How to make homemade noodles

If you’re feeling ambitious, try making homemade noodles. You’ll be surprised at how simple it is, and you don’t need a pasta machine.

Making your own noodles is a skill that will come in handy, as noodles are used in dozens of recipes. Plus it’s quick and they can be made ahead of time, so you count on them when you’re meal planning for the week.

This recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens. I modified the final steps for cutting the noodles. It’s straightforward and similar to many egg noodle recipes.

What you’ll need

Ingredients:

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour (save ¼ to coat dough later, and 1/4 to sprinkle on counter for kneading)
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 egg yolks and 1 whole egg, lightly beaten
• ⅓ cup water
• 1 tsp. vegetable oil

You’ll also need:

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Large bowl
• Small bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Wire whisk
• Wax paper
• Kneading surface
• Rolling pin
• Sharp knife or pizza cutter
• Wire racks

How to make homemade noodles

Prep time: 1 hour
Chill time: 2 hours
Total time: 3 hours
Servings: 4-5

Ingredients

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour (save ¼ to coat dough later, and 1/4 to sprinkle on counter for kneading)
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 egg yolks and 1 whole egg, lightly beaten
• ⅓ cup water
• 1 tsp. vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine 1 ¾ cups flour and salt. Once the flour and salt are mixed, form a well in the center with your hands.
2. In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk the 2 egg yolks and 1 whole egg. Add the water and vegetable oil. Stir until well combined.
3. Pour the egg mixture into the flour and salt well. Combine with a wooden spoon until the dough is thick and sticky.
4. Sprinkle ¼ cup flour onto a kneading surface.
5. Turn out the dough onto the kneading surface. Knead in a forward motion for about 8-10 minutes, folding it with each time you push it forward. You’ll feel the dough become more pliable and smooth the longer you knead it.
6. Cover the dough with wax paper and let it stand for 10 minutes.
7. Break dough into four equal pieces.
8. Flour your kneading surface again.
9. With a rolling pin, roll out each piece of dough, one at a time, to a 1/16-inch thickness. The dough may not come out in a perfect rectangular shape, but that’s ok.
10. Once each piece of dough has been rolled out, lightly flour each side. Let dough stand uncovered for 20 minutes.
11. With a sharp knife (you can use a paring knife) or a pizza cutter, cut dough into strips to form noodles. Lay noodles on wire racks to dry for two hours.
12. Once noodles are dry, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Or, you can freeze the noodles for up to 8 months.

I stored my dough in a freezer bag overnight until I was ready to cook them.

Making dough in advance

If you’re making dough in advance and want to make the noodles later, you can follow steps 1 through 6 above. Then, Better Homes and Gardens says to store dough in an airtight container. Dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to make the noodles, thaw the dough in the refrigerator and start at step 7.

Cooking homemade noodles

When I think of noodles, I think chicken and noodles or beef tips and noodles.

With these noodles, I pan-cooked cut-up chicken, then added diced tomatoes, spinach and garlic. I boiled the pasta in a separate pot for about 10 minutes, with a little salt, then drained the water once the noodles were al dente, and added the noodles to the chicken and vegetables. I tossed the ingredients together with tongs, and lunch was ready.

If you make this recipe, tell us what you think!