These hand-pulled noodles are addictively chewy, bouncy, and SO easy to make! With the right techniques, you'll be making homemade noodles and question why you ever bought them from the store. Yep, they're THAT good!
In a bowl, mix together the warm water and salt until the salt dissolves.
In a separate large bowl, add the bread flour. While continuously stirring the bread flour with chopsticks, gradually pour in the warm water to the flour until strands of dough are created.
Begin to knead the dough until there’s little to no flour is left in the bowl, about 3 minutes. If the dough is still crumbling apart, add a very small amount of water at a time until the dough comes together. Be careful not to add too much water though, otherwise, your noodles will become gummy instead of bouncy when cooked. Shape the dough into a ball. At this point, it won’t be completely smooth, but that’s okay.
Cover dough with plastic wrap and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Knead Dough:
Knead the dough again until it's smooth, about 5 minutes.
Cut the dough in half then roll each piece of dough into ¼-inch thick ovals. Coat the pieces of dough thoroughly with the oil, then cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest for at least 2 hours. You can also let them rest in the fridge up to overnight. The longer you allow them to rest, the more elastic they’ll become and easier to pull.
Cut & Hand-Pull Dough:
Cut dough lengthwise into 1-inch wide strips. Gently separate strands to ensure they don’t stick together, then cover with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.
Take one strand of dough and gently pull the ends in a smooth consistent motion. Bounce the dough on the countertop one or two times to help loosen the dough to your desired thickness. Keep in mind that the noodles swell slightly when cooked. Repeat for remaining dough strands.
Cook & Serve:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a few strands of dough at a time to the water and cook for 1 - 2 minutes. Cooking in batches prevents them from sticking together and allows you to have better control over the noodle texture.
Remove the noodles and rinse under cold water to make the noodles extra bouncy and stop the cooking process. Serve in your favorite soup or sauce. Serving suggestions are listed in the blog post above. Enjoy!
Notes
Tough Dough: If the dough isn't elastic after resting, allow it to rest for 10 more minutes or until stretchy.
Measure for Consistent Results: Weighing the ingredients is recommended for best results since using measuring cups/spoons results in various weights and inconsistent noodle textures.
Expansion: Keep in mind, the noodles will slightly expand once they're done cooking.