Basic Chinese style homemade (handmade) Chinese noodles recipe. If you are searching for some idea about how to make yummy Chinese style noodle dishes, check Chinese noodle recipes.
It is really interesting when you make noodles at home. Chinese people especially people from the Northern provinces think this is just a routine for daily life. Homemade noodles usually provide a more chewy taste than store bought ones. If you visits Chinese friends, and they treat you with fresh handmade noodles, then I would love to congratulate you for a real friendship.
The basic steps are easy but there are lots of details for the perfect outcome.
Firstly about the basic ingredients:
For noodles, high gluten flour will be highly recommended for a chewy taste. But if you really do not care about the taste that much, all-purpose flour is quite Ok too.
About how much water;
Usually the dough for noodles should be tougher than steamed buns so for 250g flour, I would use around 120g of water. The ratio is slightly less than 2:1. However this is not a actuate number since different flours have different water-absorbing capacity. Usually high gluten flour has a higher water-absorbing capacity. So the rule is to add the water little by little and make some adjustment if necessary.
The toughness of the dough should be harder than steamed buns. You may feel difficult in kneading the dough at the very beginning. If you are not skilled in dealing with tough dough, rest it for around 10 minutes and then continue kneading until the dough is smooth.
If you use egg liquid to replace water partly or completely, then this will be homemade egg noodles.
Now let’s begin
Add flour, (egg) pinch of salt in a deep bowl. Pour in water step by step. Stir the flour with a tool. Stop pouring water when you see there is no dry flour in your bowl.
Grasp everything together and begin kneading the dough until your hand is clean, your bowl is clean and the dough has a smooth surface. Then keep kneading for another 10 minutes. Cover with a wet cloth and rest for around 30 minutes. After that, the dough will become slightly softer.
Transfer the dough to a floured operating board, should be large enough in picture 1. Roll it into a thick wrapper firstly as picture 2.
Roll the dough into rectangle or round wrapper with around 0.5 cm in thick, keeping remaining dough covered with flour (picture 3 and 4).
Fold the large dough wrapper around 5cm wide(picture 5) . Each time after folding up, spread the surface with flour. Cut the remaining part off.
Cut the folded dough into thin strips with a sharp and dry knife. (picture 6)
Spread flour on the surface before picking the noodle strips.
Unfold the strips one by one and then shake the extra flour off.
Here we are.
How to cook: cook the noodles in boiling water for around 4 minutes. Each time when the water is boiling in your pot, add around 1/4 cup of cold water, wait boiling again. Repeat the process once.
Ingredients
- 250 g high gluten flour , around 1 cup+2/3 cup
- 120 g water , around 120ml, can be replaced by egg liquid partly or completely
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Add flour, pinch of salt in a deep bowl. Pour in water slowly. Stir the flour with a tool. Stop pouring water when there is no dry flour in the mixing bowl (depending on the flour you are using, the water absorption might be different. )
- Knead the dough until your hand is clean, your bowl is clean and the dough is smooth. Then keep kneading for another 10 minutes.
- Cover with a wet cloth and rest for around 30 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a large floured operating board. Roll it into a thick wrapper firstly.
- Roll the dough into paper-thin rectangle or round wrapper, keeping remaining dough covered with flour.
- Roll the dough into rectangle or round wrapper with around 0.5 cm in thick, keeping remaining dough covered with flour.
- Fold the large dough wrapper around 5cm wide. Each time after folding up, spread the surface with flour. Cut any irregular part if necessary.
- Cut the folded dough into thin strips with a sharp and dry knife.
- Spread flour on the surface before picking the noodle strips.
- Unfold the strips one by one and then shake the extra flour off.
- Cook them directly or refrigerated up to 7 days in air--tight bags.
Nutrition
Cooked ! It tastes really good!
When using fresh noodles in a stir fry do you need to boil them first…or do you add the freshly made noodles directly to the wok? I am thinking that you need to cook them first in boiling water……am i correct?
Thank you for the recipe, wonderful
Yes, you should boil the noodles firstly around 80% cooked and then rinse under cold water. Remember to drain before stir-frying. By the way, I would suggest using egg noodles for chow mein noodles. Adding more egg can make the noodles stronger and chewier.
Happy cooking!
Thank you Elaine and I will take your advice regarding egg noodles….ps the your bokchoi with pork is a family favorite in our house now. Thank you
Nice feedback! Happy cooking!
My son loves noodles…. cant wait to try this great recipe. I do have question though- can we store it for either in freeze or dry n keep it for future use?
I would suggesting freeze the noodles directly. Slightly dust the noodles and then freeze in air-tight bags and boil directly before serving.
What if we do not have eggs???
If you do not want to add eggs, the best solution is to add some sodium carbonate to the dough. So the noodles can be elastic.
This is the best thing in planet. I can’t find any of the best restaurants in India who can make such delicious Sichuan noodles. So I tried it at home and now It’s impossible to eat at any restaurants noodles as compare to these fresh made noodles at home. Such a delicacy, die hard fan of chinese noodles and dumplings. Hope some day you will show us how to make goat meat and fat dumplings.
Try it folks , sichuan chili oil is just amazing with these noodles…
I will appreciate if you can also share how to make best sichuan chili oil.
Keep it up..!!!
Your chili oil recipe is here .
Yeah, thank you so much and I really appreciate that it is the best traditional way to make perfect chilli oil.
Keep up the great work..
Cheers..!!!
Yesterday, i ate some wonderful handmade noodles. And since then I wanted to do my owns.
So I decided to follow your recipe, and it’s really easy to do and so good.
Thank you for this recipe!
Thank you for the wonderful feedback.
hey i did this but i put sesame oil and oyster sauce and chives and it turned out so good!
having this online really helped me so i can make it anytime!
Thanks Nani for your wonderful feedback.
Hi looks great. Are you saying you can replace all the water with egg? So these can be made with just water or just egg? What would be the difference?
More eggs create stronger noodles, very chewy, hard to break. However if you use water only, you need to add some alkaline solution to strong the gluten. The recipe is the best ratio tested by me.
Thank you so much for this recipe. My grandmother used to make these noodles for mother as a child. My mother hasn’t had them until today and I am 40 years old! She was so excited and happy. They tasted great and were easy to make! We will continue to make this recipe from now on!
You are the most welcome, Saundra. Food is a great connection among generations. I can remember lots of food from my grandmother too. Keep trying and you will get even better foods.
Hi,
Am trying the recipe now! Just wondering if the flour should be sifted? I’m doing this batch un-sifted to see how it turns out.
Thanks!
I believe there is no need to sift the flour, Clara.