The texture is plump and thick with a slight chewy texture is the only way to describe the udon noodles made prepared from scratch. Making your own udon noodles is much simpler than it seems, especially in the event that you’ve already created homemade pasta prior to. It’s also lots of fun since it comes with an excellent workout for your feet!
What is Udon?
These udon noodles that are thick created from scratch are made from the all-purpose flour of wheat, salt, hot water as well as tapioca starch. As a kid, we enjoyed a variety of refrigerated, store-bought Udon packets with my parents , and we made our own toppings for the noodles. Udon is a versatile food because you can consume it in numerous ways, including soup, with a dip sauce or as a hot meal or even cold.
The most popular dishes made with udon are tempura Udon (udon in a basic broth with shrimp or vegetable tempura) as well as nikutama Udon (udon in the sweet broth of beef and a softboiled egg) as well as the yaki Udon (a soup based on soy sauce stir-fried udon that is served with meat and vegetables).
We are fortunate that there are a variety of Japanese eateries located in Southern California that feature fresh Udon noodles, such as Marugame Udon or Meiji Seiman. Japanese grocery stores such as Mitsuwa offer Udon noodles that are frozen and fresh that you can prepare at home, and then add other toppings you’d like.
Do not be limited to having udon whenever I go out to eat or forgetting to purchase fresh or frozen udon at the supermarket I discovered how to make fresh Udon noodles from scratch. The best part with this dish is the fact that it allows you to easily make several portions and then freeze the noodles to use in future dishes.
How to make Udon (step through step)
The thing that is interesting in this dish is it reminds me of my wonton wrappers made at home that I made in the recipe for shrimp and pork Shumai and the xiaolong bao recipes. I created simple dough by using the all-purpose flour and salt. The hot water I used in this recipe assists in denature the protein content of the flour, giving the dough a soft and chewy texture. In the traditional recipe hot water isn’t utilized in dough making, however I’ve found it to help in making the dough more supple and more manageable to use.
1. For fresh udon noodles make sure to boil water in a kettle. Then, measure the water into one cup. Add salt to the bowl then stir it until the salt disintegrates. Add the flour and tapioca starch in the large mixing bowl. slowly add the warm water and salt liquid. Mix until you have shaggy. I like to employ chopsticks.
2. After that you are able to utilize your hands to create an elongated ball of dough inside the bowl, and then move the ball onto an uncluttered surface. The dough should be kneaded for around 5 mins or so until it has a soft texture. Put the dough into an enormous ziplock bag (two portions will suffice for one gallon freezer bags If you want to make a double batch, you’ll require a bag that is five gallon) and then remove all air. The dough should remain for around 30 minutes at the counter.
3. Traditionally making homemade udon noodles involves an unusual step to make noodles that is the foot stomping. Because the dough for udon tends to be harder to work with to roll into, it’s much easier to roll the dough by applying pressure walking over the dough.
But don’t fret, you won’t be walking on the dough directly on your feet This is where that plastic bag come in. Wrap the bag in an absorbent towel in case it gets ripped and begin walking on the doughand ‘kneading it’ by stepping on it with your feet!
Take a step carefully over the dough and then spread it out , spreading the dough across the bag. I take about 30 steps prior to opening the bag and shape it into one ball. Repeat the process 2 times (the total would be around 90 steps).
4. You can check the quality in the dough simply by gently pressing it between your thumb and pointer finger. If the dough is of similar softness to that of the earlobes, then it’s ready. Make the dough into a ball once again and then let it sit within the bag, for at least 2 hours at temperatures of room temperature.
5. After the dough has been resting and cooled, you can utilize a rolling pin, or even a machine for rolling the dough until it’s around 3 1/2 to 4 millimeters (on my pasta machine , it is set at 2). You can add tapioca or cornstarch in the event that your dough is stuck to the roll pin, or to your pasta machine.
6. Sprinkle some cornstarch onto the dough and make a fold of 1/4 left-hand side of the dough to on the other side. Continue folding until you’re left with the size of a rectangle.
7. Make use of a razor-sharp knife to create horizontal slices of noodles that are approximately three millimeters of thickness. Be aware that the noodles will expand small amount during cooking and you should cut them smaller than you want your final dimensions to be.
8. After you’ve cut your Udon noodles fresh Utilize your fingers to spread out the noodles. Then sprinkle more cornstarch to avoid sticking. They can be made into small nests , and then freeze inside plastic bags and store them for later use. Udon noodles frozen in the freezer should last at the very least one year in your fridge.
How do you cook the udon
1. Make sure to fill a large pot with eight to 10 cups of water, and bring it up to a boil. Add salt to the pot, stirring to dissolve. When the water has reached a boil Add about a cup of Udon noodles to the water , and stir to avoid sticking.
The process of cooking fresh noodles takes between twelve to fifteen minutes based on their thickness , and between 20 and 25 minutes if they’re frozen. Try your noodles by taking the noodle in a small portion. The noodles should be cooked all the way through the noodle and have the soft but chewy texture.
2. When the noodles are done take them out of the bowl and place them in an ice water bath in order to prevent the noodles from becoming cooked. It’s enough to let them sit in the bath for about one minute before taking them out. After that, they’re ready for make a dish, for example, Yaki Udon.
What is the udon that it’s made of?
Udon noodles are made from the base of wheat flour and are generally blended with salt and water to add taste. I prefer adding tapioca starch to give a chewy texture to my noodles.
Does udon have egg?
Udon noodles are not made with eggs in their dough, however, it’s wheat-based. It is a great vegan alternative for those who are restricted in their diet.
What else can I add to Udon noodles?
Udon noodles are extremely versatile as you can incorporate them into various soups, from simple soups made of soy sauce, dashi mirin, and mirin to curry-based soups. It is also possible to create yaki Udon that is a stir-fry dish in which includes a variety of vegetables, as well as your choice of meat.
How can you tell the differences between udon and ramen?
Although both udon and ramen noodles are wheat-based however, ramen has an alkaline salt, known as Kansui which provides the noodles with a shiny texture and a distinct flavor. Udon noodles are, however are made from a base made up of all-purpose flour salt as well as tapioca starch.
How To Make Udon Noodles From Scratch
Equipment
- pasta machine – Marcato – Atlas 150
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 1 c or 111 g boiling water
- 10 grams or 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/3 c all-purpose flour
- 30 grams or 1/4 c tapioca starch
- Cornstarch to sprinkle
COOKING UDON
- 8 c of water to boil
- 10 grams or 2 1 tsp salt
- Ice
- Ice bath water to wash off the water
Instructions
MAKING UDON NOODLES
- Bring water to a boil in a kettle, or on the stove, and then take a measurement of your salt. Combine the two into a cup, and stir until the salt disintegrates.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour as well as tapioca starch into the bowl.
- Add the mixture of water over the dry ingredients you have sifted, and use chopsticks , or an wooden spoon for mixing the ingredients until it forms shaggy dough.
- Utilize your hands to blend the dough's shaggy texture and then turn into a ball dough. It's okay that there are a few lumps within the texture. Transfer the dough to a clean surface , and attempt to work it for three or five minutes to incorporate any dough pieces that are loose. Don't be worried if your dough remains uneven at the end, as you'll be able to continue to knead it. The dough shouldn't be sticky, however should you require more flour, sprinkle it in when you're making it.
- Put the dough in an resealable one gallon bag (if you're doubling this recipe, you will need to use a bag that is five gallon in size). Then, press the dough to remove all air, and let it be uncovered for 30 minutes at the counter.
- After you have rested, place an old dish towel on the floor, then place the dough bag onto the towel, then place a second dish towel over it.
- Step carefully on the dough and flatten it until it becomes an equal disk. It should take around 30 steps to change from a ball to an even disk. Take the disk off and fold it to form a ball, then transfer it into in the bag. Repetition the foot massage 2 more times , for an overall total of around 90 steps. Check for the degree of doneness by gently pulling the dough between your fingertip and pointer however, don't cut it off. The final result should yield a soft and smooth dough with the same in softness to an earlobe. After your third or fourth stomping, roll into a ball, return to the bag, and let it rest in the countertop for 2 hours.
- Option 1 for rolling Pasta maker:Transfer this dough on an uncluttered surface. Use your hands to roll it into a small , oval shape to allow it to go into the machine at the lowest setting. Mine is set at zero. Go to the lower setting two or three times , or until it is smooth. Continue to work up until you reach setting 2 or around 3.5 (or 4 millimeters) thick.
- Option 2 of rolling Pin to roll:Use your rolling pin to flatten the dough into the shape of a rectangle until it's 3.5 to 4 millimeters thickness.
- Cutting: Sprinkle several cornstarch on both sides of dough. Then, fold approximately 1/4 of one end towards the middle. Continue folding until you reach the opposite end. Place your folded dough in a way that it's placed horizontally on the floor. Use a well-cut knife, cutting slices of 3 millimeters thick in length. Be aware Udon noodles expand slightly when they are they are boiling (about 20-30% larger) therefore you shouldn't to cut them too large. Sprinkle cornstarch on the noodles cut into pieces and make use of your fingers to separate the noodles. The noodles can be cooked right away or stored in them in nests inside an airtight container.
COOKING UDON NOODLES
- Put water into an enormous pot and bring it to the point of boiling. Add salt and stir until it disintegrates. Pour about half the noodles into the boiling water and stir around to prevent the noodles from sticking. Continue boiling the noodles for approximately 12- 15 minutes for freshly cooked noodles (or 20-25 mins if frozen) or until they're soft and soft with slightly chewy texture.
- Take the noodles out after they're cooked and then straight to an ice water bath approximately 1 minute to stop the cooking.
- Put the noodles into soup sauté or mix them into a yaki Udon recipe. Then, enjoy!
