Thank you to Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post!
I have always been intimidated by making fresh, homemade noodles. For some reason, I thought that I could only make noodles with a pasta machine. But that’s not true, as I’ll show you in this homemade noodle recipe. You do not need fancy equipment to make Chinese noodles. It is all a matter of making the dough, rolling it out, cutting the noodles, and cooking them. That’s it!
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE NOODLES
MAKE THE DOUGH
Preparing the dough for the homemade noodles is very similar to the dough for my dumpling wrappers. You need to mix flour, water, and salt together and knead the dough.
The flour I am using in this homemade noodle recipe is Bob’s Red Mill’s organic unbleached white all-purpose flour. The flour is made from organic hard red wheat, and I love using it to make my noodles and dumpling wrappers. When I make dough for dumplings or noodles, I want the dough to be smooth and I want consistent results. Both Mama Lin and I agree that Bob’s Red Mill’s all-purpose flour makes great dough!
I decided to go with a 2:1 flour-to-water ratio (by weight) for the noodle dough. I tried several batches using slightly more water and I found the noodles stretched out too easily after I cut them. If I were making classic Chinese hand-pulled noodles (la mian, 拉麵), that stretchy quality would have been ideal. However, the homemade noodles here are akin to knife-cut noodles, so I need the dough to be stiffer.
When you first knead the dough, it will seem very dry (see photo 1 above). That is completely fine. Use your fingers to squeeze the dough as you knead it to work the moisture into the flour. After 8 to 10 minutes of kneading, the dough should feel evenly hydrated and the surface relatively smooth (see photo 2). Let the dough rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour. When you knead the dough again after it has rested, the surface will look very smooth (see photo 3). You are now ready to roll out the dough.
ROLL OUT THE DOUGH
To make the dough easier to roll out, divide the large dough into 4 smaller pieces. Then, roll out each piece on a well-floured surface. Make sure to cover the other pieces of dough inside a bowl or under plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.
Aim to roll out each small piece of dough into a rectangular shape, about 12 inches long and 5 ½ to 6 inches wide. In the beginning, the dough will be difficult to roll out because it will want to stretch back. Just be patient.
When I am rolling out the dough length-wise, I like to gently press down the dough on one end and use a rolling pin to stretch out the other end. Once you are done rolling it out, make sure to dust both sides of the dough with flour.
CUT THE DOUGH
Before cutting up the dough into noodles, fold the dough into thirds. Grab one short end of the dough and fold up about a third of it towards the center (see photo 2 above). Next, grab the other short end and lay it over the already folded dough (see photo 3).
Rotate the dough 90 degrees so that the folds are on the top and bottom. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into noodles that are 1/2-inch thick (see photo 4). After you cut all the dough, you can unravel each individual noodle. Loosely bundle the noodles before rolling out the next piece of dough.
COOK THE NOODLES
Bring 4 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to boil. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, add the noodles. You can cook 1 or 2 bundles of noodles at a time. Make sure to stir the water right after the noodles go in to ensure that they don’t stick together. The noodles will float to the top once they are ready.
Freshly cooked noodles stick together easily. To prevent them from sticking into a giant block drizzle the cooked noodles with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and stir to incorporate.
If you are planning to serve the noodles later, submerge the cooked noodles into a bowl filled with ice water. The cold temperature of the water stops the cooking process and keeps the noodles apart. When you are ready to serve, you can heat the noodles in boiling water for a minute and then drain.
SERVE THE NOODLES
I think you’ll love the soft and chewy texture of these homemade noodles. That chewiness is something you only get from fresh noodles.
To make this an easy meal, I tossed the noodles with a mouth-watering spicy peanut sauce. In the photos, you’ll see that I also served the noodles with blanched baby bok choy and pan-fried tofu that I tossed with my teriyaki sauce.
SIDE DISHES TO SERVE WITH HOMEMADE NOODLES
Easy Homemade Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
Noodles
- 320 g all-purpose flour, about 2 2/3 cups, spoon and sweep method
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 160 grams room temperature water, about 3/4 cup
For Cooking Noodles
- 4 quarts water
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- sesame oil, to keep noodles from sticking together
Spicy Peanut Sauce
- 3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon chili oil
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup or sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Additional Equipment
- rolling pin
- baking sheet
- spider spatula or large skimmer
Instructions
Make the Dough
- In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Add the water and use a spoon or chopsticks to stir everything together.
- Once the water has been absorbed into the flour, use your hands to start gathering all the loose flour into the dough. The dough will seem very dry in the beginning, and that’s normal. Use your fingers to work the dry flour into the dough.
- When you get a large lump of dough, knead the dough on a dry surface. You do not need to add additional flour the surface. Continue kneading the dough for about 8 minutes. Again, the dough may seem dry for the first few minutes. Just use your fingers to squeeze the dough to hydrate it more evenly. After kneading for 8 minutes, you should have a relatively smooth ball of dough.
- Set the dough inside the bowl and cover it with a damp towel, a silicone lid, or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Roll Out the Dough
- Once the dough has rested, take it out of the bowl. Knead it for a minute or two. The surface of the dough should now be very smooth now.
- Sprinkle some flour onto a large baking sheet and set it aside.
- Generously flour your work surface. Divide the dough into 4 smaller pieces. Keep 1 piece out and cover the other 3 pieces of dough.
- Shape this piece of dough into an oval and roll it out into a rectangle that is about 12 inches long and 5 1/2 to 6 inches wide. The dough will be difficult to roll out in the beginning because it will want to shrink back. Gently press down on one end of the dough as you use a rolling pin to stretch out the other end. Do the same on the other side. If at any point the dough is sticking to the rolling pin, brush some flour over the dough. You may need to brush flour underneath as well.
Cut the Noodles
- Once you have rolled out a rectangle, lightly brush flour over the dough. Then, fold it into thirds.
- Grab one short end of the dough and fold up about a third of it towards the center. Then, fold the other short end towards the center so that you now have 3 overlapping layers of dough. Use the photos in the post for reference.
- Next, rotate the dough 90 degrees so that the folds are on the top and bottom. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 1/2-inch pieces (see Note 1). Make sure your cuts are perpendicular to the folds. Unravel each individual noodle. Then, gather all the noodles and make fold them in half into a small, loose bundle. Transfer the noodles to the floured baking sheet.
- Continue rolling out and cutting the remaining dough into noodles.
Cook the Noodles
- Mix all the spicy peanut sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set it aside.
- Add 4 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a pot, and bring the water to boil. Add 1 or 2 bundles of noodles into the boiling water. Use a wooden spoon to stir the noodles a little to keep them from sticking together. Let the noodles cook for 3 to 4 minutes. The noodles will float to the top when they are done cooking. You’ll notice that the noodles expand once they’re cooked.
- Use a spider spatula or skimmer to remove the noodles from the pot. Transfer the noodles to a bowl. Drizzle about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sesame oil over the noodles and stir everything together. This will help keep the noodles from sticking together into a solid block(see note 2). Continue cooking the remaining noodles.
- Once all the noodles are cooked, toss the noodles with the spicy peanut sauce. Add more chili oil if you want more spiciness. I served these noodles cold. I shocked the noodles in ice water for several minutes and drained them. Then, I tossed the noodles with the spicy peanut sauce. It’s up to you whether you want the noodles to be served hot or cold.
Make it A Meal
- I served the noodles with baby bok choy that I blanched in boiling water for about a minute. I also pan fried extra-firm tofu pieces until they were golden brown (about 3 to 4 minutes each side). Then, I tossed the tofu with my teriyaki sauce.
- You can garnish the noodles with pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and sliced scallions if you like.
Notes
- The first few times I made the noodles, I used a bench scraper to cut the noodles. Because the bench scraper wasn’t as sharp as a knife, the dough squished together as I cut the noodles. This made unraveling the noodles much more difficult.
- If you are planning to serve the noodles later, submerge the cooked noodles into a bowl filled with ice water. When you are ready to serve, heat the noodles in boiling water for a minute. Then, remove the noodles.
- FREEZER DIRECTIONS: To freeze the noodles, dust them with rice flour so that the noodles don’t stick together. Then, place the noodles on parchment lined plates and let it freeze for several hours. Transfer the frozen noodles to a freezer bag. When you are ready to cook them, add the frozen noodles directly into boiling water. There is no need to defrost them before cooking. The noodles will need an extra minute or two to cook.
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill! To learn more about their products and to get more recipe inspiration, follow them on Instagram or Facebook.
Charlotte says
I saw this recipe on Instagram and immediately knew I had to make it! So, for dinner that night, I made a serve for one and it was AMAZING. I even made it the following night for my partner! I left out the chilli oil both times because I’m not a huge fan, but it was great without it. The noodles were way easier than I expected, and definitely made a huge difference to the dish. That being said, I might use packaged noodles in the future for an easy weeknight meal ????????
Lisa Lin says
Charlotte, thank you SO MUCH for making it! Yes, feel free to use packaged noodles if it’s easier. I’ve also frozen these noodles and cooked them again with great success. Anyway, thanks again for trying this recipe!
Hannah says
Made this last week to rave reviews from my family! The noodles were simple to make, although I think I’d roll them slightly thinner next time as they were very thick. Sauce was delicious and so easy to do, will definitely make this again!
Lisa Lin says
Hannah, thank you so much for trying this recipe! So glad that you and your family enjoyed it!
Jasmine says
I only made the noodles, then did my own thing since I like my noodles hot and also didn’t have most of the ingredients for the sauce…
Noodles: straightforward to prepare, especially when using her Instagram story video. I need to practice rolling dough to a consistent thickness, but rather enjoyed the slight variations in the texture of the noodles. I cut my noodles to about 1/8in and found that to be a good size. 100% recommend trying once. I’m going to be trying it again soon!
Miriam Brown says
Can this noodle recipe be made with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour? Thank you
Lisa Lin says
That flour blend is mostly rice flour, so the texture will be very different. Certainly not impossible, but I think you’ll find the texture to be different from wheat based noodles.
Dora says
I think my dough is way too stiff. I weighed all my ingredients but it just didn’t turn out. The dough was hard and didn’t soften enough even after leaving it for 45 minutes. In the end I couldn’t even roll the dough out because it was still hard. It was also difficult to combine the dough and I tried adding some water but to no avail, I had to throw out the dough. 😫
Lisa Lin says
Oh no, Dora! I’m so sorry that happened. If you want to try the recipe again, (and I hope you do), you can add a little more water before you start kneading it. The extra moisture will make the dough a lot more loose, making it more difficult to cut straight noodles in the end, but it doesn’t necessarily ruin the dough. The environment in your kitchen must have been drier than mine!
Nina says
Nice recipe for the noodles! Can’t wait to make this, but I couldn’t find your directions for the sauce. Do I just throw it all in a bowl & stir?
Lisa Lin says
It’s in #1 of the “Cook the Noodles” section! But yes, you just toss the ingredients in a bowl and stir.
Susanne Marie Nolan says
Oh goodness, silly me! TY!
Kenzie says
I made this recipe last night and it was SO good. I made the recipe exactly how it’s listed and it took about 15 minutes to throw together. I made it using both Lisa’s homemade chili oil and teriyaki sauce – I now store both of these at all times!
Kathleen says
I’ve made this recipe several times now and each time it has been delicious! It is one of my partner’s favourite recipes!
I got the best results when I weighed the ingredients, as recommended.
Angie says
YUM! The one thing I’m liking about this quarantine is the extra time to try new recipes! And once you try them one time the following times are so much easier! This recipe was so easy & clear to follow! Next time, I think I’ll roll the noodles thickness a little thinner. And then cut the noodles into thinner strips! The flavor is amazing! And I counted the 8 minute knead time as my workout for the day 😉 Love being able to make an Asian style dish from scratch!!
David says
Great recipe! The sauce is terrific (my noodles weren’t as perfect-looking as yours so I could use some practice, but they tasted great) – loved making this & it is quite easy – xx
Angeline says
Thank you Lisa!!
You made handmade noodles a possible feat! Made it this morning and was floored that it turned out so well. My roommate loved it too. Makes for a quick meal once the noodles are prepped. Looking forward to making this again soon…ohh the possibilities!
Dan says
This recipe inspired us to make noodles for the first time. So good and easy to make! And the teriyaki sauce is going to be a pantry staple.
Janice says
This is the same kind of dough I used to make scallion pancakes. I’ve done this twice now and can’t believe how easy the dough was to work with. I can’t wait to try noodles next.
Jodie says
The texture of these noodle is amazing! Absolutely loved them. Lisa’s top tips to keep the noodles separated (stir as they go in the pan, add sesame oil as soon as they come out) really helped. I’ll definitely make these again and add some meat or mushrooms to the mix. Thanks Lisa!
Vanessa says
I made this recipe a couple of days ago and it was such a hit…! Delicious!!!!!! Made it for my parents and my husband, everyone love it.
Made everything from scratch… Noodles and sauce…. Sooooo good…!!! Doesn’t feel heavy at all.
I served the noodles with crunchy coconut tofu and teriyaki bok choy. Yum!
Can’t wait to try it again…!
Susan says
I made these delicious and relatively easy noodles today as well as both your sauces. We had with steamed broccoli and crispy baked tofu. I have a picture but. Not sure where to post. It was delicious! Thanks for the recipe and picture of the noodle how-to !
Julia says
Fantastic!! Great instructions and super dish! I made it with the teriyaki tofu and some string beans and garlic. Left the chili oil out on the side to put on if wanted. My 9 mo old kept screaming whenever she ran out of noodles! We all loved it. Thanks!
Megan says
I found this recipe after David Leibovitz posted it on his page. WOW! I made the noodles and tossed with a different sauce that I had on hand. This was a fun and satisfying afternoon project. I will be returning to this recipe and I can’t wait to try your sauce. I’m so happy to get this kind of “take out” flavor at home.
Heather says
This recipe was great! I’m now asked to make it all the time.
Lisa Lin says
Thank you, Heather!! I’m so glad you love it!
Anthony Rossini says
could one use an Italian pasta roller machine instead of rolling out? would it work with this dough?
Lisa Lin says
Yes! I rolled it out to #6 with my Atlas Marcato pasta machine. Not sure if that detail helps, but it is possible to make with a pasta machine.
Anthony Rossini says
that helps a good bit, thanks!!
mary says
Thanks! I was hoping someone had tried using a pasta machine for the noodles. I can’t wait to try these with the teriyaki tofu. I’ll come back to post my review. It looks delicious
Karen says
Made this recipe on the fly with dried noodles but will try making them next time. It was so delicious!
Rahul Dubey says
Noodles are also one of my favorite dish that I love to cook when I am too busy. But making this a daily habit of eating noodles is really bad for health.
But thankyou for sharing this easy homemade noodle recipe with all purpose wheat flour. I am definitely going to try this today. Good Post!
Denise Otto says
Have you been able to make these noodles with a 1:1 gluten free flour? I have a family member who has a wheat allergy.
Lisa Lin says
I have not tried using that flour, unfortunately.