Learn to make Do-it-yourself Udon Noodles from scratch utilizing the standard Japanese methodology. It’s simple and enjoyable to make them by hand, and also you’ll have contemporary noodles which might be totally scrumptious and much superior to retailer purchased!
One of many best Japanese noodles you can make from scratch is Do-it-yourself Udon Noodles (うどん). Thick, chewy, and totally satisfying, handmade udon is my all-time favourite. My household devours these noodles each time I make them. On this recipe, I’ll information you thru this enjoyable and fulfilling cooking exercise that even newbie cooks and children will get pleasure from!
Wish to attempt some fashionable udon dishes? Attempt my Beef Udon, Yaki Udon, and Kitsune Udon recipes subsequent!
What are Udon Noodles?
The thick, wheat flour noodles referred to as udon first got here to Japan from China throughout the Nara interval (710–794). Loved by the higher class, they had been initially formed like a flattened rice cake. They ultimately turned elongated within the Edo interval (1603–1867), when the final inhabitants started to get pleasure from them. As we speak, high-quality udon is easy, bouncy, and elastic. They’re light on the abdomen and simple to swallow, an attribute the Japanese name nodogoshi ga ii (喉越しが良い).
Why I Love This Recipe
- Contemporary style and nice texture – Handmade udon noodles are chewy with a springy, toothsome chew. My household loves the unbeatable freshness!
- A straightforward recipe with 3 easy components –This methodology may be very simple. Better of all, you’ll want solely flour, water, and salt.
- No particular tools wanted – You may make udon noodles with simply your arms, your toes (learn on to search out out why), and a pointy knife!
Components for Do-it-yourself Udon Noodles
The components and methodology for making contemporary udon noodles from scratch are easy! I additionally love that there are not any preservatives on this udon noodle recipe.
- All-purpose flour (plain flour) – 中力粉
- Water
- Kosher salt
- Potato starch – or cornstarch (for rolling and dusting)
Discover the printable recipe with measurements under.
Substitutions
- Potato starch: This prevents the dough and noodles from sticking to one another. You might additionally use cornstarch. Please don’t use all-purpose flour for dusting the reduce noodles, because the noodle dough will soak up the flour and stick collectively.
Make Do-it-yourself Udon Noodles
Preparation
- Make the dough. Mix saltwater and flour in a big bowl. Combine it till there isn’t any dry flour. Type right into a ball, wrap it, and relaxation it for half-hour.
Kneading
- Step on the dough. Place it in a plastic bag between kitchen towels on the ground. Step on it along with your heels. Slowly flip in a circle as you stretch the dough from the middle to the perimeters. Proceed till it’s stretched and fully flat.
Step 3 – Collect the dough right into a ball and maintain kneading. Place the dough ball again into the bag and step on it once more. Repeat 4 extra instances or till it’s mushy like an earlobe.
Step 4 – Relaxation the dough. After the fifth spherical of dough stepping, take out the dough and type it right into a spherical ball. Let it relaxation within the bag on the countertop for two hours (3 hours in winter).
Chopping
Step 5 – Roll out the dough. Flatten the dough along with your hand on a piece floor dusted with potato starch. Roll it out right into a rectangle. It ought to be ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick and 10–12 inches lengthy.
Step 6 – Lower into noodles. Fold the dough in half or thirds. Lower it into ⅛-inch (3 mm) noodles with a pointy knife. Fluff them along with your fingers and dirt with potato starch so that they don’t stick. It’s able to cook dinner now or freeze for later.
Cook dinner Do-it-yourself Udon Noodles
Deliver a big pot of unsalted water to a boil. Loosen the contemporary noodles, shake off the surplus starch, and cook dinner them within the pot whereas stirring sometimes with chopsticks for about 10 minutes (relying on thickness). Drain and rinse effectively beneath chilly working water to take away starch and enhance the noodles’ texture.
Nami’s Recipe Suggestions
- Weight your flour and salt with a kitchen scale. Weighing your flour and salt in metric is easy and there’s zero error. However, I didn’t embrace a “cup” quantity measurement as the quantity in 1 cup of flour varies relying on how packed the flour is once you scoop it. You’re more likely to find yourself with extra flour than you want on this case. Likewise, one of the best ways to measure salt is to weigh it, as the amount is completely different relying on the kind of salt.
- Don’t modify the quantity of salt. Salt performs a key function in tightening the flour’s gluten and rising the dough’s elasticity. Don’t fear, the noodles will launch some salt whereas cooking in unsalted water and gained’t be salty. Belief me!
- Evenly distribute the salted water. You wish to go gradual and regular and distribute the saltwater evenly into all elements of the flour. This helps to realize a constant elasticity within the dough.
- Attempt to not add extra water. That is most likely the MOST IMPORTANT tip. Keep in mind that the udon dough is hard. For those who can knead it with a rolling pin or arms, you most likely added extra water than you need to.
- Use a big, resealable plastic bag. I attempt to not use plastic baggage, however it’s a very useful device for stepping on the dough with our toes. Get a 2-gallon resealable bag for this recipe. A 1-gallon bag is method too small!
- Step on the dough from the middle out. Once you press down on the dough, begin stepping from the middle along with your toes. Then unfold the dough towards the outer edges, identical to you’d roll the dough with a rolling pin.
- “Knead till the dough is as mushy as your earlobes.” It is a frequent expression in Japanese cookbooks and recipes. After kneading, the dough ought to turn out to be pliable and mushy, so you’ll be able to lastly roll it out with a rolling pin!
- Roll out the corners of the dough to type a rectangle. For those who roll out your dough right into a rectangle or sq., all your noodles can be equal in size.
- Use a pointy knife. This offers a clear edge to the noodles, resulting in an important texture.
Variation – Make Pink Udon Noodles!
In 2015, I collaborated with many proficient YouTubers for Tastemade‘s “Hero Collection.“ The star ingredient was beets, and I used it as a pure dye to make pink udon noodles. My daughter LOVED them! They’re enjoyable to make for particular events like Valentine’s Day and Japanese Lady’s Day.
Merely observe the identical methodology as my recipe under utilizing the next components.
- 200 g (7 oz) all-purpose flour
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) water
- 10 ml (2 tsp) beet juice – see under for how you can make it
- 10 g (0.35 oz) kosher salt
- potato starch or cornstarch – for dusting the dough
For beet juice: Peel and slice a beet root ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick. Boil it in 1 cup (240 ml) of water for 20 minutes till the beet juice is diminished to 2 tablespoons. You’ll solely want 2 teaspoons of this liquid to paint the udon.
For those who’re questioning, you don’t actually style the beets. You’ll be able to watch my tutorial video to see how I make it!
Get pleasure from Do-it-yourself Udon Noodles
Handmade udon noodles are versatile for his or her impartial taste and chewy texture that holds up in scorching soups, stir-fries, and extra. Listed here are some scrumptious methods to organize them.
- In scorching soup – Attempt conventional Udon Noodle Soup (Kake Udon) topped with a inexperienced onion garnish. Want a extra inventive one? Attempt my Curry Udon!
- In a donabe scorching pot – Piping-hot and comforting Nabeyaki Udon is a wintertime staple in Japan.
- In a stir-fry – Cook dinner up these noodles with cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, and a protein (suppose hen, pork, or shrimp) in Simple Yaki Udon for a fast weeknight meal.
- In Japanese-style wafu pasta – Toss chewy udon in a creamy sauce of spicy salted cod roe in my Mentaiko Udon.
- In chilly udon – For a straightforward summer time lunch, do this refreshing Chilly Tanuki Udon with mentsuyu sauce.
Storage Suggestions
To retailer: You’ll be able to cook dinner the freshly made udon straight away! However if you wish to use it later, you’ll be able to divide the raw noodles into smaller parts and freeze them for as much as a month.
Steadily Requested Questions
Sure, you’ll be able to. When it’s time to relaxation the kneaded dough for two hours at room temperature, you would as a substitute maintain the dough within the fridge in a single day. Then, you’ll be able to proceed the remainder of the method on the next day. It’s also possible to make the contemporary noodles and freeze them raw for as much as a month (see the subsequent part).
Sure! Whilst you may refrigerate contemporary noodles up to a couple days, one of the best ways is to freeze them straight away. Divide the raw noodles into particular person parts (150 g every), seal in hermetic containers or baggage, and freeze for as much as a month. Cook dinner straight from frozen in boiling water for 12 minutes, then rinse beneath chilly water. For decent noodle soup, shortly reheat in scorching water earlier than serving.
I do know it’s onerous to attend, however resting the dough permits the gluten to loosen up so you’ll be able to roll out the dough with a rolling pin. It’s the identical method as with breadmaking. For those who don’t relaxation it, the dough will spring again once you attempt to roll it right into a flat rectangle.
Forestall your display screen from going darkish
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Earlier than You Begin…Please notice that this recipe requires 2½ hours of resting time. Collect all of the components. I extremely encourage you to weigh your flour and salt utilizing a kitchen scale for this recipe. Click on on the Metric button on the prime of the recipe to transform the ingredient measurements to metric. If you do not have a scale, here is how you can measure flour with a measuring cup: Fluff the flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into the measuring cup, and stage it off. In any other case, chances are you’ll scoop greater than you want.
To Knead the Dough
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To maintain your dough and the bag clear whereas kneading, place the bag between two kitchen towels on the ground.
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Step on the bag with the dough inside utilizing the heels of your toes. Use your weight to flatten it, slowly turning 360 levels as you stretch out the dough from the middle to the perimeters. Proceed to step on the dough till it’s stretched out and fully flat. Tip: You’ll be able to knead along with your arms as a substitute, however it would take extra time and effort. Stepping on the udon dough is a standard apply in Japan!
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Take away the dough from the bag and fold within the edges towards the center.
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Accumulate the perimeters within the heart of the dough and flip it over so the seam facet is dealing with down.
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Press and rotate the dough with cupped arms to type it right into a ball.
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Place the dough ball again into the bag and shut the bag, leaving a small air hole. Repeat the dough kneading or “stepping“ course of from Step 2. You’ll be able to see in case you are stepping on the proper location to flatten the dough by sometimes lifting the towel to verify.
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Proceed stepping on the dough till it’s stretched flat.
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Take away the dough from the bag and fold the perimeters towards the middle, flip it over, and type it right into a ball once more.
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You’ll discover that the dough is barely extra pliable than the primary time.
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Repeat this course of three extra instances for a complete of 5 rounds of dough stepping, or till the dough is as mushy as an earlobe (that’s how we describe the feel of the completed udon dough in Japan).
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After the fifth spherical of dough stepping, take out the dough and type it into a pleasant, spherical ball. Put the dough again into the bag and shut.
To Relaxation the Dough (2 Hours)
To Roll Out the Dough
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Mud the work floor with potato starch or cornstarch and take out the dough from the bag. Tip: It‘s particularly necessary to make use of potato starch or cornstarch when you plan to freeze the noodles for the reason that noodles have a tendency to soak up wheat flour, which causes them to stay to one another.
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Flatten the dough along with your hand.
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Utilizing a rolling pin, first roll out the dough into an oval form. Then, flip the dough 90 levels and roll it out evenly within the different route.
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Then, roll out the corners to create an oblong form.
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Mud the dough with potato starch or cornstarch sometimes to verify the dough doesn’t keep on with the rolling pin or the work floor.
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Flip the dough 90 levels and roll out the dough extra.
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The dough ought to be 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick and about 10–12 inches lengthy.
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Roll out every rounded nook so the dough varieties a rectangle. This may permit the noodles to be the identical size once you reduce them.
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Mud extra potato starch on prime of the dough and unfold it thinly.
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Fold the dough in half or thirds and sprinkle extra potato starch on prime.
To Lower into Noodles
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With a pointy knife or cleaver, reduce the folded dough into noodles about 3 mm (⅛ inch) huge.
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Choose up among the noodles and fluff them along with your fingers to verify they’re coated with the potato starch/cornstarch to stop them from sticking to one another. The noodles are able to cook dinner now or freeze for later.
To Cook dinner the Contemporary Noodles
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Deliver a giant pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil (DO NOT add salt to the water; the noodles are already seasoned and can launch some salt throughout cooking). Loosen up the noodles, leaving the surplus starch behind, and add the noodles to the pot.
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Cook dinner, stirring sometimes, for about 10 minutes (relying on the thickness of your noodles).
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Drain and rinse effectively beneath chilly working water to take away the starch and provides the noodles a agency texture. The noodles at the moment are prepared to make use of in your favourite udon recipe.
To Serve the Cooked Noodles
To Retailer the Contemporary Noodles for Later
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Divide the raw noodles into particular person parts (150 g every) and freeze in an hermetic container or bag for as much as a month. You’ll be able to refrigerate it for just a few days, however it tastes higher once you freeze the contemporary udon straight away. To cook dinner from frozen, carry a big pot of water to a boil and cook dinner the frozen udon for 12 minutes with out defrosting. Drain and rinse effectively beneath chilly working water to take away the starch. For decent noodle soup, you’ll be able to shortly warmth up the noodles in a pot of scorching water or heat them up beneath scorching working water.
Energy: 361 kcal · Carbohydrates: 76 g · Protein: 10 g · Fats: 1 g · Saturated Fats: 1 g · Polyunsaturated Fats: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fats: 1 g · Sodium: 198 mg · Potassium: 106 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 1 g · Calcium: 21 mg · Iron: 5 mg
Editor’s Notice: This put up was initially revealed on February 7, 2015. It was up to date on October 6, 2021, with a brand new video and refreshed pictures. The put up was most just lately republished on Might 25, 2025, with much more useful suggestions and up to date info.
