along with half of the flour. Use the bench scraper to begin incorporating the yolks and flour into the potato.
• To do this, use a chopping motion to work the ingredients together from left to right. Once you’ve chopped through, scrape under a section of potatoes, pick it up and place it on top of another section and begin chopping again. When the first round of flour has fully absorbed into the dough, sprinkle on the second. This should take 5 minutes or less. The dough will be slightly sticky, even when everything is fully incorporated. Use the extra flour on your hands and the work surface as you mix and shape the final dough, so it doesn’t stick to the counter. You are looking for a smooth, uniform dough.
• Once all of the ingredients are mixed well. It’s time to start shaping. Roll the gnocchi dough into a log shape and cut it into 100g pieces. (About 5 equal pieces of dough). Make sure to cover dough that isn’t being worked with, with cling wrap or a kitchen towel. And make sure to heavily flour any surface that dough is sitting on for an extended period of time.
• Take the cut pieces of dough and gently roll them back and forth with the top pads of your palms. As you roll, move your hands from the center of the log outward to stretch it longer. Stop once each roll is roughly 1/2in (1.3 cm) in diameter and 16 in (40.6 cm) long.
• Use a knife or your bench scraper to cut 1/2in x 1/2in (1.3 cm x 1.3 cm) dough squares from the strip. You should have about 25 gnocchi from each strip once you’re done.
• At this point, re-fill the potato pot or fill a new pot with another 8 cups (1.9L) of water and ½ tablespoon of kosher salt and bring the water to a very gentle boil. At the same time, make sure whatever sauce you intend to eat the gnocchi with is heating or ready.
• From there, you need to decide if you want texture in your gnocchi. If you do, use the back of a fork or a gnocchi board. First, flour your instruments and hold them at about a 45-degree angle. Then, take a single gnocco and push your thumb into it just under the top while rolling downward. It will curl slightly around your thumb. Release once you reach about 2/3rds down the gnocco and it will roll off the rest of the way. For no-texture gnocchi, simply push a dimple into the center of it with your finger. (see notes)
• Let the gnocchi sit for 20-30 minutes before cooking. This lets them develop a bit of a skin on the outside before boiling. If you opted not to add texture, they will be ready fairly quickly.
• To cook the gnocchi, use a spider or slotted spoon to add them to the pot. The gnocchi will sink to the bottom and then start floating as they cook through. Give them 1-2 extra minutes once they float to ensure they are done. Use the same spider/spoon to take them out. Cook the gnocchi in 3-5 batches, depending on the size of your pot, until all of the gnocchi are done. They can be kept to the side, on a plate, until you are ready to add all of them to a sauce. (See notes for stipulation.) Add the gnocchi to their sauce and cook for another 3-5 minutes just to reheat them.