handmade noodles

With this easy recipe for Chinese handmade noodles and just 3 ingredients (flour, salt, water), you&#x27;ll have springy, delicious noodles in an hour or less!

Chinese Handmade Noodles

bread flour ((also known as strong flour

salt ((1.5 grams))

150 ml water ((about 2/3 cup))

Add the bread flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment (or a large regular mixing bowl) and whisk together to incorporate.

Turn the mixer on low speed, and gradually add the water in two batches, giving the flour time to absorb the water with each addition. If doing this by hand, simply stir with your hands as you gradually add the water.

The mixture will eventually form a shaggy dough after 5 minutes of kneading. If the mixer fails to bring it all together, turn off the mixer and push the dough together with your hands.

Once the dough has formed a relatively cohesive ball (it will look lumpy), continue to knead by with the mixer for 10 minutes or by hand for 15 minutes. Avoid the temptation to add additional water, as this will affect the texture of your noodles.

Cover the dough with an overturned bowl, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. During this time, it will continue to absorb moisture, and become more pliable and elastic.

After the dough has rested, knead it a few more times to get any air bubbles out of it. Form into a ball and cut the ball in half.

On a floured surface, roll one half of the dough into a thin sheet, about 2mm thick––this will take time! Flour the surface of the sheet thoroughly, flip over, and thoroughly flour the other side.

Once floured, fold the dough so you have 4 layers. Slice the noodles with a sharp knife to your desired thickness. We decided to cut them about ⅛-inch thick. As you’re cutting the noodles, gently separate them out with your hands and toss them in flour so they don’t stick.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles for 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the thickness. Keep an eye on the noodles as they cook and taste them to determine when they’re cooked (there is a lot of variation depending on how thinly they were rolled and cut, so test in real time to determine when they’re done). Serve in soup or with sauce as desired!

Hand-pulled noodles with hot oil seared aromatics. 

Biang Biang Noodles

Bread flour, 400 g

Water, 200 g

Salt, 8 g

Neutral oil, to prevent sticking

Oyster Sauce, 20 g

Chinese Black Vinegar, 20 g

Salt, 3 g

Fresh ginger, a small knob

Napa cabbage, a handful

Neutral oil, 45 g

Chinese chives, 1-2

Chinese celery, 1/2 stalk

cloves

Szechuan peppercorns, a spoonful

Chinese red chili flakes, a spoonful

Start the noodle dough (in advance)

Set a bowl over a scale. Add the flour, water, and salt. Mix the dough with your hands until a ball is formed. The dough will be fairly stiff and tough, so knead for about 5 minutes in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

Finish the noodle dough (in advance)

The dough should feel much more elastic and supple after resting. Once rested, knead the dough for another 3 to 5 minutes, then rest for 5 more minutes.

Using a rolling pin and your hands, work the dough into a rectangle about 6" by 12" (15 cm by 30 cm). Cut the dough into six (100 g) pieces, making them each about 2" (5 cm) wide.

Brush the noodle pieces with a neutral oil. Add a drizzle to a container and stack noodles slightly overlapping like leaning books, not right on top of each other. Cover the container and let rest for at least 1 hour or in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Prep the sauce & aromatics

While the dough rests, do some prep work. 

In a bowl or container, mix together all noodle sauce ingredients until well combined. Cover and set aside. 

Chop or gather any remaining vegetables or aromatics. Set aside. 

Pull the noodles

If your noodles have been resting in the fridge, pull them out to warm up on the counter for ~10 minutes.

When you are ready to finish the dish, you can proceed with pulling the noodles. Since this will take some time to do, bring a large pot of water to boil while you pull the noodles. 

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough piece about double the current width and 1 inch longer. Using a chopstick or back of a knife, gently imprint the center of the noodle to give it a 'perforated' ripping point.

Grab the ends of the rectangle with your thumbs and forefingers and pull the dough gently, stretching until about shoulder length.

Now the fun part. While still slightly pulling, bounce the noodle flat against the counter in an up and down motion until the dough is about 4 feet (1.25 m) long. This takes a little practice. Do not grip too tight or pull too quickly or the noodle will break. If it does, just pull the thick part where it broke.

When the noodle is 4 ft, pick it up at the middle and rip it down the line. Pull until you reach the bottom, but don't pull all the way through, leaving you with a large noodle ring. Set aside and repeat the process.

It might be helpful to watch the video for the right hand-pulling technique. 

Note: Pulling all six of the noodles at once will yield a lot of noodles: 2-4 healthy portions. Feel free to just pull 3 of the noodle sections, and only use half of the sauce/aromatics in the next steps. Then you could use the other half of the ingredients at a different time for a second fresh meal.

Boil the noodles & blanch the cabbage

Once your noodles are pulled and your large pot is boiling, you can cook the noodles.

Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook them until they float, which should take around 2 minutes. During the last 30 seconds of boiling, add the cabbage into the water with the noodles to cook through.

If you are working with a smaller pot, it is ok to do this in batches.

Drain the noodles and cabbage and set aside into a large heatproof bowl for saucing.

Sauce the noodles

Heat the oil in a small pot or skillet until it is hot but not yet smoking (~375°F/190°C). 

To the bowl of cooked noodles and blanched cabbage, pour the sauce over top. Then add all remaining aromatics and spices in a pile on top of the noodles. 

Drizzle the hot oil right on the aromatics, making sure everything sizzles and blooms from its heat.

Toss the noodles until everything is evenly coated, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, and serve right away while the noodles are still warm.

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Top 2 handmade noodles recipes from across the web

The most viewed handmade noodles recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Chinese Handmade Noodles

Biang Biang Noodles

The most viewed handmade noodles recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine