1. Dissolve the salt in the water. Set aside. 2. In a very large bowl that you’ll be able to knead the dough in, add the flour and make a little well in the center. Add the salted water. 3. Use the fork to pull a little bit of flour into the liquid, and then start to use your hands to work the moistened flour into the rest of the flour. Depending on the moisture content of your flour, you might need to add a bit more water. As the dough comes together, it should form into a lumpy ball. If it is too ragged, sprinkle in a bit more water and work it into the dough. 4. Start seriously kneading the dough as hard as you can for about 10 minutes, on a board dusted with bread flour. If the dough is too sticky, knead in a touch more of the bread flour. To knead, fold over from the top, and use the heel of your palm to press it flat again. Turn the dough 45 degrees and repeat. 5. Form the dough into a ball, dust it lightly with flour, and seal it in a large - at least one gallon - zip lock bag. Unzip the bag just slightly on one side so air can escape. 6. Wrap the bag in a large dish towel. Set it on the ground and stand on it. Be careful - the combination of plastic and towel can be slippery! Move around, do a little dance, hop up and down, take a stroll. Your whole body weight on the dough will work it like your hands never could. This helps make the noodles good and chewy. 7. After a few minutes, take the dough out of the bag. It will be pretty flat, but with a rolling pin, roll out any irregularities. Then fold it in thirds, dust it lightly with flour, put it back in the bag, wrap it in the towel and walk on it some more. Repeat this process about 4 times. Then, leaving the dough in the bag, let it rest for 3 hours in a warm place. 8. After it’s had a chance to rest, walk on it one more time, making a point to try to spread the dough as much as possible. The thinner you can get it by walking on it, the easier the rest of the process will be. 9. Take the dough out from the bag and roll it out on a floured surface until it is a square about 1/8-inch thick. The dough may be pretty stiff and springy, so this may be a bit challenging. If you can’t seem to get it thin enough with a rolling pin or if you want a more refined udon, cut it into 4 pieces and run it through the thickest setting of a pasta machine, and give them a good dusting of flour. Or, if you have the time, cover the dough with a damp (not wet) towel and let it rest for half an hour, then continue rolling. 10. Next, dust the dough lightly with flour, fold it from the top to the center and then from the center to the bottom (like an accordian). Then, with one of the long edges facing you, slice off the dough in 1/8-inch pieces. Dust the sliced pieces with a bit more flour as you go to prevent them from sticking. 11. Boil the noodles immediately in a large pot of boiling water, covering them with a towel while you are waiting for the water to come to a boil. The noodles will need to boil for about 7 minutes, stirred with a chopstick to prevent them from sticking together. 12. Traditionally, the noodles are served hot, with a dashi-based stock. But, they are also delicious stir fried with a splash of sesame oil, oyster sauce, soy, sesame seeds and some vegetables or meat of your choice. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nutrition
Ingredients
