Barefoot Chef

Sep 12, 2022

Hand Pulled Noodles (First Attempt!) - Chenmian 抻面a

Variations

There are several variations of hand pulled noodles, including Northern-style (北方拉面) and Southern-style (南方拉面). Northern-style noodles are made with wheat flour and tend to be thicker and softer, while Southern-style noodles are made with a combination of wheat and rice flour and tend to be thinner and more elastic.

How do I eat them?

Hand pulled noodles are typically served in a broth or sauce, and can be found in a variety of dishes such as beef noodle soup, spicy Szechuan-style noodle dishes, and cold noodle salads. They can also be stir-fried with vegetables and meats to create a savory and satisfying meal.

How does it work?

Making hand pulled noodles is a skilled and labor-intensive process that requires years of practice to perfect. It involves mixing the dough, rolling it out, and repeatedly stretching and folding it until it reaches the desired thickness and elasticity. The noodles are then cut to the desired length and boiled until they are cooked through.

Flour?

Choosing the right type of flour is crucial when making hand-pulled noodles. The flour you select will affect the texture, flavor, and overall quality of the noodles. Generally, you want to select flour with a high gluten content, as gluten is what gives the noodles their chewy texture and allows them to stretch without breaking. High gluten flours have a protein content of around 13-14%, which makes them ideal for creating chewy, elastic noodles that can withstand the pulling and stretching process. Pizza flour is one of the best choices followed by bread flour.

Tips

Knead the Dough Properly Kneading the dough is an important step in making hand-pulled noodles. Master the Pulling Technique Puling the noodles takes practice and patience.

Ingredients

200 g Pizza Flour or noodle flour

5g Salt

100 g Water

3 tbsp Oil

Method

Add all the dry ingredients to a bowl. Slowly add the water stirring to allow them to combine. When the dough and water are combined and look like the picture, let it hydrate by leaving it for 20 minutes.

After allowing the dough to rest kneed it until it comes together in a smooth ball (follow the technique on the video). You should at this point be able to pull part of the dough until it becomes thin and you can see light through it. Let it rest for 30 minutes covered.

Roll the dough flat to 1 cm and cut into 1 cm strips. Oil the strips well and place them on an oiled plate. Cover them and give them a long rest for 3 hours.

Oil the dough and stretch until you feel resistance. At that point spin and slap the dough to release the tension. Watch the ends as they will get thin first. When the noodle is pulled fold it in half and pull a little more. Cook in plenty of boiling, salted water for 5 minutes but it depends on the thickness. Rinse off the starch before using.

There's a video of me frying the noodles for lunch here