If you’re already familiar with the delicious and traditional dish of Japanese udon noodles, then you know firsthand how the versatile noodles deliver a comforting dining experience no matter how they are served. Most commonly found in a hot broth of dashi, accompanied by meats or vegetables, udon noodles can also be served cold with a dipping sauce, or in stir-frys.
But there is no need to visit a Japanese restaurant to enjoy an udon noodle dish. The noodles are actually quite easy to make yourself, requiring only flour, salt, and water. You don’t even need a pasta maker! With a batch of fresh udon noodles on hand, you’ll be set to create a number of amazingly delicious Japanese dishes whenever you like! Read on to learn how to make udon noodles at home.
Udon Noodle Ingredients and Equipment
Other than salt and water, you will only need flour to make udon noodles. Udon flour is ideal, but regular all-purpose flour works just fine as well. The equipment you will need to make the noodle dough is likely already in your home: a large bowl for mixing the dough, plastic wrap to wrap the dough, a cutting board, and a rolling pin.
How to Make Udon Noodles
1. To start, add a tablespoon of salt to ¾ cups of water. Mix well until salt dissolves.
2. In a bowl, put 2 ¾ cups of flour, and slowly add about half of the salted water.
3. Mix the water and the flour together with your hands. Add the rest of the salted water and, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it looks and feels smooth.
4. Mold the udon noodle dough into a circular shape, slightly flat, like a thick disc, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Leave the dough set aside for 1-2 hours.
5. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap. Spread some flour across a large cutting board, and flatten the dough on the cutting board with a rolling pin to about a 1/8 inch thickness.
6. Spread a small amount of flour over the dough, and then fold the dough into thirds. Cut the dough into thin strips, a little less than a ¼ inch thick.
7. Sprinkle the noodles again with a bit of flour to prevent them from sticking, and you are done!
The homemade udon noodles should be cooked within 2-3 days, and should be stored in the fridge during that time. However, they can also be frozen, although this might affect the texture a little when cooked.
