Fresh Homemade Noodles (手擀面)

Make noodle dough

1. (Option 1 - knead by hand) Add flour into a large bowl. Slowly add water and mix with a spatula until water is fully absorbed. Knead by hand, until dough forms and the bowl is clean of flour. Dust a working surface (or large cutting board) with flour and transfer the dough onto it. Knead until the surface of the dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. The dough should feel very tough and should be able to easily be lifted from the bowl without sticking to the bottom (*see footnote 2).
2. (Option 2 - knead by mixer) Attach the dough hook to the mixer. Add flour into the bowl and turn on low speed. Slowly add water. Let the mixer run at low speed until the dough becomes consistent and smooth, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the dough to a clean working surface. Knead a few times to shape the dough into a ball.
3. Dust a large bowl with flour. Transfer the dough into the bowl and cover the dough with a clean dish towel. Cover the bowl with a lid (or plastic wrap). Let the dough rest for 30 minutes to 3 hours (*see footnote 3).

Make noodles

1. Dust the working surface with flour and transfer the dough onto it. Knead a few more times. Divide into two equal pieces. Knead both pieces into a ball shape. Work on one dough at a time. Place one piece of dough back into the bowl and cover with a damp dish towel and lid.
2. Dust the working surface again. Press the dough into a flat disc. Roll with a rolling pin into a large, thin rectangle. If you are going to make wide noodles, try to roll the dough as thin as possible. If you’re going to make narrow noodles, the dough sheet can be a bit thicker (About 1/16” or 3 mm).
3. Dust the dough sheet with plenty of flour. Roll and fold the long side like rolling a cinnamon bun, until it shapes a multi-layered long sheet.
4. Slice along the short side with a sharp knife to make noodles (*See footnote 4). The width of the noodle is flexible and you can cut according to your preference, from 1/16” (3mm) to 1/2” (1.5cm).
5. Unfold the noodles and shake off extra flour.
6. (Optional) If you’re making wide noodles, you can use both hands to gently stretch the noodles from one end to the other (just like when making hand-pulled noodles (link)). The noodles will have a better mouthfeel this way.
7. Align the noodles on the working surface or hang them on a rack to dry for 30 minutes (*see footnote 5).

Cook noodles

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium high heat. Prepare a big cup of cold water.
2. Add noodles and immediately stir with chopsticks (or tongs), so the noodles won’t stick to the bottom.
3. Boil until the noodles are cooked through, about 3 minutes. If the water starts boiling, add some cold water to stop the boiling. Repeat until the noodles are cooked (*see footnote 6).
4. Use tongs to transfer the noodles to a strainer. Flush with tap water to cool. Drain and transfer to serving bowls.
5. You can now enjoy the noodles in a bowl of broth or top it with sauce.
6. The noodles will stick together when getting cold. If you’re not going to serve the noodles immediately, pour a few drops of oil onto them and gently toss by hand. If the noodles are already sticking together, rinse them with warm water and gently toss by hand.

Store

1. Dust the bottom of an airtight container with flour. Generously sprinkle flour on the noodles. Fold the noodles into the container and cover. Store in freezer up to 1 month.
2. To cook frozen noodles, cook them like you cook fresh noodles, without thawing.