Easy Hand-Pulled Noodles

Combine the water (1 cup) and salt (0.5 teaspoon) in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the salt (0.5 teaspoon).

Add the all-purpose flour (2.67 cup) into a large bowl. Bit by bit, pour the [water] into the [all-purpose flour], mixing with a pair of chopsticks or a spatula as you go.

Once all the [water] is added, the [dough] should be in shaggy threads with little/no dry [all-purpose flour] in the bowl. Begin pressing the [dough] together. If you find the [dough] is too dry and there’s still dry [all-purpose flour] that’s hard to incorporate into the [dough], drizzle more [water] onto the dry [all-purpose flour] and mix it again, until there’s no dry [all-purpose flour] left. Knead the [dough] until a rough, firm ball is formed, about 2 minutes. Start 2m timer

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes. Start 20m timer

Once the [dough] is rested, knead it again until it becomes smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Start 1m timer

Mix the [all-purpose flour] and [salt] in the bowl of the KitchenAid mixer and add the dough hook. Turn it to the mix setting. Slowly drizzle the [water] down the side, all along the bowl. This should take about 1 minute. Once the [water] is incorporated, turn to setting 2 and knead until a rough [dough] ball is formed, another 2 to 3 minutes.

Cover the [dough] with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes. Start 20m timer

Either knead in the machine on setting 4 for 30 seconds or by hand for 1 to 2 minutes. Then shape the [dough]. Start 1m timer

(Optional) If you plan to store/freeze the [dough], coat the [dough] with [vegetable oil] and store it in a sealed plastic bag. Refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

FOR THIN NOODLES: Divide the [dough] to halves and roll each [dough] into a inch (0.5) thick oval.

FOR FLAT NOODLES: Divide the [dough] to halves and roll each and roll each [dough] into a inch (0.25) thick oval.

FOR WIDE NOODLES: Cut the [dough] into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into approximately 3”x5” (8x13 cm) ovals, inch (0.25) high.

Coat the [dough(s)] generously with [vegetable oil] and cover with plastic. Let rest for 2 hours. Start 120m timer

Bring a medium-sized pot of [water] to a boil.

FOR THIN NOODLES: Cut long the longer side of the oval, slicing the [dough] into inch (0.5) wide strips and rolling each piece slightly to the side with each cut to prevent them from sticking together. Cover the cut pieces with the plastic again to prevent them from drying out. Starting with the first strip you cut off, pick it up on both ends. (*Footnote 2) In one swift motion, tug the [noodles] about an arm’s length and gently bounce it on the working surface once or twice until it forms a long, thin [noodles]. Rest the [noodles] on your working surface as you fold it over, so that both ends are in one hand. Hook the other side with your thumb. Give it a couple light tugs and bounces until the [noodles] get longer and reach the desired thin shape. Then pull off the thick ends collected in one hand and lay the [noodles] out on the working surface. Repeat with the rest of your [noodles].

FOR FLAT NOODLES: Cut along the longer side of the oval, slicing the [dough] into inch (1.5) wide strips. Cover the cut pieces with the plastic again to prevent from drying out. Starting with the first strip you cut off, pick it up on both ends. (*Footnote 2) In one swift motion, tug the [noodles] to about an arm’s length and gently bounce it on the working surface once or twice. Rest the [noodles] on your working surface for 10-20 seconds, then give it a couple extra-light tugs and bounces until it forms a flat long [noodles]. Then pull off the thick ends and lay the [noodles] out. Repeat with the rest of your [noodles]. Drop the [noodles] into the boiling [water], a few at a time, and cook for 1 to 1.5 minutes. Start 1m timer

FOR WIDE NOODLES: One at a time, grip the short ends of a strip (*Footnote 2) and pull it apart in one swift motion until the [dough] feels taut. It should be between 1 to 2 feet. Bounce it on the table a couple times. Pull off the thick ends and lay the [noodles] out, covering it with plastic to prevent drying out.

Drop the [noodles], a few pieces at a time, into the boiling [water] and cook for 1 to 1.5 minutes, until tender but still with a chewy texture. Do not cook too many [noodles] at a time! It’s hard to control the texture that way and the [noodles] might stick together. Start 1m timer

Store the cooked [noodles]: If you plan on reheating, you can slightly undercook the [noodles] (to al dente) to create a better texture once reheated. Store the [noodles] in an airtight container or a ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

For frozen/refrigerated [dough]; let the frozen [dough] thaw in the fridge overnight. Transfer the refrigerated [dough] to room temperature. Rest for 2 hours. The [dough] will become super soft and can be gently shaped, rested for another 10 minutes or so, and pulled. Cook according to the instructions above. Start 120m timer

To reheat, bring a pot of [water] to a boil and add the cooked [noodles]. Separate with a pair of chopsticks and cook until the [noodles] are just heated through.

For a quicker and lazier reheating method (for leftovers), reheat the refrigerated [noodles] in the microwave until heated, then quickly rinse the [noodles] with tap [water] in a colander. Drain the [water] thoroughly before serving.

If you plan to use the thin [noodles] for fried [noodles], you don’t need to reheat them before using. Thaw them if frozen. Then run the [noodles] with tap [water] in a colander and separate gently with chopsticks. Drain thoroughly before using for stir fried [noodles].