2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling and shaping

Salt for salting the cooking water

1. Scrub the potatoes and place them in a large pot. Add cold water to cover, place pot over high heat, and bring the water to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook until potatoes are just tender, 30 to 35 minutes. (Do not test too often.) Drain the potatoes and wait until they are just cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Generously flour a work surface, and then put the potatoes through the medium disk of a potato ricer and onto the floured work surface. (Potato skin will remain in the ricer - discard it.)

2. Sprinkle on one cup of the flour, and knead flour and potatoes to combine. Add additional flour, about a quarter cup at a time, until the dough holds together. (You may not use all the flour.) When it is ready, the dough should feel like the skin of your earlobe, although it will be slightly sticky.

3. To test the dough, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Roll a small piece of the dough into a rope about half an inch thick, and cut into three-quarter-inch-long pieces. Drop the test gnocchi into the boiling water, wait until they bob to the surface, and then count to 10. Drain and taste. The gnocchi should hold together (if not, add more flour to the dough) but have a soft ­texture. When the dough is satisfactory, move it aside, clean the work surface with a dough scraper,­ and then reflour the work surface.