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.
