Hand-pulled noodles (La Mian), a foolproof recipe

Name: Hand-pulled noodles (La Mian), a foolproof recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 2 serving
Ingredients: 250 g all-purpose flour; ¼ teaspoon salt; 125 ml water; neutral cooking oil

User Reviews

5

196 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Rest
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 50 mins
Servings
2
Calories
455 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Chinese

Hand-pulled noodles (La Mian), a foolproof recipe

Iris Warren

Report

Hand-pulled noodles (La Mian) are made from a simple dough of all-purpose flour, salt, and water, kneaded to a smooth, elastic consistency. After resting and oiling, the dough is cut into strips and pulled repeatedly to form tender, chewy noodles. The recipe details both hand and mixer kneading methods, plus alternative pulling techniques that allow for varied noodle thickness and texture. These noodles serve as a base for multiple Chinese dishes.

Description

This recipe for hand-pulled noodles, known as La Mian, uses basic ingredients: all-purpose flour, a pinch of salt, water, and neutral cooking oil. The kneading process, whether by hand or mixer, aims for a smooth, medium-firm dough that rests multiple times to develop elasticity essential for pulling. Resting also helps ease the shaping and prevents shrinkage during cooking.

Once divided and flattened, the dough pieces are coated with oil, covered, and rested further to relax the gluten. The noodles are then cut into widths appropriate to the desired noodle style and pulled carefully to lengthen and thin the dough strands. Alternatively, a pulling method over boiling water can be used for different noodle textures.

The versatility of La Mian noodles allows them to accompany various traditional dishes such as Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup, Zha Jiang Mian, or Spicy Beef Noodle Soup. The recipe includes tips on flour measurements, dough storage in the fridge, gentle reheating, and alternative serving ideas.

This approach yields fresh, chewy noodles distinctive from machine-made or store-bought varieties. They require some practice but offer a rewarding hands-on experience for homemade Asian cooking.

Share:

I Made This!

18 people made this

Print

298 people printed this

Save this

93 people saved this

Ingredients

Servings

250 g all-purpose flour about 2 cups (see note 1)
¼ teaspoon salt
125 ml water ½ cup + 1 teaspoon
neutral cooking oil for coating the dough, generic cooking oil

Add Ingredients to Grocery List

Recommended Tools for this Recipe

Instructions

Keep Screen Awake

Prepare the dough

IF KNEADING BY HAND: Mix flour and salt. Add water gradually. Mix with chopsticks/spatula until no more loose flour can be seen. Combine and knead briefly into a dough. Leave to rest for 10-15 minutes (covered). Knead again for about 2 minutes until very smooth.
IF KNEADING WITH A STAND MIXER: Add flour, salt and water into the mixing bowl. Knead on low speed until a very smooth dough forms.

Coat & rest the dough

Divide the dough into two equal parts. With a rolling pin, flatten each piece into a rectangle shape (about ½ cm thick).
Thoroughly coat each piece with oil then place them on a tray. Cover with cling film then leave to rest for 1.5 hours.

Cut the dough

Bring a large pot of water to a full boil. While waiting, cut the dough.
Place one piece of dough on a chopping board. Widthways, cut it into strips: about 1 cm wide if making round, thin noodles; about 3 cm wide if making flat, wide noodles.

Pull the noodles (see note 3 for alternative method)

Pick up one strip of dough by holding each end gently. Pull towards opposite directions. The movement should be smooth and consistent.
As your arms move apart, bounce the noodle against the worktop to help it stretch further.
Fold the noodle and repeat the movement (Please refer to the video below).

Cook the noodles

Drop the pulled noodle into boiling water. Repeat the procedure to pull other strips cut from the first piece of dough.
Cook 1 minute for the thin noodles or 2 minutes for the wide noodles (While waiting, cut the second piece of dough into strips.). Transfer the noodles to a serving bowl using a pair of chopsticks.
Repeat to pull and cook the second bowl of noodles.

Serve the noodles

To avoid the noodles sticking to each other, serve immediately.
You may add a broth or mix the noodles with toppings/dressings. Please see note 4 for recipe links.

Store & Reheat

If not serving straight away, you need to briefly rinse the noodles with cold water then add a few drops of sesame oil and stir well. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.
To reheat: Bring a pot of water to a full boil. Add the noodles and cook for no more than 30 seconds.

Notes

Measuring flour by cups can vary; adjust water amounts as necessary to achieve a medium-firm, smooth dough.
Store the dough in the refrigerator if not using immediately. Allow enough time for it to come to room temperature before pulling.
An alternative pulling method involves stretching the dough directly over boiling water, continuing to pull as the noodle slips in.
Hand-pulled noodles can be used in dishes like Lanzhou Beef Noodle Soup, Zha Jiang Mian, Xi'an Biang Biang Noodles, Spicy Beef Noodle Soup, and noodles with tomato and egg toppings.