Special Equipment
Among the many bread flours available, King Arthur bread flour has one of the highest protein percentages, which is why it is mentioned here. You will have to test the noodles to find out how long they actually need to boil. One noodle should be cut into five or six pieces. They should then be added to boiling water and taken out every ten seconds, beginning at one minute and thirty seconds. To ensure that the boiling time is right for you, repeat the procedure as many times as needed. After you’ve established the precise moment, deduct 10 seconds to allow for the noodles to sit in the hot broth bowl.
A protein supplement called vital wheat gluten is used to increase the “chew” of breads and noodles. Most supermarkets, health food stores, and chains like Whole Foods carry it.
Homemade Ramen Noodles Recipe
- 6g baked baking soda
- 4g of kosher diamond crystal salt; use the same weight for table salt or other types of salt.
- 160 ml water
- 396g King Arthur bread flour (see note)
- 4g vital wheat gluten (see note)
- To make noodles, add water to the baked baking soda and stir until completely dissolved, about one minute. Add salt, and stir until dissolved completely. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik .
- In the bowl of a food processor with a metal blade or in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine vital wheat gluten and bread flour. Process for about 30 seconds in a food processor or for 1 minute on low speed in a stand mixer, or until well combined.
- Reduce speed to medium-low and add 1/3 of the liquid at a time while the machine is operating. Give the liquid about 30 seconds between additions so that it can absorb completely. After the last addition, let the machine run for one minute, or until the mixture of flour and water looks pebbly. When using a food processor, shut it down and give it a half-hour to rest. If using a stand mixer, turn off the appliance, place plastic wrap over the bowl, and leave it for half an hour. (This break is to enable the flour to absorb the liquid more completely.) ) Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik .
- Form dough into a ball and divide it into two parts that are about the same size. To keep them from drying out, place both in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
- Flatten the balls to about a 1/5-inch thickness, working with one portion at a time. The dough will be very stiff, so try your best to make it easier to run through the pasta rollers. Process the flattened disk through the pasta roller starting at the widest setting and going through the second, third, and fourth widest settings in order. The dough sheet should be folded in half so that it is half of its original length. Then, repeat the entire process twice, noting that each time it will be much harder to feed the doubled-up dough through the rollers. When done properly, the dough sheet will have longitudinal lines. Cover the dough sheet with plastic wrap or fold it into a zip-top bag, then repeat with the remaining dough. Before continuing, let the dough sheet rest for at least thirty minutes. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik .
- Run the dough through your pasta maker’s increasingly narrower settings, working with one dough sheet at a time, until it reaches the desired thickness (~1–1). 5 mm). Run the last dough sheet through the spaghetti cutting attachment. Shake off any extra flour or starch, dust the noodles with flour to keep them from sticking, and fold them into loose nests. Alternatively, to create a stack of dough, dust the dough sheet with flour, fold it, dust it again, and fold it again. To make noodles, cut the dough with a sharp knife at regular intervals. After cutting, shake noodles to release their tightness and fold into loose nests. Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik .
- Place noodles in zip-top bag and refrigerate overnight. (Noodles can be used right away, but letting them age a little bit enhances their flavor and texture considerably.) ) .
- Before cooking the noodles (optional), gather them into a ball and use your palms to compress them using pressure similar to that of compressing a snowball on a dry, clean surface. Noodles should be loosened and then again, gathered into a ball and compressed between your palms. (This brief compression gives the noodles their signature curls. ) .
- To cook noodles, place a large pot of unsalted water over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. If using noodle baskets, fill them with noodles, submerge them in water, and quickly stir the noodles with tongs or chopsticks inside the basket to keep them from sticking. To prevent sticking, add the noodles to boiling water without using noodle baskets and stir thoroughly with tongs or chopsticks. If using hand-cut noodles, cook for approximately 2 minutes, stirring occasionally; if using noodles cut with a spaghetti cutter, cook for approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds. (The precise cooking time will vary based on your preferences and the noodles’ thickness.) Shake off any remaining water after fully draining, then add to hot ramen broth.
Quick and Easy Japanese-Style Ramen
This is NOT the ramen you’re probably familiar with from college days, or those days before a paycheck when you realize you only have a few dollars to your name! Ramen is one of my favorite comfort foods, especially when the temperatures drop! I’m sure we’ve all had similar experiences.
This recipe is inspired by traditional Japanese ramen. I love this recipe because it has a rich, savory broth and, of course, all of the delicious toppings! For my version, I added grilled chicken, sauteed mushrooms, bokchoy, sliced green onions, and of course, soft boiled eggs! The best thing about making your own ramen is that you can customize the broth and toppings to your exact preferences! For a delicious Japanese-inspired dinner, you must also try these yakitori skewers!
The great thing about making your own ramen is that you can tailor the broth and toppings to your personal preferences. Here’s all you need to make the flavorful, savory broth and some ideas for toppings! Check out the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Sesame Oil: Used for cooking the vegetables in. Since sesame oil adds the most delicious nutty flavor, I adore using it in my cooking.
- Minced Garlic: Makes the broth nice and savory!
- Ginger Paste: A classic ingredient in Asian cuisine. This adds zip to the flavor of the broth.
- Sliced Mushrooms: Shiitake mushrooms or regular brown mushrooms would work well here.
- Typically, I have chicken broth on hand, which works well as a flavorful soup base. Use pork broth instead if you want your ramen to taste more like the traditional Tonkotsu. You can also use vegetable broth as a vegetarian/vegan alternative.
- Water: Adjusts the consistency of the ramen soup.
- Soy Sauce: Add a splash for savory flavor!
- Baby Bokchoy: I love adding greens to ramen. These can be chopped or left whole. You can also use spinach!.
- Instant Ramen Noodles: You only want the uncooked noodles. Toss those seasoning packets! If available, use fresh ramen noodles instead.
- Salt and Pepper: Add to taste.
- Grilled Chicken: You can substitute pork or chashu for the grilled chicken slices that I added. For a vegetarian protein, try adding tofu!.
- Soft Boiled Egg: A must-add for ramen.
- Sliced Green Onions: Add extra flavor to the broth.
- Sesame Seeds: For garnish and nutty flavor.
