What are Ramen Noodles?
One variety of Japanese noodle made from wheat flour is called ramen. In contrast to the cheap packets of instant noodles (10¢ a packet?) that are deep-fried and loaded with MSG, ramen is consumed freshly made in Japan.
Since Chinese noodles were traditionally pulled by hand, it’s possible that the word “ramen” originated from the Chinese word for pulled noodles, “la mian.” Another theory links the origins of “ramen” to the Chinese dish “lo mien,” which consists of boiled noodles mixed with sauce.
Can Ramen Noodles Be Made Successfully at Home?
Most likely, you already have everything you need in your pantry to prepare homemade ramen noodles. This recipe for eggless Japanese ramen noodles only calls for three ingredients.
To make fresh ramen at home, all you need is:
- All-purpose flour
- Water
- Alkaline agent: baking soda or lye water (also known as “kansui,” which is available from an Asian grocery store).
You have to bake it in the oven for an hour before using baking soda to make ramen noodles. To learn how to make *baked* baking soda and why alkaline agents are necessary when preparing ramen noodles, click this link.
Once you’ve gotten the hang of making your own ramen noodles, you can pair it with my Tonkotsu ramen with braised pork belly.
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.
