Handmade Chinese Style Fresh Noodles
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Super Easy Handmade Chinese style fresh noodles from scratch without a noodle/pasta machine.
Hope everyone is well and healthy!
Has COVID-19 changed the way you work, live, and cook? For most of us, the answer is probably yes, yes, and yes, unless you are from one of these countries.
When it comes to cooking, it means being creative and cook with what you have or be willing to make things from scratch those specialty grocery items become a history of yesterday.
If you follow me on Instagram you know that I prefer noodles over rice (can I call myself a noodlehead?). For years, I have been getting my Chinese style fresh noodles from Asian supermarkets in Queens.
The lockdown saw my noodle stash quickly depleted. Not being able to replenish at my trusted local Asian grocery stores, I resorted to the old fashion handmade fresh noodles that I learned just for emergencies like this.
Making fresh noodles from scratch might sound intimidating to many but it’s actually easier than you thought. In this recipe, I’ll show you how to make these bouncy and slightly chewy noodles entirely by hand.
That’s right, you do not need a pasta machine. All you need is a workstation (like a cutting board or countertop) and a rolling pin!
Once done, feel free to try one of these fine noodle recipes such as this or this or this from yours truly.
Before we jump into the recipe itself, here are a few helpful tips to help you succeed in making your own fresh noodles:
- Use bread flour or a blend of bread flour and all purpose flavor if you prefer a chewier texture.
- If you happen to have lye water handy, replace two tsp of water with lye water to improve the texture of the noodes.
- The dough after initial kneading will feel dry. Don’t worry as it gets softer after the after rest.
- When rolling out the do.ugh, sprinkle with flour frequently to avoid sticking.
- Flour the cut up noodles generously if you plan on storing in the fridge. The noodles tend to stick together quickly if there is not enough flour.
- If you want to try making Cantonese style egg noodles, add an egg and reduce the water by 30ml.
If you do have a pasta machine and prefer to use that (which will make the process even easier), you can follow your usual pasta making instruction from step 6 and onward.
Easy Handmade Chinese Style Fresh Noodles
Yield: 12oz/350g fresh noodles (~2-3 servings)
Prep Time: 20 mins + 60 mins of wait time
Total Time: 80 mins
Ingredients:
- 2 cup/250g all purpose flour (can partially substitute with bread flour for chewier texture)
- extra flour for dusting
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 110ml water + extra if necessary
Directions:
Slowly add water in multiple batches while incorporating by hand or a large whisk. Once almost all of the flour is incorporated, start bringing the dough together with your hands. The dough will start out loose and crumbly but should slowly come together. Add 1tsp of additional water if the dough is too dry and crumbly.
Knead by hand for about 5 minutes until a dough ball is formed and somewhat smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 mins in room temperature to allow the dough to hydrate.
Uncover the dough and gently knead by hand for 30 seconds. The surface of the dough should get very smooth.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap again and let it rest for another 30 minutes. Sprinkle some flour on the top surface of the dough.
Generously dust your workstation with flour. Transfer the dough to the workstation and slowly roll out the dough both vertically and horizontally.
If the dough gets sticky, sprinkle more flour on both sides of the dough. Keep rolling until the dough is about 1/8 inch thick (or to your preferred thickness).
Dust the dough sheet with flour and fold into pleat.
Take the sharpest knife you have and cut the dough sheets into noodles of your desired thickness.
Separate the noodles immediately and dust with more flour to prevent them from sticking together. When well sealed, these noodles store up to 3 days in the refrigerator and up to a month in freezer.
These noodles can be stored in a well sealed ziploc in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or stay in a freezer for up to a month. However, with so many ways to cook these noodles, I can hardly imagine the need of freezer.
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The recipe is awesome. Thx
http://www.fooddoz.com
Hello again! I tried the noodles today for our lunch. It got kudos from my family. Thanks again for the photos with the step by step process. Homemade is a lot of effort, but worth it. Since I have extra Lo Rao Fan sauce, I added it to the noodles. The result was yummy to the tummy!
Thanks again for trying your hands on this noodle recipe. Totally agreed that the effort is well worth it! Glad that you used the meat sauce…I do the exact same thing with my noodles!
Can I cook them in broth, or should I cook them individually in water and then add them to a soup?
HI there, It’s better to cook the noodles separately in water then add the noodles to a soup. Hope this helps.
Hi Yi
Can I use the dough hook of my stand mixer to do the kneading of the dough ?
Can I use the same recipe to make Wonton egg noodle?
Regards & stay safe.
Hi there, you can use the hook attachment but the dough will be on the hard side and it will probably struggle a little bit shaping into a dough ball (but the dough gets softer after the first rest). And yes you can make the egg noodle by adding two eggs and reduce about 50ml of the liquid. Hope this helps and stay well!
LOVE noodles of all kinds. I do have a pasta machine, but actually prefer to do everything by hand these days — it seems a bit faster. These look terrific. And now, of course, I’m craving noodles. 🙂
Thanks John. Great to hear from you!
好久不见! So happy to see these delicious handmade noodles. Thanks for the helpful step by step instructions. Are you still in New York? Hope you are well. Take Care
Hi there, yes it’s been a while and I am still in NYC. Hope you are well too!
Thanks. Would love to try making fresh noodles. I have never done it before and feels a bit apprehensive at giving it a go.
Hi Swer, thanks for checking out the recipe. Hope you get to make these noodles. It’s definitely not as intimidating as it sounds.
Hi Yi,
Some recipes added a small amount of lye water to give the noodles an authentic flavor? What’s your take on it?
Thanks
hi Tram, the primary function of lye water is to make the texture of the noodles more bouncy and chewy. The flavor is secondary and someone actually find it off-putting. If you have lye readily available, feel free to add 2 tsp to this recipe (replace with 2 tsp of water) and you’ll some improvement on the texture. Hope this helps.
It ilis great to hear from you again. We have survived so far. Glad you and your family are OK.. I haven’t checked,my market but Twin Marquis is probably not there, either. I am a big fan of their Hong Kong noodles. When it comes to Chinese thand made noodles I have watched the stretch and fold technique in several places. You don’t even need a knife but the skill level is far beyond me. We have been making do with dried noodles. I am more down the middle on rice vs noodles. I like both. I have adapted your rice making technique with very good results. I just semi reserve one non stick pot and chucked the steamer. German style spaetzle is another really easy fresh pasta. I invested in the the tool. You just mix dough, dump it in and grate over boiling water. Then you can fry it up if desired. Be well.
Hi Jeff, glad to hear that you and your family are well. I have not been able to go into a Chinese supermarket due to either the temporary closure or long lines but making these noodles don’t really require that much efforts once you get used to it. I need to check out the German style spaetzle, it sounds like something I can add to my rotation :). Stay well too!
Hi Yi,
Thank you for the recipe.
Can this dough be used to make “ban3mian4”? It’s a noodle is isn’t cut but torn into bits with ones’ hands? It’s chewy and usually served in a soup.
I first ate this type of noodles in Singapore and have been trying to get the recipe since.
hi Shu, thanks for checking out the recipe. Yes the dough can be used for all kinds of noodle shapes including the hand torn one. If you like it really chewy, try using more bread flour and add more kneading time. Additionally, adding a bit of lye water can also improve the chewiness. Hope this helps.
Fresh homemade noodles taste so so so much better! Thumbs up for you, Yi!
Thanks Angie!