Homemade noodles. TNS

What do handmade noodles require? Flour, salt and water is all you need!

Make sure you have enough water to bind the dry ingredients together but don’t overdo it. Add water gradually so the dough doesn’t become too wet.

You can roll the dough with a rolling pin. You want the sheets as thin as possible because they expand when boiling. You don’t need any additional flour while rolling because the dough is dry. In fact, flouring a rolling pin and surface will cause the dough to slip and slide, making it harder to flatten to bed-sheet thickness.

However, you do need lots of flour when cutting the dough. To get long, even noodles, fold the dough over and over onto itself. Get a generous coating of flour between the layers. If you don’t, they’ll all stick together when you cut through them. The flour will help the rolls of noodles unravel easily.

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If you have time, you can lay them out to dry for a few hours at room temperature, but you can boil them right away too. Because they’re fresh, they take only two to three minutes to soften. To test for doneness, bite into one: There shouldn’t be a raw centre. Drain well, then rinse under cold running water to wash off the excess flour and to keep the noodles from overcooking to mush. Do this even if you’re going to ultimately eat them in a hot soup or stir-fry.

From-scratch noodles may not be an everyday treat, but it’s a fun cooking project that will give you a taste of how delicious fresh noodles can be.

HOMEMADE NOODLES

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Cold filtered water

 Handmade noodles. TNS

Method

1. Mix the flour and salt in a medium bowl using chopsticks or a fork. While stirring, add the water in thirds, letting each addition incorporate before adding the next. Keep stirring until the dough forms large, shaggy clumps with dry bits remaining. Use your hand to knead the dough in the bowl into a single mass while gathering all the dry bits. Once the dough forms a ball, transfer it to a clean work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

2. Cut the dough in half and cover one piece with plastic wrap again. Roll the other piece into a rectangle as thin as possible. Generously dust the dough’s surface with flour and fold in half lengthwise. Dust the top with more flour and fold again. Repeat until you have a folded stack of dough about 3 inches wide.

3. Transfer the dough to a well-floured cutting board and cut into thin strips (1/4 - to 1/2-inch) using a sharp knife. The noodles will expand to about twice their width, so cut according to your desired size. Unravel the noodles and place on a rack or floured surface to dry out. Repeat with the remaining dough. If you have time, let the noodles dry for a few hours.

4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, just until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold running water until cool, then drain again. Use immediately.

Make Ahead:

The dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 6 hours before rolling. The cut noodles can be air-dried at room temperature for up to 4 hours.

Tribune News service