Homemade Udon Noodles

If you have eaten in a Japanese restaurant, you may have enjoyed a noodle dish, an Udon noodle dish. Thick, luscious, these noodles almost seem alive. In any dish, like the soup in the picture at the bottom of this post, the noodles become the central element, the broth, the protein, the veggies, all those elements simply revolve around those noodles. They are, for me surely, a tad addictive.

Now, having eaten them in restaurants, I knew they had to be freshly made to have that restaurant quality. Nothing can top freshness. And so, Suzi and I never dreamed of having these at home. How could we possibly make them? Well, I can’t. My pastry skills end with brownies. But Suzi can and she did. Masahuru Morimoto has written a seminal work: Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking. When she saw the noodle recipe, Suzen reached for the flour.

How were these? Restaurant perfect. And just as satisfying. Udon noodles have a taste that cannot be surpassed, so it naturally seems they must be complex. But they are not, not at all. And, once you’ve dived into Udon world, you will return over and over again. Some veggies, some poultry, some stock, and you are ready for a feast.

Yield: 2 pounds [4 portions]

Ingredients:

600 grams all-purpose flour [about 5 cups], sifted through a strainer , plus more for dusting and tossing
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups water

Preparation:

Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl, stir, then add VA cups of the water. Use your hands to mix until the dough starts to come together in a few large lumps. Start to firmly press and knead the dough, incorporating the loose flour until there’s none left. If necessary, add a little more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you can incorporate all of the flour.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour, add the dough, and knead (folding and firmly pressing with your palm, folding and pressing) until the dough looks and feels fairly smooth, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

On a lightly floured surface with ample room, knead it again for about 2 minutes. Lightly dust both sides with flour, then use the rolling pin to roll the dough, occasionally rotating the dough 90 degrees and lightly dusting with flour if it threatens to stick to the pin, into a rough, approximately 17-inch circle with an even thickness (slightly less than ¼ inch). If you are having difficulty rolling, allow the dough to rest for 5 to 10 minutes as needed. This allows the glutens to relax and make it easier to roll out.

Fold the dough into thirds, then slice widthwise into approximately ⅛-inch thick noodles. Gently separate the noodles and toss them with a little bit of flour, just so they don’t stick together. Cook right away.

TO COOK HOMEMADE UDON

The way you cook homemade noodles is slightly different from the way 1 you cook purchased noodles. Follow these instructions whether you are planning to serve the noodles hot or cold.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare a large bowl of icy water. Add the noodles to the boiling water, stirring frequently and adding ¼ cup of fresh water if the water threatens to bubble over, until they’re fully cooked but not mushy, 10 to 12 minutes. (Unlike Italian pasta, they shouldn’t be al dente, but don’t let them get mushy.)

Drain them, then transfer them to the icy water. Briefly and gently rub them with your hands to remove some of the starch. Drain very well.

Homemade Udon Noodles