Homemade Ramen Noodles

Homemade Ramen Noodles

    Noodles!  Who doesn't love them!  How about making your own Homemade Ramen Noodles. These can be cooked fresh or even from frozen.  This simple noodle has such a rich history which dates back to 1900's Japan (thoughts are that the noodles did originated in China and were brought to Japan) These have a 'trick ingredient' from Inner Mongolia's Lake waters that transforms the dough into a bouncy/elastic broth loving noodle!  The trick ingredient: Kansui (a lye-type water) in its place, we will be using baking soda.  I made 3 doughs with slight variations to the egg, and baking soda and I feel this one is the best. Since you don't want mushy noodles, do what I do and cook the noodles and soup or broth separately and serve together.  That way you prolong the structure of the ramen.  
Try these ramen noodles with my Hot & Sour Soup.   ~Enjoy! Diane ​

Homemade Ramen Noodles  
Ingredients: 
3 cups all-purpose flour  
1 teaspoon fine sea salt  
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs beaten
1/2 cup warm water

Directions: 
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook, stir together flour, salt and baking soda.  Add in the beaten eggs and warm water. Mix at the lowest speed until the ingredients are moistened.  Increase speed to 'dough level' (2 on my machine) and mix until dough comes together and a dough ball has formed, continue to knead with dough hook for 5 minutes, until dough is smooth.  Turn dough out on to a floured surface and shape into a rectangle.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 
Remove dough from refrigerator and divide into 4-6 equal pieces on floured work surface and cover loosely with plastic wrap.  Take each section of dough and using a rolling pin, roll into a rectangle. Use a sharp knife to trim up edges so that your final dough sheet is able to run through your pasta machine as a perfect rectangle.  As you work, place the machine ready dough on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover with either a towel or wrap until you are done rolling out all the dough (you don't want your prepared dough to dry out.)  Once you have your rectangle pieces of dough cut, run through a manual pasta machine, beginning at setting 3 (run dough through twice on 3) Turn dial to the next setting 2 and run dough through once.  For a shorter ramen noodle, cut the dough in half crosswise before running through the pasta cutter.  Run dough through the spaghetti sized pasta cutter. 
Dust noodles with flour to coat and separate and place on prepared baking sheet in bundles. Repeat with remaining dough.  If cooking fresh, cook noodles for 1 to 2 minutes in a generous amount of water or broth until cooked through. You can also freeze the noodles. They can be added to boiling liquid directly from the freezer and cook about 30 seconds longer than when fresh.  

Recipe Note:
 To knead the dough by hand only. Once you've stirred the ingredients together, turn out onto a floured surface; knead for 6 minutes, cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes; then knead again for 5 minutes and refrigerate tightly wrapped for at least an hour.  

Pictured below: Ramen Noodles with my Hot & Sour Soup *I subbed in baby spinach for the pork called for in my original recipe.