During my trip to Asia I was bowled over by fresh, handmade noodles not just once but three times! The first two times were in Japan. Michael Baxter of Kyoto Foodie took me to a favorite udon shop near his home. (The noodles were separate from Michael's Kyoto sukiaki lesson.) The udon noodles were served with mountain yam and raw egg as a rich sauce. Sitting on a tatami floor at a traditional low table, we swirled, stirred, and slurped until there were no noodles left.
In Tokyo, my friend Mayu took me for a cold udon lunch, and the noodles were served on a zaru bamboo mat, very much like the way cold soba is prepared. Both Michael and Mayu prefaced the noodles by saying that the noodles were handmade and freshly made.
Their words impressed me because up until I went to Japan, I’ve not been an udon noodle fan. What I realize during my trip was that the udon noodles in the US are mostly often gummy and as thick as pencils. In Japan, however, the udon noodles are sublime with a wonderful chew and good wheat flavor. I was converted.
On my last night in Chengdu, China, we had hand-pulled noodles at a crusty shop run by a charming Muslim family. As I watched the noodle maker, I wondered if I could make such noodles. It was simply flour and water that he’d combined and stretched.
Once home, I did a little research in my Japanese cookbooks and found a recipe for udon in Shizuo Tsuji’s classic, Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art. Even though Tsuji called for dried udon in his recipes, he repeated told the reader that homemade is better. Then he quietly provided an udon noodle recipe. I studied the recipe, then tried it out with Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose flour, which I felt best approximated the flour used by a Japanese home cook.
The noodles above were what I made. They were cut by hand. No Italian pasta machine was needed.
My major tweak was to avoid super thick udon noodles, which I abhor. The solution was simple. I stretched the noodles – kinda like what the Muslim noodle maker did in China. However, there were no tricky hand movements in my technique. I just pulled on the noodles individually or in groups of a dozen or so strands; watch the video below to see what I did.
The noodles weren’t perfect, but they were deliciously chewy-tender, with a random quality that said, “I’m fresh and homemade!” My husband couldn’t stop eating them and he was previously a non-udon lover like me.
What did I do with the noodles? There was a lot and we had some as refreshing cold noodles (zaru udon) (the recipe will be posted shortly) for dinner last night. I have to figure other things to do with the rest. The homemade udon noodles remind me of the cao lau noodles from Hoi An too. Stay tuned!
Homemade Udon Noodles
Give this udon noodle recipe a try yourself. You don’t have much to lose but some flour and time. This udon noodle recipe produces about 2 ¼ pounds of cooked noodles, which is ample for 8 portions.
If you use a stronger (higher protein) flour such as King Arthur, you may need a touch more water. Add it by the teaspoon when moistening the dry ingredients.
Makes about 1 ½ pounds noodles
1 pound (3 cups plus 2 tablespoons) unbleached all-purpose flour, Gold Medal preferred
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup water
1. Put the flour and salt in a food processor bowl. Pulse a few times to blend. Remove the feed tube and run the machine while you pour the water in a slow, steady stream.
After all the water has been added, the dough will look crumbly. Let the machine run for a little more to moisten all the flour. It may not gather into a ball. That’s okay. (Alternatively, put the flour in a bowl, make a well in the middle, and slowly work in the water by hand.)
2. Transfer the dough and all the bits to your work surface. Start kneading it vigorously. You should not need any water. Knead for about 5 minutes, slapping the dough onto the work surface occasionally to work the gluten. You’re done when the dough is smooth and feels firm-soft, nearly as soft as your earlobe but not quite. Shape the dough into a ball and slide it into a zip-top plastic bag. Seal well, pressing out all the air. Set aside to rest for at least 2 hours or up to 4 hours in summer and 8 hours in winter.
3. Before you roll out the dough, set a big pot of water on the stove and heat it up. You’ll be making the noodles and cooking them at the same time.
4. Remove the dough from the bag and put it on lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough out to a thickness of ⅛ inch, turning it and flouring it occasionally to prevent sticking. Aim for a rectangle-like shape.
Watch this video for guidance on rolling, cutting and stretching the noodles:
5. Then fold it in half, dust the underside, then fold back ¼ of the dough on each side to create flaps. Watch the video for guidance.
6. Use a knife to cut strips of noodles, each a scant ¼ inch wide. Cut about a quarter of the dough then pause to unfold the strips into noodles. Use your fingers to pull on the noodles to stretch them out to about twice their width. Cut the longer strands in half to yield noodles about 12 to 16 inches long. Gently dust the noodles with flour.
Drop the noodles into the boiling water. Let them cook for about 3 minutes (the water may not return to a boil), until the float to the top and are chewy tender. Then use a slotted spoon to remove the noodles from the hot pot. Deposit them into a bowl of cold water to cool for a few minutes. Drain into a strainer and set aside to cool. Replace the water in the bowl to cool the next batch of noodles.
While the noodles cook, cut more noodles from the dough, pausing again to unfold and stretch the strips. If you work on a quarter of the dough at a time and cook them, you’ll get into a rhythm. Or, get someone to help you.
7. The noodles are ready to use or eat. You can store them cooked for several days. Return them to room temperature before using. You can refresh them with a dunk in a pot of boiling water.
Related links:
Tom - Westerville, OH says
Years ago I had a business visitor from Nagoya, Japan, who claimed "the best noodles are in Nagoya". In an absolutely ignorant manner I said "Come on. They're just noodles". Later, while visiting Nagoya for installation of our product, I was forced to - literally - eat my words. Like you, I was amazed at the freshness and the wonderful flavor- so different from what we in the US think of as noodles. Even the dried Udon noodles they sell in the market are different - it's the freshness, I think. Look forward to trying this recipe.
Jai says
That dough looked beautiful, Andrea. I have a pasta machine, but a while back, I decided to try Marcella Hazan's recipe for hand-made pasta. It was so much fun, and much more delicate than using the pasta machine. I'll have to try these noodles, it looks pretty easy. And, I love Udon! BTW, great video!
Thuy says
Its amazing to see only 3 ingredients goes into making noodles. When you said to slap the dough to work the gluten, it it kinda reminds me of the 'No Reservations' episode when he was in Hong Kong. There was an old man in the apartment making noodles and he used that huge bamboo pole to work the gluten.
This looks so simple, I got to go make it.
kim says
Obviously, I must make these -- I have never been an udon fan either, for the reasons you mentioned. Clearly, that should change! Wonderful work, looking forward to playing with your recipe.
Phuc says
Can this noodle be used as banh canh noodles? Gotta try it! Thx fir sharing.
Diane says
Wow! That video is so awesomely helpful. This is so inspiring.
Karen Tran says
I have been tempted to start making noodles at home but have been so intimidated. I am not good with baking and my attempts at other homemade dough type things like green onion pancake, roti, etc have been utter flops. I love you video and I think you have inspired me to try these udon noodles at home! Wish me luck!
kit says
Hi
thanks for sharing your udon receipe, on my way to trying it out, btw, your video is eye-opening.
thanks again
julie says
i can't help being excited about your series of posts on your recent travels! i've been in beijing these two months and have been similarly awed by how ridiculously amazing the noodles are. so much so that i went to learn how to make hand-pulled noodles strand by strand like you describe here (actually recently posted about it: http://www.meatlovessalt.com/2010/10/hand-pulled-noodles-at-hutong-in-beijing/). i'm excited to hear that udon is similar -- can't wait to try it. thanks for the helpful steps and video!
also, like the reader above, i'm curious too as to whether you think vietnamese noodles could be made similarly? i'm a sucker for bun bo hue. fresh viet noodles... that would be a dream. 🙂
twitter.com/aqnguyen says
Japanese udon and Vietnamese banh canh noodles aren't the same. The Viet noodles made from rice flour. It's on my to-do list. Stay tuned...
Lili says
There is a wonderful Japanese movie that came out a few years ago, entitled "Udon". It's got footage of udon making that would make you weep. The story is hilarious. If you haven't seen it, it's worth a viewing with bowl of your homemade noodles
riceandwheat says
Andrea, those udon noodles look so perfect! I just tried out making eggless noodles myself but I resorted to using my pasta machine. Now I want to retry without machine to make these lovely udon!
Karen Tran says
thank you so much for this recipe! I tried it and it turned out really well! I think I still need to refine my cutting technique but overall I was very pleased with how these turned out! I still can't believe how easy it was. Thank you again.
recipe momma says
Ive been trying to find an authentic udon recipe and I think this will do the job just perfectly thank you! It's so hard to find decent udon here in England, the only option is to make it myself!!!
Faith Kramer says
Wow. I didn't know it, but I MUST make these. Thanks.
Michael B [KyotoFoodie] says
Hi Andrea,
Wow, making udon at home, that is hardcore! Looks very yummy and thanks for the video.
I have not made udon yet but I have made soba a number of time, just last night in fact.
The udon shop we visited that you mention above is at the link below.
http://kyotofoodie.com/cold-summer-noodles-tsunamichi-zaru-udon/
BZ says
Great article, and a great video. I think that I will give these a try today! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this - I really appreciate your effort!
BZ says
Hi. I made these noodles for lunch today, and they were GREAT!!!!!!!! I followed the instructions exactly, and I was impressed with how simple it was, and how supple the dough was. They also had a perfect texture after being cooked. My girlfriend's aunt said that she was "seeing stars" (translated from Spanish) while eating them - because they were so good! :.)
Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
Andree Valdry says
I am a bit late with my question...would it be possible to use a KitchenAid blender with the dough hook?
Andrea Nguyen says
Andree -- I think so. You may get some straggly bits so do some final hand kneading. Let me know how it fares for you.
George says
Recently, I picked up a mochi maker, and the manual says it can be used to pound udon dough. Although, I typically make noodels by hand, I'm going to put the dough in the mochi maker and see what happens. Does anyone have a clue what will happen to the texture of te noodle if it ends up being over worked?
George says
The mochi maker typically runs the pounding cycle for about 10 minutes.
Astrid says
About the Kitchenaid - I have one, and have made various noodle doughs with it.
Do NOT use the dough hook, you will burn out the motor!
Instead, use the flat paddle, and just mix the dough until it comes together.
Unfortunately, this will not save you the kneading, as even the heavy duty models from Kitchenaid cannot do stiff noodle.
Try wrapping the dough in a plastic bag and walking on it instead 🙂
Austin and Kolby says
So my cousin and I are 16 and 17 and thought of taking on this recipe. we are both amateur chefs, but had so much ffun, I would recommend using like a tad bit more water but not too much.....made that sticky mistake. thank you, yum. 5 stars
Austin and Kolby says
Andree- that's what I did as well and it turned out fabulously.
jnelson says
Do you have a noodle recipe that uses alkaline water (like Koon Chun Potassium Carbonate & Sodium Bi-Carbonate) which yields a springy, chewy noodle?
Josie says
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQUdYSV0NF8
udon movie
Vondella says
Thank you so much for the recipe and how-to video! Last night I ran across a Schezuan recipe that called for udon noodles and thought maybe I should try making my own since I've never really enjoyed the packaged ones I've purchased. You've inspired me.
By the way, I own your Asian Dumplings cookbook and it is one of my absolute favorites!
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udon noodles says
My chicken noodle soup has always been terrible (not enough flavor, overcooked noodles, too many noodles, etc.), so this has completely replaced it. I bet the sriracha would be great for a cold!
marlon says
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this - I really appreciate your effort!
Mary Beth says
I just lost a lengthy comment telling you about the great outcome I had with this recipe. I hit a wrong key and it's all gone. No time to rewrite, but thank you for an outstanding recipe! I had perfect results with your instruction and I will make these again.
What I did slightly differently from yours, but still had excellent results:
-used warm tap water and let the food processor mix the dough for about three minutes (still kneaded by hand for 5-8 minutes.
- let dough rest under a bowl on the counter for two hours, kneading a few times in between. The dough got silkier the longer it sat.
-zipped it up in a bag and let it sit on my counter overnight- it was actually about 18 hours at room temperature before rolling, cutting, and cooking.
-cooked the noodles about 6 minutes, as they were thicker (and probably chewier) than yours, as I prefer them thicker.
-altogether delicious! Another winner! Many thanks for taking the time to inform, test, write, photograph, and video this for us. (Love your banh mi as well).
Andrea Nguyen says
You're so welcome, Mary Beth. Thanks for reporting on your experience and sharing TIPS too!
Marc P in the UK says
Perfect. Thank you, Andrea - this is just what I was looking for. I'll be having a go at it this week. One question though. I would like to stir fry with the noodles. Should I parboil first then drop into my wok... or can I go straight into the oiled wok and perhaps add a few drops of water and cover with a lid if they are still a little too chewy or "al-dente".
Andrea Nguyen says
Mark, definitely stir-fry cooked noodles! Sorry for the late response.