Homemade Chinese Egg Noodles

🧂 Ingredients

• 450 g high-gluten flour (e.g. bread flour)

  (~3 cups), plus extra for rolling/dusting - see note
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs

  whisked
• 60 ml water

  (1/4 cup)
• 5 ml lye water (kansui)

  (1 tsp) see note for substitution or omission

Instructions

• 1 In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the whisked eggs a little at a
  time, then add the water and lye water. Stir until the mixture is relatively
  well combined. Note that it should look quite dry.
• 2 Use your hands to combine the ingredients in the bowl. Knead the dough until it
  forms a tight and smooth ball. Do NOT be tempted to over-moisten the dough by
  adding more water. While it is a drier mix, it should eventually come together.
• 3 Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
• 4 Flatten the dough out by pounding on it with a rolling pin for about 5 minutes
  (or even a small heavy pot, if need be). You're not trying to thin the dough so
  much as you're encouraging the formation of gluten. Once you're finished, form
  the dough back into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand for another
  30 minutes.
• 5 Before proceeding with either noodle-making method, cut the ball of dough in
  half (or even quarters). Set one half aside and re-cover with the plastic wrap,
  to be used after making the first batch of noodles.
• 6 Use a rolling pin to progressively flatten the dough into a rather thin sheet
  (~3 mm thick). To encourage stretchier, chewier noodles, work with the natural
  direction of the dough - i.e. don't be afraid to let the dough roll out as an
  elongate rectangle, rather than trying to work it into a square.
• 7 Dust the surface to the dough with flour, then fold it over on itself carefully
  to form a sort of roll with multiple layers (see photo above).
• 8 Use a very sharp knife to cut the roll into strips of noodles. Hold the knife
  perpendicular to the cutting board and push down cleanly though the dough,
  rather than drawing the knife through in a slicing motion. Toss the noodles with
  a little extra flour and set them aside in loose bundles.
• 9 Repeat with remaining dough portions.
• 10 Cut the dough in half, or even in quarters. Cover the unused portions with
  plastic wrap and set aside.
• 11 Feed the dough through the largest opening on a manual or electric pasta maker.
  Repeat on progressively smaller settings until the dough is about 3 mm thick (I
  found the #3 or middle setting worked best).
• 12 Use the noodle cutting side/attachment to cut the dough into the desired size.
  Toss the noodles with a little extra flour or cornstarch and set them aside in
  loose bundles.
• 13 Repeat with remaining dough portions.

Nutrition Info