HANDMADE CHINESE NOODLES
Slurping down a bowl of homemade Chinese noodles that you kneaded, rolled, and cut from scratch makes you feel successful.
They go great in soup or paired with delectable sauces and garnishes to make a delicious dinner.
TIPS FOR MAKING CHINESE NOODLES
Bread flour, salt, and water are all you’ll need to make these handmade Chinese noodles.
If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, this will be a breeze! If not, it doesn’t matter at all. For millennia, cooks in China have been cooking noodles the same way they have today with a bit of elbow grease.
To ensure your success, here are a few tips:
- It’s best to use gluten-rich (i.e., “strong flour”) bread flour. Noodles are best when they’re chewy because the gluten in the dough has been developed. Using flour with a high gluten content (often referred to as “bread flour” in the United States or “strong flour” in the United Kingdom) has a significant effect. That said, all-purpose flour will work in a pinch if you need some noodles and don’t have access to bread flour.
- Don’t overdo it with the liquid! At first, the dough will appear dry and lumpy, making it tempting to add more water. The noodles will become sticky rather than bouncy if they are over-watered. You must have faith in the flour’s ability to absorb moisture and wait for it to do so.
- When rolling and cutting, use a lot of flour. Cut the noodles with a knife to push the dough together. Before folding and cutting, dust the dough with flour on both sides to keep it from sticking. Using too little water in the dough will help keep it from sticking.
- Remember that while cutting raw dough, the noodles will expand when cooked. Thus the thickness you perceive will be substantially thicker when the noodles are cooked. When rolling and cutting, keep this in mind. It’s possible that you can get away with cutting the noodles and rolling out the dough a little thinner than you originally planned.
- The most accurate way to determine weight is to: When I use a dry measuring cup and weigh it, 2 US cups weighs roughly 300g, while other internet sources state that 1 cup of flour weighs 120g or 128g. Because of these inconsistencies, I strongly recommend using weight measurements for the most accurate results. If you don’t already own a digital kitchen scale, you should get one. Ours is constantly in use!
INGREDIENTS:
- 300 grams of bread flour
- 1/4 tsp. of salt
- 150 ml of water
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Add the bread flour and salt and stir to combine in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment or a large mixing bowl.
- Slowly add the water in two batches, allowing the flour to absorb the water with each addition to the low speed of the mixer. If you’re doing it by hand, slowly pour in the water while stirring with your hands.
- After 5 minutes of kneading, the ingredients should have taken on the appearance of a shaggy dough. Turn off the mixer and use your hands to knead the dough if it doesn’t come together.
- Knead the dough for another 10 minutes in the mixer or 15 minutes by hand after it has come together into a ball of some consistency. If you’re tempted to add more water, remember that it will change the consistency of your noodles.
- A basin with an inverted lid can be used to cover and rest the dough for 30 minutes. During this time, it will continue to absorb moisture and soften.
- Knead the dough a few more times once it has rested to remove any air bubbles. Slice in half after it has been formed into a ball.
- One-half of the dough should be rolled out into a 2mm thick sheet on a floured surface––this will take some time! After fully flouring the first side of the sheet, flip it over and do the same on the second side.
- Fold the dough into four layers once it has been floured. Slice the noodles to the appropriate thickness with a sharp knife. We decided to cut them at a thickness of around 1/8 inch. To prevent sticking, gently separate the noodles as you cut them with your hands.
- Depending on the thickness, cook the noodles in a boiling saucepan of water for 1 to 3 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on the noodles as they cook and test them for doneness in real-time (there is a lot of difference in doneness depending on how thinly the noodles were rolled and cut). You can add it to a soup or sauce if you’d like.