Craving Udon

Ok, food craving time again. This time it's udon. Although I tend to keep dried udon noodles as a pantry item in my house (it's not like it goes bad), I thought of trying something different and actually making my own noodles. I mean, how hard can combining FLOUR, SALT, and WATER be?

Well, this isn't difficult, but it is somewhat time-consuming. It's worth it though, since the end product has much more body than a dried out commercial one does.

Udon Noodles:

Serves 8-10

1 KG AP flour
450 g water
50 g salt

potato or corn starch for kneading

Equipment:

Large bowl
scale
plastic bag
large knife


Mix salt into water and stir until completely dissolved.

In a bowl combine water with flour. Mix thoroughly with hands and place the mixture in a sturdy plastic bag. remove as much air as possible from the bag and seal.

Step on the dough slowly using both feet (and entire body weight) in a circular manner (go around the dough clockwise or counter-clockwise slowly) until you have a disc that is about 1/8 inch thick.

Remove the dough from the bag, and fold as many times as possible, return to the bad and repeat the stepping process.

Collect the dough into a ball, and leave in the plastic bag to rest (1 hour in summer, 2-3 in winter)

Throw starch on a board and roll the dough with a rolling pin into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick (adjust the thickness to taste). Throw starch on the dough and then fold the dough loosely twice lengthwise to a third and then cut thin and EVEN slices.

With hands that are starched, separate the individual noodles before cooking to prevent sticking. At this point, noodles can be saved for later use.


To cook:

Bring a large pot of water to boil, and boil the udon for 10-13 minutes depending on the thickness of the noodles. Rinse the noodles under cold water to remove the starch from the surface and then drain well.

Serve in a hot tsuyu-broth, cold with sesame sauce, or however you like it.

Happy Cooking!