How Are Chinese Noodles Made?

Nothing gives you a sense of accomplishment quite like eating a bowl of Chinese handmade noodles that you made from scratch by kneading, rolling, and cutting.

For a delicious meal, combine these mouthwateringly chewy, springy noodles with any delectable sauces and toppings you can think of.

How to Make Chinese Noodles: Key Tips

Everything you need to make these homemade Chinese noodles is probably already in your kitchen: bread flour, salt, and water.

It will be simple if you have a mixer with a dough hook attachment, but if not, it doesn’t matter. With a little elbow grease, you can prepare noodles in the same manner as Chinese chefs have for centuries.

Here are some key tips for success:

Use bread flour (i.e. “strong flour” or high gluten flour): The way to get a good chew in your noodles is to develop the gluten in the dough. Using flour with high gluten content (known to U.S. consumers as bread flour or strong flour in the U.K.) makes a big difference. That said, if you REALLY need some noodles and can’t go to the store for bread flour, all purpose flour will do in a pinch.

Don’t add too much water! Resist the temptation to add additional water, as the dough will look rather dry and lumpy at first. Too much water will make the noodles gummy rather than springy. You just have to have faith and give the flour enough time to absorb moisture.

Use lots of flour when rolling and cutting: The action of cutting the noodles with a knife will press the layers of dough together. To prevent them from sticking, be sure to thoroughly flour both sides of the dough before folding and cutting. This is another reason to avoid using too much water in the dough––to prevent it from sticking.

Be mindful of thickness: The noodles will expand when cooked, so whatever thickness you see when cutting the raw dough, the cooked noodles will be significantly thicker. Keep this in mind when rolling and cutting. You may want to roll the dough out thinner and cut the noodles thinner than you initially think.

Weight measurements are best: 2 US cups for me is about 300g when I measure it out in a dry measuring cup and weigh it, but other online sources say 1 cup of flour is 120g or 128g. These kinds of inconsistencies are why I highly recommend measuring by weight for the best results. Invest in a digital kitchen scale if you don’t have one already. We use ours all the time!

Dishes to Make With These Handmade Noodles

Briefly stated, you can use your handmade Chinese noodles in any noodle soup or sauced noodle dish of your choice!

Homemade Chinese Noodles: Recipe Instructions

Let’s get started by learning how to make Chinese noodles from scratch.

Start by adding the bread flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment (or a large regular mixing bowl) and whisk together to incorporate.

Turn the mixer on low speed. Give the flour time to absorb the water with each addition as you gradually add the water in two batches. Simply stir with your hands as you gradually add the water if performing this task by hand.

After 5 minutes of kneading the mixture, a shaggy dough will eventually form.

Turn off the mixer and use your hands to mash the dough together if it doesn’t come together with the mixer.

Continue to knead the dough with the mixer for 10 minutes or by hand for 15 minutes after it has formed a fairly cohesive ball (it will appear lumpy). Refrain from adding more water as it will change the texture of your noodles.

Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes while it is covered with an upside-down bowl. It will continue to take in moisture during this time, gaining flexibility and elasticity.

Knead the dough a few more times after it has rested to remove any air bubbles. Form into a ball and cut the ball in half.

Roll one half of the dough into a thin sheet that is about 2 mm thick on a surface dusted with flour.

Thoroughly flour the sheet’s surface, then flip it over and do the same on the other side.

Once floured, fold the dough so you have 4 layers.

Use a sharp knife to cut the noodles to the desired thickness. We decided to cut them about ⅛-inch thick.

Use your hands to gently separate the noodles as you cut them, then toss them in flour to prevent sticking.

Depending on the thickness, cook the noodles in a pot of boiling water for 1 to 3 minutes. Keep an eye on the noodles as they cook and test them in real time to see when they are done (there is a lot of variation depending on how thinly they were rolled and cut).

Your homemade noodles can be eaten plain or with sauce.

Looking for more authentic recipes? Subscribe to our email list and be sure to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube!

▢ 300 grams bread flour (also known as strong flour or high-gluten flour)

▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt

▢ 150 ml water

Add the bread flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment (or a large regular mixing bowl) and whisk together to incorporate.

Turn the mixer on low speed, and gradually add the water in two batches, giving the flour time to absorb the water with each addition. If doing this by hand, simply stir with your hands as you gradually add the water.

The mixture will eventually form a shaggy dough after 5 minutes of kneading. If the mixer fails to bring it all together, turn off the mixer and push the dough together with your hands.

Once the dough has formed a relatively cohesive ball (it will look lumpy), continue to knead by with the mixer for 10 minutes or by hand for 15 minutes. Avoid the temptation to add additional water, as this will affect the texture of your noodles.

Cover the dough with an overturned bowl, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. During this time, it will continue to absorb moisture, and become more pliable and elastic.

After the dough has rested, knead it a few more times to get any air bubbles out of it. Form into a ball and cut the ball in half.

On a floured surface, roll one half of the dough into a thin sheet, about 2mm thick––this will take time! Flour the surface of the sheet thoroughly, flip over, and thoroughly flour the other side.

Once floured, fold the dough so you have 4 layers. Slice the noodles with a sharp knife to your desired thickness. We decided to cut them about ⅛-inch thick. As you’re cutting the noodles, gently separate them out with your hands and toss them in flour so they don’t stick.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles for 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the thickness. Keep an eye on the noodles as they cook and taste them to determine when they’re cooked (there is a lot of variation depending on how thinly they were rolled and cut, so test in real time to determine when they’re done). Serve in soup or with sauce as desired!

TheWoksofLife. com is written and produced for informational purposes only. Although we try our best to provide nutritional information to our readers as a general guide, the values provided should be regarded as estimates since we are not certified nutritionists. brands that were purchased, naturally occurring variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. Additionally, depending on their sources, different online calculators produce various results. Utilize your preferred nutrition calculator to calculate the nutritional information for a recipe using the actual ingredients and quantities used.

FAQ

Are Chinese noodles healthy?

Because they have a moderate amount of calories and little fat, rice noodles are a healthy choice. Try serving them with flavorful sauces, high-fiber vegetables, and a few high-sodium ingredients like soy sauce.

What are Chinese egg noodles made of?

The usual ingredients for making Chinese egg noodles are wheat flour, eggs, water, and salt. To help make the noodles chewier, richer, and to add flavor and color, eggs are added to the ingredients. Some recipes call for lye water.

How are noodles made traditionally?

One of the most significant traditional staple foods in Asia is noodles. Unleavened wheat dough is typically used to make noodles, which are then stretched, extruded, or rolled before being cut into a variety of shapes.

What is the difference between pasta and Chinese noodles?

According to Kaminska, the differences between noodles and pasta are primarily due to the ingredients used and the type of processing applied. Noodles are usually made with flour milled from common wheat. Durum semolina, which is coarser than regular flour, is used to make pasta. However, that difference is not always so cut and dried.