Handmade Ramen Noodles From Scratch

1. Measure 125 ml water into a container and add ½ tsp lye water powder and ½ tsp salt. Mix until fully dissolved and completely blended into the water.
2. Sift 300 g bread flour into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the lye water little by little and mix with your hands (or chopsticks) after each addition until crumbs form.
4. Stop adding water once all of the flour becomes dough-like crumbs (sprinkle a little more if there is still dry flour in the bowl). It's important not to add too much water.
5. Transfer the crumbs to a large sealable freezer bag, push the air out and seal. Rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
6. After 1 hour, place the bag on the floor and knead the dough by stepping on it with your foot. Step until the dough is flattened and fills the bag.
7. Take it out and fold it into thirds, then return to the bag and repeat until you have a smooth dough (approximately 15 minutes of kneading).
8. Once smooth, return to the bag and seal. Rest at room temperature for 24 hours.
9. The next day, remove the dough from the bag and place it on a clean dry surface sprinkled with a small amount of flour.
10. Roll the dough out thinly and then cut it into four manageable pieces narrow enough to fit through your pasta machine.
11. Feed each piece through the pasta machine at the widest setting (usually 0) then reduce and repeat until you get to setting 5. If the surface of the dough feels tacky at any point, dust with flour to prevent sticking.
12. Attach the spaghetti cutting attachment and roll each piece through.

How to Cook

1. Start heating a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add the noodles and cook for 1 minute. Once cooked, pour through a colander to drain and wash with cold water. Rinse with hot water to warm through before serving.

How to Store

1. Lightly dust the noodles with extra flour to prevent sticking.
2. Wrap each bundle with plastic wrap, being careful not to press or crush them. Place the bundles in a sealable freezer bag. If using the same day, store in the refrigerator. If you don't plan to use them within 2-3 days, store in the freezer for up to 3 months and boil from frozen for 1 minute.