Homemade Udon Noodles - Stompin Your Way to Dinner! - salt

Method

• Dissolve the salt in the water.
• Set aside.
• In a very large bowl that youll be able to knead the dough in, add the flour and make a little well in the center.
• Add the salted water.
• Use the fork to pull a little bit of flour into the liquid, and then start to use your hands to work the moistened flour into the rest of the flour.
• Depending on the moisture content of your flour, you might need to add a bit more water.
• As the dough comes together, it should form into a lumpy ball.
• If it is too ragged, sprinkle in a bit more water and work it into the dough.
• Start seriously kneading the dough as hard as you can for about 10 minutes, on a board dusted with bread flour.
• If the dough is too sticky, knead in a touch more of the bread flour.
• To knead, fold over from the top, and use the heel of your palm to press it flat again.
• Turn the dough 45 degrees and repeat.
• Form the dough into a ball, dust it lightly with flour, and seal it in a large - at least one gallon - zip lock bag.
• Unzip the bag just slightly on one side so air can escape.
• Wrap the bag in a large dish towel.
• Set it on the ground and stand on it.
• Be careful - the combination of plastic and towel can be slippery!
• Move around, do a little dance, hop up and down, take a stroll.
• Your whole body weight on the dough will work it like your hands never could.
• This helps make the noodles good and chewy.
• After a few minutes, take the dough out of the bag.
• It will be pretty flat, but with a rolling pin, roll out any irregularities.
• Then fold it in thirds, dust it lightly with flour, put it back in the bag, wrap it in the towel and walk on it some more.
• Repeat this process about 4 times.
• Then, leaving the dough in the bag, let it rest for 3 hours in a warm place.
• After its had a chance to rest, walk on it one more time, making a point to try to spread the dough as much as possible.
• The thinner you can get it by walking on it, the easier the rest of the process will be.
• Take the dough out from the bag and roll it out on a floured surface until it is a square about 1/8-inch thick.
• The dough may be pretty stiff and springy, so this may be a bit challenging.
• If you cant seem to get it thin enough with a rolling pin or if you want a more refined udon, cut it into 4 pieces and run it through the thickest setting of a pasta machine, and give them a good dusting of flour.
• Or, if you have the time, cover the dough with a damp (not wet) towel and let it rest for half an hour, then continue rolling.
• Next, dust the dough lightly with flour, fold it from the top to the center and then from the center to the bottom (like an accordian).
• Then, with one of the long edges facing you, slice off the dough in 1/8-inch pieces.
• Dust the sliced pieces with a bit more flour as you go to prevent them from sticking.
• Boil the noodles immediately in a large pot of boiling water, covering them with a towel while you are waiting for the water to come to a boil.
• The noodles will need to boil for about 7 minutes, stirred with a chopstick to prevent them from sticking together.
• Traditionally, the noodles are served hot, with a dashi-based stock.
• But, they are also delicious stir fried with a splash of sesame oil, oyster sauce, soy, sesame seeds and some vegetables or meat of your choice.