Homemade Udon Noodles Recipe

How to make it

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• 1. Add the salt to the warm water and stir until it has dissolved. Put the bread flour and all-purpose flour in a large bowl, and whisk the flours together.
• 2. Pour the salty water into the bowl with the flour. Using your hands, mix the flour and water together lightly until the mixture is crumbly. Pull the dough up from the bottom of the bowl and press down, and repeat until the flour and water are well combined and a rough ball is formed.
• 3. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead it forcefully on a board for 5-10 minutes until the dough has smoothed out and a lumpy ball is formed.
• 4. Transfer the dough to a large plastic ziploc bag, and then wrap the bag in a thick towel. Put it on the floor and walk on it with flat feet (not just the heel). Turn as you walk, so that all the dough gets flattened. When the dough feels flat, remove the dough from the bag and roll it out. Then fold it up, put it back into the bag and repeat the process. The dough should become smoother with each repeat. Repeat 3 or 4 times. On the last repeat, leave the dough in the bag, wrapped in the towel, and let it rest for 3 to 4 hours (during the winter, leave it in a warm place).
• 5. When the dough is done resting, take it out of the bag, reshape it into a ball, then return it to the bag and walk on it one last time. Try to spread the dough with your feet, turning around 360 degrees.
• 6. Dust your work surface with a bit of bread flour, then place the flattened dough on top and roll it out, working from the middle out. Rotate the dough 45 degrees and repeat until the dough is about 1/8-inch thick, and approximately a rectangle measuring about 1 foot (30cm.) wide by at least 1 1/2 feet (45cm.) long. At this point the dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to a month. Bring the dough to room temperature before sprinkling it with flour and continuing on with step 7.
• 7. Dust the top of the dough with bread flour and then fold it into thirds. Using a long sharp knife, cut the dough into 1/4-inch to 1/8-inch (0.6 – 0.3cm.) thick ribbons See Photo. If the dough gets very sticky, dust it again with bread flour. Dust the noodles with bread flour before moving them from the work surface.
• 8. Cook the noodles: Fill a large pot with light broth or water and bring to a rapid boil. Lightly shake any excess flour from the noodles and add them to the boiling water. Using cooking chopsticks, or a wooden spoon, stir the noodles to prevent them from sticking together. Cook the noodles for 6 — 7 minutes, or until they are translucent and firm without a hard core. Drain the noodles in a sieve and rinse under cold running water so they cool rapidly. See Photo
• 9. Once the noodles are cool enough to handle, separate them with your hands and rinse them again in cold water to make sure that all of the starch is removed.
• The soup:
• Ingredients:
• • 3 - 4 cups veggie or fish stock.
• • 1 - 2 cups water. Adjust stock and water combo to taste.
• • 2 or 3 spring onions, course chopped, green part only.
• • 1 cup straw mushrooms, cleaned.
• • 1 cup firm tofu, cubed.
• • Udon noodles, some, more or less to taste.
• • 1 inch, about 1 Tbs. Kombu. Optional but a nice flavor.
• Directions:
• 1. Mix stock and water and bring to slow simmer.
• 2. Add Kombu, if using.
• 3. Add spring onions and mushrooms.
• 4. Gently simmer for five minutes.
• 5. Add noodles and tofu.
• 6. Simmer for 1 minute, stirring gently.
• 7. Cover and let rest 2 – 3 minutes.
• 8. Serve. See Photo
• Shio-zuke, Japanese pickled veggies, go well with this.