Tiny Urban Kitchen

Exploring Food from Boston to Hong Kong and Beyond

  • About
    • About Me
    • Tiny Urban Kitchen’s Favorite Equipment
    • Press
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Asian
      • Chinese
      • Taiwanese
      • Thai
      • Malaysian
      • Japanese
      • Korean
    • Appetizers
    • Soups
    • Salad
    • Pasta
    • Noodles
    • Rice
    • Vegetarian
    • Meat
    • Sweets
      • Baking
      • Ice cream
      • Cookies
    • Misc
    • Kawaii (Cute)
  • Travel / Restaurants
    • United States
      • Boston
        • Jen’s Picks
        • Boston
          • Allston
          • Back Bay
          • Brighton
          • North End
          • South End
        • Cambridge
          • Kendall Square
          • Inman Square
          • Central Square
          • Harvard Square
          • Porter Square
          • North Cambridge
        • Somerville
          • Davis Square
          • Union Square
        • Greater Boston
          • Brookline
          • Arlington
          • Belmont
          • Watertown
          • Newton
          • Lexington
          • Concord
          • Burlington
          • Natick
        • Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Berkshires
      • Vermont
      • Maine
      • New York
      • Washington DC
      • Philadelphia
      • Orlando
      • Chicago
      • Las Vegas
      • California
        • Los Angeles
        • San Francisco
        • Napa
        • Sonoma
      • Seattle
      • Hawaii
    • Canada
      • Montreal
      • Canadian Rockies
      • Toronto
    • Argentina
    • Europe
      • United Kingdom
        • London
        • Oxford
      • Italy
        • Rome
        • Piedmont
      • France
        • Paris
        • Bordeaux
      • Spain
        • Madrid
        • Barcelona
        • Catalonia / San Sebastian / Girona
      • Germany
      • Belgium
        • Brussels
      • Switzerland
      • Greece
      • Finland
      • Norway
      • Denmark
    • Japan
      • Japan Guide
      • Tokyo
      • Osaka
      • Kyoto
    • China (Mainland)
      • Beijing
      • Chengdu
      • Shanghai
      • Shaanxi
      • Shenzhen
      • Xiamen
      • Yunnan
    • Singapore
    • Hong Kong
    • Malaysia
    • Taiwan
    • Thailand
    • Australia/New Zealand
  • Michelin
    • Formerly had a star
    • Michelin Recommended
    • 1 Star
    • 2 Stars
    • 3 Stars
  • Jen’s Eating Guides!
    • Boston Restaurants
    • Boston Dishes
    • Tokyo
    • Hong Kong
    • Las Vegas
    • Napa / Sonoma
    • Taiwan (night markets)
    • Taiwanese (casual eats)
    • Street Foods of Bangkok (Part I)
    • Street Foods of Bangkok (Part II)
    • Kitchen Equipment
  • Trip Reports
    • All trip reports
    • Around the World Trip Report
    • New England
    • New York
    • Washington DC
    • Las Vegas
    • California
    • Canada
    • Europe
    • Florida
    • Japan
    • China

Project Food Blog Round 7: Hand Pulled Noodles

November 12, 2010 by Jennifer Che 121 Comments

HandpulledNoodles-1
There is something elusive and almost magical about hand-pulled noodles.

First off, the texture is out-of-this-world. It’s fresh and chewy with a natural resistance that just springs back. In Taiwanese, we call it “Q,” similar to al dente in Italian, but with just a tad more “bounce.”

The art of hand-pulled noodles is even more elusive. It takes a trained artisan to understand how to work the dough to the right consistency so that it can be successfully stretched, twirled, and pulled. Furthermore, the golden window of opportunity in which the dough can be pulled into noodles is short – act quickly or else start over!

Noodle pullers typically train for at least a year with a Noodle Master before they are even allowed to make noodles for customers. It’s tricky to pull out perfectly smooth, even, and chewy noodles without breaking the strands!
JenTwirlingNoodles-2
It’s almost hypnotic to watch a master swinging that rope of dough in front of you – pull, twirl, pull, twirl.

And it’s not just for show. In fact, all that pulling and twisting helps align the dough proteins, making it possible to stretch that dough out into such thin strands.
_MG_5631-1
The technique associated with making hand-pulled noodles is virtually impossible to describe or explain without visuals, which is why a video is the perfect tool for introducing you to this art.

For Round 7 of Project Food Blog, we were asked to create a video putting “one of our favorite recipes on film.” As you know, Bryan absolutely loves fresh hand-pulled noodles and Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup is the ultimate comfort food that reminds me of home.

I could think of no better dish to share with you all than this classic Taiwanese street dish.


Hand Pulled Noodle Dough
adapted from Luke Rymarz’s Recipe

156g cake flour
25g all-purpose flour
110 mL warm water
2g salt (1/3 tsp)
1 g baking soda (a little less than 1/4 tsp)
~ 6 g vegetable oil (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a bread machine and knead on the dough cycle for about 15 minutes. Remove the dough from the machine, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest for 1 hour. Put dough back in the bread machine and knead again (dough cycle) for about 15 minutes. If no machine is available, hand knead for about 45 minutes.

Note: You can also use a stand mixer. I have not tried this and thus cannot give detailed instructions, but I have read instructions that say to mix on speed 4 for 15 minutes.

Roll and twist for about 10-15 minutes (see video for details), or until the dough feels soft and pliable like clay. The time can vary a lot depending on the climate, humidity, and elevation! The dough should not spring back if you push it in. It really feels a bit like clay.

Once the dough is ready, pull noodles (see video for details) and cook in boiling water for about 1-2 minutes. Eat with your favorite soup (see beef noodle soup recipe below) or stir fry with your favorite ingredients.
_MG_5480-3


Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup
Serves 4
Adapted from Not Much to See Here

2 lbs Beef Shank (optionally cut up into chunks)
1 T vegetable oil
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 inch chunk of ginger, chopped
2 star anise
2 scallion stalks, chopped
2 T Chili bean sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 carrots, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
1/4 cup rice wine
1/4 cup rock sugar
fresh hand-pulled noodles (see above)
hot sauce

Soak beef shank pieces in hot water for about 5 minutes. Drain dirty water, rinse beef shanks, and set aside. Over medium high heat saute garlic, ginger, scallions, and star anise in vegetable oil until fragrant. Add beef shank and chili bean sauce and saute for a few minutes, until the beef is slightly browned. Add soy sauce and cook for 2 minutes. Add carrots, tomatoes, rice wine, and rock sugar. Add water until everything is just covered. Bring to medium high heat and then reduce to a simmer for 2-4 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart tender. Add hot sauce to taste.

Serve with blanched bok choy and fresh hand pulled noodles.

All music in this video is royalty-free and composed by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under Creative Commons “Attribution 3.0” except for the Flight of the Bumblebee, which was performed by the US Army Band (public domain).

©2009-2014 Tiny Urban Kitchen
All Rights Reserved

Filed Under: ProjectFoodBlog Tagged With: foodbuzz

« Wylie Dufresne – “Meat Glue Mania”
Voting for Project Food Blog Round 7 is open! »

Recent Posts

  • Arbor Hong Kong May 25, 2022
  • Mono Hong Kong May 23, 2022
  • Summer Palace Iconic Wine Lunch – Hong Kong April 29, 2022
  • Lucciola – Italian food at The Hari Hotel in Wan Chai March 22, 2022
  • Studio City by Cali-Mex Causeway Bay Hong Kong March 17, 2022
  • Petrus Hong Kong March 8, 2022
  • Ichiran Tonkotsu Ramen Hong Kong March 6, 2022
  • James Suckling Wine Central – Hong Kong March 2, 2022

Latest Chinese recipes!

Comments

  1. TheTruWu says

    November 12, 2010 at 2:30 am

    This just made my day. My uncle used to own a beef noodle soup joint in Tai-chung, and I’ve been craving it since.

    Log in to Reply
  2. Frombuenosairestoparis says

    November 12, 2010 at 2:43 am

    Wowww!!!!! You are an artist in all senses !!!!
    Congratulations!!

    Log in to Reply
  3. Mirauncut says

    November 12, 2010 at 2:44 am

    ok first, this is really funny, and second u are awesome at making noodles, it is really therapeutic! realllly enjoied this vid!

    Log in to Reply
  4. TheCilantropist says

    November 12, 2010 at 3:27 am

    I am SO impressed with your technique and I would love to try it out!!! You make it look so easy that I am inspired, amazing amazing job. 🙂

    Log in to Reply
  5. Kirbie says

    November 12, 2010 at 4:21 am

    What a great video! Love hand pulled noodles but I’ve always been afraid to attempt my own especially since it takes so much skill. You did a great job and a great video.

    Log in to Reply
  6. Sara says

    November 15, 2010 at 1:14 am

    Love Hand Pulled Noodles! Amazing video!

    Log in to Reply
  7. Caitlin says

    November 15, 2010 at 8:08 am

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh oh god. I can nearly taste them. One day when I have hours to mess with noodles I will do this.

    Log in to Reply
  8. Anna says

    November 15, 2010 at 11:25 am

    This is amazing! I can’t wait to try it myself now that there’s a great video instruction manual 🙂

    Log in to Reply
  9. Savory Sweet Living says

    November 15, 2010 at 3:24 pm

    I always wanted to learn how to make hand-pulled noodles so thank you for showing me. You have amazing techniques and you definitely make it look easy. I also think you are a natural in front of the camera. So impressed with you and I can’t wait to try it myself.

    Log in to Reply
  10. Kristen says

    November 16, 2010 at 12:59 am

    That was so cool. Now I really want to make your soup. How long did it take from the time the dough came out of the bread maker until you had the right sized noodles?

    Log in to Reply
  11. SB says

    November 16, 2010 at 1:04 am

    Hi, great instructional video! Could you knead the dough by hand if you don’t have a bread machine or a mixer? If so, how long would that take?

    Log in to Reply
    • KuyaD says

      February 1, 2015 at 11:26 am

      It’s above and it says 45 minutes!!!

      That seems very labourious to me 🙁

      Log in to Reply
  12. Serene says

    November 16, 2010 at 2:17 am

    Wow, that’s just spectacular! If I had cake flour in the house, I’d be trying this, even though it’s 10:30 at night.

    Log in to Reply
  13. Heidi - Apples Under My Bed says

    November 16, 2010 at 2:40 am

    Hi Jen!
    I’m new to your blog, just found it through looking at all the foodbuzz project food blog videos. This is awesome. I have been missing hand pulled noodles, ever since I had them in HK. Now I can make my own! Thank you and good luck – I voted for you clearly :). I’m v glad I found your blog.
    Heidi xo

    Log in to Reply
  14. Spicy Green Mango says

    November 16, 2010 at 4:13 am

    Talented much, are we? Loved it and you’re so amazing on camera! Voting now!

    Log in to Reply
  15. Cherine says

    November 16, 2010 at 8:17 am

    Waw, excellent job!! Good luck!

    Log in to Reply
  16. Daydreamerdesserts says

    November 16, 2010 at 10:16 am

    I just wanted to steel that bowl of beef noodle soup from you, I’m sure it can’t get any better when it’s made with home hand pulled noodles. I was in awe watching you do all the pulling, fantastic!

    Log in to Reply
  17. meaghan (the decorated cookie) says

    November 16, 2010 at 11:15 am

    Fantastic! I love the beginning when you’re searching. Super clever. And what a stunning choice. Got my vote for sure!

    Log in to Reply
  18. Cooks&Books&Recipes says

    November 17, 2010 at 2:30 am

    I’m pretty darn sure you make this look much easier than it is. 🙂 Amazing. I think those noodles would probably taste great on their own, with just a little peanut or sesame oil on top.

    Log in to Reply
  19. Cooks&Books&Recipes says

    November 17, 2010 at 2:30 am

    I’m pretty darn sure you make this look much easier than it is. 🙂 Amazing. I think those noodles would probably taste great on their own, with just a little peanut or sesame oil on top.

    Log in to Reply
  20. Cooks&Books&Recipes says

    November 17, 2010 at 2:30 am

    I’m pretty darn sure you make this look much easier than it is. 🙂 Amazing. I think those noodles would probably taste great on their own, with just a little peanut or sesame oil on top.

    Log in to Reply
  21. Cooks&Books&Recipes says

    November 17, 2010 at 2:30 am

    I’m pretty darn sure you make this look much easier than it is. 🙂 Amazing. I think those noodles would probably taste great on their own, with just a little peanut or sesame oil on top.

    Log in to Reply
  22. Cooks&Books&Recipes says

    November 17, 2010 at 2:30 am

    I’m pretty darn sure you make this look much easier than it is. 🙂 Amazing. I think those noodles would probably taste great on their own, with just a little peanut or sesame oil on top.

    Log in to Reply
  23. Liz says

    November 17, 2010 at 6:13 am

    This is fabulous! I attempted to pull my own noodles with regular pasta dough once and wondered why it didn’t work. Now I know.

    Log in to Reply
  24. Jackie says

    November 17, 2010 at 10:25 am

    Great video! Really enjoyed it. It’s hard to pull your own noodles! I was seriously impressed.

    Good luck, though I have no doubt you’ll be showing up in the next round! 😉

    Jax x

    Log in to Reply
  25. Christineinnewyork says

    November 18, 2010 at 1:26 am

    This is an impressive impressive “how-to” video! I agree with The Cilantropist, this is my favorite video of this challenge.

    Log in to Reply
  26. YD says

    November 18, 2010 at 3:04 am

    This is a fantastic! Your noodles must have been so springy in texture – so yummy!

    Log in to Reply
  27. Wheels and Lollipops says

    November 18, 2010 at 5:04 am

    So craving hand pulled noodles now !! Can’t begin to say how much I enjoyed your video, you have a definite presence and energy behind the came. You have my vote!

    Log in to Reply
  28. ela says

    November 22, 2010 at 2:02 am

    wow!

    Log in to Reply
  29. Marge Cirinelli says

    December 22, 2010 at 10:27 am

    So awesome, love it! Pulling the noodles looks like a lot of fun:)

    Log in to Reply
  30. Nancy says

    February 13, 2011 at 9:03 pm

    Hi Jen,
    Congrats and great job on the video! No time to make the noodles but I will try the beef noodle soup. Now is it chili black bean sauce or just black bean sauce? On the video it said black bean and the recipe says chili bean sauce.

    Log in to Reply
  31. jentinyurbankitchen says

    February 14, 2011 at 1:17 am

    Hi Nancy,
    Definitely use chili bean sauce (doban jiang)! Sorry for any confusion!
    Jen

    Log in to Reply
  32. Complete kitchen says

    March 2, 2011 at 3:38 pm

    This is very nice recipe and I have try to make it at home and I like it very much. Please give me some more recipe for Noodles. Thanks!!

    Log in to Reply
  33. thuCooks says

    March 7, 2011 at 3:52 pm

    Wow I’ve never known how to make hand pulled noodles before!! Will definitely try this out.

    Log in to Reply
  34. Leenapaul76 says

    March 9, 2011 at 1:00 am

    I’ve been working on hand pulled noodles for about a year now, and until now all my information has been in the form of blog posts. I thought it was about time to put together a webpage so everything was in one place.

    Log in to Reply
  35. Kitchen Cabinets says

    March 9, 2011 at 1:11 am

    I’ve been working on hand pulled noodles for about a year now, and until now all my information has been in the form of blog posts. I thought it was about time to put together a webpage so everything was in one place.

    Log in to Reply
  36. Dawn (Kitchen Travels) says

    March 29, 2011 at 2:53 pm

    What?!?! The way you twist and pull those noodles is CRAZY! And I mean that in a completely good, totally admiring, complimentary way. Amazing! I am inspired to give this a try. Thank you. 🙂

    Log in to Reply
  37. jentinyurbankitchen says

    March 29, 2011 at 3:22 pm

    Thanks! Best of luck with the noodles. It took me weeks to perfect, so please don’t be discouraged if you don’t get it on the first try!

    Log in to Reply
  38. Erin says

    April 16, 2011 at 11:30 am

    wow! i have always wanted to know how they did the hand pulled noodles i saw them making in china and taiwan. and, i will definitely be trying the recipe for ‘niu rou mian.’ my favorite taiwanese dish. i have made it before, but, was not 100% satisfied with the result. i also like to add daikon in mine.
    we are an american family that lived many years in taiwan and china, and i am looking forward to searching your blog for other taiwanese dishes. we miss many things about taiwan, but, one truly never gets over the food you eat there–it is hands down, the best! 🙂 off to explore….

    Log in to Reply
  39. hareydouglas says

    April 19, 2011 at 10:01 am

    Wow I have been addicted to the noodles most and like it. I think that is really nice art to make it the way you are doing that. I am impressed and want it now.

    Log in to Reply
  40. Kenny says

    May 2, 2011 at 8:00 pm

    love it..im totally gonna give it a try this weekend. Thanks much

    Log in to Reply
  41. Winkyfield says

    May 17, 2011 at 6:07 pm

    How much would it all be in cups?

    Log in to Reply
  42. jentinyurbankitchen says

    May 18, 2011 at 12:59 am

    Hi Winkyfield,
    Sorry, I’ve never actually tried measuring in cups because I have a scale. 
    Jen

    Log in to Reply
  43. David says

    June 1, 2011 at 2:23 pm

    Jen-san Konbanwa!

    Thank you for the great video guide and detailed info. 
    I have made my fourth batch of dough today. This far I’ve managed to cover my kitchen with flour, drop a huge chunk of dough on the floor and found myself stepping on it, oh yea, and managed to sling a big fat noodle up onto my ceiling lamp.

    I have had problems with the texture of the dough. Here in Denmark there is no such thing as “cake flour” readily available in stores. That has lead me to try to make the dough using regular flour with a relatively high gluten content, and just beat the better out of it to break down enough gluten in order to reach the right texture. (I’ve mixed it in a mixer for ages)

    This way I have managed to reach a consistency where I can pull the dough to thin noodles if I just pull in small steps and let the dough rest. Trying to make long pulls, (more than say 5 inches in length) result in the dough ripping. The dough also feels very elastic so it’s a pain to work with. The only noodles I’ve stuffed myself with are the ones I’ve made after giving up. Then I’ve been rolling the dough to a sheet and cut it in slices. The taste and chewy texture of these noodles are fine, but they lack the finesse compared to the hand pulled ones.

    I’ve been considering some things to try out in the future. One is to obtain some Chinese or Japanese flour from a speciality store. Another is to try to add come corn flour to the dough. I don’t know if it will ruin the elasticity but it will indeed lower the gluten percentage.

    Do you have any tips that might help me?

    Thank you! ^.^
      David

    Log in to Reply
    • Cris925 says

      June 16, 2012 at 6:53 am

      Hey David here is a link to a recipe that I use for cake flour substitute. http://simplelivingathome.blogspot.com/2010/05/homemade-cake-flour.html?m=1

      Log in to Reply
  44. Jen @ Tiny Urban Kitchen says

    June 1, 2011 at 5:43 pm

    Hi David,
    Thanks for your comments! I’ve read that you can try using a stronger base if you have higher gluten flour. In Chinese markets here you can find a liquid called “kansui” which is essential a mixture of potassium carbonate and sodium carbonate in water. I haven’t really tried this myself, so I know others who have. If I get around to trying it, I’ll try to post on it! In any event, I’ve also found that resting the dough helps, as well as working in warm, humid conditions.
    Best of luck!
    Jen

    Log in to Reply
  45. samaste says

    June 11, 2011 at 1:39 am

    I know about this noodles made on hand.   Great post and written nice article on this noodle. This noodles are also eat by mix the hot milks and sugar in it.

    Log in to Reply
  46. japan_style says

    June 23, 2011 at 5:00 pm

    All of your videos and pictures are so clean looking and they are all very sharp. You have both art and food skills. As they say food is art, and you are very talented. Thanks for the recipe and keep them coming!

    Log in to Reply
  47. Gastrostu says

    July 18, 2011 at 9:13 am

    Great post! Looks like fun, I’m definitely have a go at making my own noodles.

    Log in to Reply
  48. Lamianworld says

    August 25, 2011 at 9:10 am

    Hi Jen,
    I love your posts about la mian pulling. I share your passion for the hand pulled noodles but are lucky enough to keep finding some chefs not so far away to prepare them for me.
    Andreas

    Log in to Reply
  49. lamianworld says

    August 25, 2011 at 9:37 am

    love your posts on la mian. I share the passion for la mian with you but are lucky enough to have some places around that prepare it for me.

    Log in to Reply
  50. lamianworld says

    August 25, 2011 at 9:41 am

    sorry for double comments…

    Log in to Reply
  51. Jen @ Tiny Urban Kitchen says

    August 25, 2011 at 1:21 pm

    Thanks! And yes, you are very lucky that you hae such ready access!

    Log in to Reply
  52. Bi says

    August 31, 2011 at 12:26 pm

    Hey Jen, greetings from Argentina, and congrats on your pulling! Look, I have a question here, when you post it’s “adapted” from Luke Rymarz’s recipe… does it mean the actual recipe you followed is any different than his? In that case, can you post it here? Thanks a lot!

    Log in to Reply
  53. jentinyurbankitchen says

    August 31, 2011 at 12:48 pm

    Thanks! The actual recipe is pretty much the same (and written out in this post). I adapted the recipe because I added my own little notes in the text, plus I wrote the text part of the recipe out myself.

    Log in to Reply
  54. Bi says

    August 31, 2011 at 4:09 pm

    Thanks a lot, now I’m trying other recipe… the seventh batch already… all of them too springy, the first pull is fine, then it hardens and breaks. *sighs* Next batch is with your recipe, I hope it works… but then the problem is here we don’t have cake flour, I’m gonna have to follow another recipe (yet another one, but this one to replace the cake flour!) that asks for 1 part corn starch and 7 parts all-purpose flour. I’ll let you know if it works. No choice, no decent chinese restaurants where I live, and certainly no hand pulled noodles to eat. 🙁 

    Log in to Reply
  55. judy says

    September 24, 2011 at 1:03 am

    Hey Jen,

    I just watched your video on hand pulled noodles; it was brilliant!  I loved the music, the video and the recipe.  Great going, I can’t wait to make them!
    Judy

    Log in to Reply
  56. Justine says

    October 9, 2011 at 6:32 pm

    Loved your video personality- very well done!!! Need to get on your level one day =)

    Log in to Reply
  57. Fern says

    October 10, 2011 at 11:12 pm

    Hi Jen, just wanted to say that you’re simply amazing and super talented! Didn’t know it was possible to make your own hand-pulled noodles at home, but you look like such a pro at it! Beautiful and love the cute video and music and everything else too! You should have a your own cooking show!

    Log in to Reply
  58. jentinyurbankitchen says

    October 12, 2011 at 4:03 am

    Thanks so much!

    Log in to Reply
  59. jentinyurbankitchen says

    October 12, 2011 at 4:04 am

    Hee hee, thanks so much. It’s amazing how much work it takes to produce such a short video. 🙂

    Log in to Reply
  60. jentinyurbankitchen says

    October 12, 2011 at 4:05 am

    Ha ha, thanks for the encouraging comments. It would be so much fun to have my own cooking show. 🙂

    Log in to Reply
  61. Sara Burton says

    October 22, 2011 at 6:25 pm

    ! Great video. I’ll have to try this..!

    Log in to Reply
  62. Jason says

    February 7, 2012 at 8:37 pm

    You’re video is the best one out there. I have a couple questions though. The notes say to put it back in the bread machine after it sits for an hour but the video doesn’t show that, which is right? Do you use oil? I can get mine like soft chewing gum but can’t figure out why it won’t become strong enough to pull, then after awhile it just tears, any suggestions?

    Log in to Reply
  63. jentinyurbankitchen says

    February 7, 2012 at 9:54 pm

    Hi Jason,
    Thanks for the kind comment! Yes, I do put the dough back in the bread machine after resting for one hour. I also use a little bit of sesame oil.If it’s tearing, try the twirl-stretch motion for a bit and see if it helps. There are sooooo many different factors that can affect whether the dough works (it’s quite high maintenance!). Humidity helps, warm temperatures help too.Good luck!
    Jen

    Log in to Reply
  64. LittleBuster says

    February 13, 2012 at 5:20 am

    wow, you’re other video from Beijing sure fooled me. I want to help keep the art of noodle making alive too!

    Log in to Reply
  65. Crazygnome says

    March 24, 2012 at 5:46 pm

    very cute lady, making very awesome noodles,

    Log in to Reply
  66. red rock noodle bar says

    May 6, 2012 at 3:50 am

    That’s a great recipe fdr Taiwanese beef noodle soup! I was making it on some other way, but now i want to experiment and try with your recipe. It looks good.Cheers!

    Log in to Reply
  67. Rncain says

    June 22, 2012 at 2:30 pm

    Hi Jen, if you’re kneading by hand, do you let the dough rest at all? Or just knead it for 45 mins and start twirling?

    Thanks for the how-to!

    Log in to Reply
  68. sam says

    August 29, 2012 at 5:54 pm

    truth your explaining is sooo good

    Log in to Reply
  69. MTD says

    September 5, 2012 at 4:09 pm

    My family and I family visited China in 2010 and tasted some really fantastic noodles at an noodle restaurant in Beijing. They were thick and chewy, just like those in your video. At the restaurant (our guide said that is was a place where chinese people used to go…) we recieved a brown sauce together with the noodles, and we could use as much as we wanted. Do you have any Idea what this sauce may be? It was not very “liquid”…almost like a thin puree. We are vegetarians, if it helps…
    Markus, 16, Norway

    Log in to Reply
  70. Awi ali says

    November 10, 2012 at 6:43 am

    I just watched the video..I like pulled noddles soup,it is easily to find it here in my country. After watched the video,I think I will try to make it myself,Thank you very much for posting the video

    Log in to Reply
  71. andrew says

    November 10, 2012 at 8:53 pm

    hello it takes the yeast into the flour? thanks

    Log in to Reply
  72. stephen says

    January 2, 2013 at 4:06 am

    glad to see there are other crazy people trying this, it is reassuring.

    Log in to Reply
  73. ennyl265 says

    February 24, 2013 at 7:44 pm

    can the noodles be made ahead of time? So say make noodles in the afternoon and then boil when the stir fry is ready?

    Log in to Reply
  74. Jennifer Che says

    February 25, 2013 at 9:37 am

    I don’t see why not. I bet you can even freeze the noodles to use much later.

    Log in to Reply
  75. hungryguy says

    March 14, 2013 at 10:59 am

    Thank you so much! I have wanted to make these ever since I got back from China!

    Log in to Reply
  76. Fanny says

    May 7, 2013 at 9:32 pm

    hi!
    I have a question! Which brand of cake flour are you using? because I tried the recipe and it did not work out 🙁 I live in canada so I thought that maybe the cake flour is different???
    Thank you for your anwer!

    Log in to Reply
  77. Anna Afendikova says

    July 19, 2013 at 11:07 am

    Hi! Thank you very much for this recipe and video. We don’t have cake flour here in Russia, so I used all-purpose flour and a bit more baking soda (full 1/4 tsp) and 6 g of sunflower seed oil. The dough turned out amazing!

    I made two critical mistakes while pulling the noodles, though. By then I was so used to the whole pulling-twisting sequence that I twisted the dough after covering it in flour – so some parts of it stuck together and some remained apart – ugh, that was a mess. And then, after I managed to salvage some of the noodles, I hung them up on the back of a chair – but they stretched under their own weight! In the end I served them with lagman and they tasted nice but weren’t aesthetically pleasing.

    I’m looking forward to trying again! 🙂

    Log in to Reply
  78. Jennifer Che says

    July 19, 2013 at 12:22 pm

    Hi Fanny,

    I think I have used numerous ones, both the Pillsury SoftaSilk as well as the King Arthur’s unbleached cake flour. It’s tricky to get the dough right and it took me TONS of practice to be able to get it right. Things like humidity and make a huge difference. Cold and dry weather makes it harder in general, and maybe Canada is generally colder?

    Best of luck!

    Jen

    Log in to Reply
  79. Malcolm O'Brien says

    August 4, 2013 at 10:49 pm

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    Log in to Reply
  80. San Bon says

    November 7, 2013 at 9:26 pm

    I made this dish three times now , me and my family loved it ,thank you very much for your contribution . Now , this recipe is wonderful addition to our culinary baggage.Two thumbs up!!!

    Log in to Reply
  81. Гиорги Борисович says

    February 24, 2014 at 7:26 pm

    Уважаемая Анна вас приветствуем из Киева, просим вас рекомендации по рецепту и техники замеса китайской лапши, спасибо….Гиорги

    Log in to Reply
  82. Гиорги Борисович says

    February 24, 2014 at 7:33 pm

    U welkom vanaf Kiev Oekraïne, neem dan contact op hulp bij masterclass in China noedels

    Log in to Reply
  83. Гиорги Борисович says

    February 24, 2014 at 7:36 pm

    Dank u zeer interessant verhaal over uw geschiedenis in China

    Log in to Reply
  84. Lin Kong says

    March 4, 2014 at 12:53 pm

    Jen this is awesome!! I tried hand making noodles last Dec and it was an epic fail lol!! Will try again following your steps =)

    Log in to Reply
  85. Candied Nuts says

    March 28, 2014 at 1:30 am

    Great job.. Its very difficult task. the hand made noodles..

    Log in to Reply
  86. BZ in BA says

    April 9, 2014 at 8:55 am

    I enjoyed your video, and I hope to give this a try soon. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this. I have been to the first restaurant you visited in your “search” for noodles (Pearl House), and they have a nice dim sum offering – it may only be on the weekends, but I always enjoy it when I am in the area.

    Log in to Reply
  87. BZ in BA says

    April 9, 2014 at 8:58 am

    You can get low-gluten flour (which is what cake flour is) at the “dieteticas” in Buenos Aires. They may have it in el barrio chino as well.

    Log in to Reply
  88. Doug Renze says

    May 4, 2014 at 2:07 pm

    Just found this today – is awesome. I’ve been wanting to learn how to make hand-pulled noodles, and your blog post is about the best I’ve found! Got to try!

    Log in to Reply
  89. Robert Ricard says

    August 15, 2014 at 2:35 am

    Exellent receipe. For sure, I’m trying it, first thing tomorow morning. Thank you, very informative, and I bet delicious.

    Log in to Reply
  90. Spacial Disorientation says

    September 19, 2014 at 10:53 pm

    the interesting thing about your version of the hand pulled noodles vs other hand pulled noodles is that other versions call for extra glutinous flour

    Log in to Reply
  91. Amanda says

    November 18, 2014 at 1:45 pm

    I just returned from the Gansu province in China. I had these every morning for breakfast and would have enjoyed them EVERY meal! So excited to try this!

    Log in to Reply
  92. Don says

    January 1, 2015 at 11:33 am

    On my last trip to Taiwan, I had my cousin take me to the best beef noodle shop he knows. He brought us to this tiny shop and I was blown away by the beef noodle soup. A+. Since then I’ve been on a quest to find a recipe for it. Thanks to you my quest may be over. Now I just need to pick up ingredients.

    Log in to Reply
  93. Melody says

    January 31, 2015 at 12:58 pm

    So does anyone have any advise on storing these noodles to cook hours/a day or two later? Or would that be barbarically western?

    Log in to Reply
  94. Benjamin K says

    August 3, 2015 at 12:22 pm

    Has anyone tried to knead this without the bread maker? I know the recipe says to knead it 45 mins by hand if you don’t have one. Is this a guess or based on experience? I have been attempting find a recipe that works for a couple of months. I will probably make them every other day if not everyday if it does. NOODLES!!

    Log in to Reply
  95. Otto says

    December 14, 2015 at 8:04 pm

    Thats actually a lot easier than i imagined. im going to try that out 😀

    Log in to Reply
  96. Chris says

    January 29, 2016 at 12:23 am

    Hi what brand and model of bread machine do you have? I have been trying to do this by hand and I cannot get the dough to a correct consistency

    Log in to Reply
    • Jennifer Che says

      February 1, 2016 at 11:26 pm

      Hi Chris,
      I have a really old Breadman that is over 15 years old. I would think most bread machines would do a fine job.
      Jen

      Log in to Reply
  97. Chris says

    January 29, 2016 at 12:45 am

    Also, how long do you stretch and twist the dough (before final pulling)? Thanks!

    Log in to Reply
    • Jennifer Che says

      February 1, 2016 at 11:27 pm

      Hi Chris,
      It really depends on the humidity in the air and other conditions. No two days are like. I usually start pulling once I feel like the dough is pretty soft and pliable. Sorry I can’t give more precise instructions. It’s really quite tricky, and I messed up A LOT of times before I got it right.
      Jen

      Log in to Reply
  98. Chris says

    January 29, 2016 at 3:24 am

    Sorry for all the questions, but what brand of all purpose and cake flour did you use? There is a big difference for example King Arthur all purpose has a lot more protein (gluten) than Gold Medal all purpose flour

    Log in to Reply
    • Jennifer Che says

      February 1, 2016 at 11:25 pm

      Hi Chris,
      I usually just used the Softasilk brand, though I may have tried the King Arthur brand before too. As for All-purpose, I honestly don’t remember what I had at the time, though my guess is Gold Medal.

      Log in to Reply
  99. Nate says

    March 4, 2016 at 12:15 pm

    Hi Jen,

    I’ve seen Luke’s video and I’ve even sent him an email asking if the noodles made with his recipe tastes anything like the lamian found in China. He hasn’t replied. Seeing how you’ve eaten both, can you offer a review or comparison of the flavors and consistency between the lamian you’ve had in Asia vs the ones you’ve made using Luke’s recipe? Thanks

    Log in to Reply
    • Jennifer Che says

      March 5, 2016 at 12:13 am

      Hi Nate,
      Luke’s version makes a decently al dente noodle that’s pretty good. Is it as good as China? Ha ha, good question. I don’t think I ever mastered hand-pulling noodles to the point where I can fairly judge. I am still a novice, and it’s tough to pull really even noodles. In my case, the China ones are way better just because they are made by experts!
      Jen

      Log in to Reply
  100. Nate says

    March 4, 2016 at 12:21 pm

    Also, you mentioned that the flour used during the lamian class in Beijing was high gluten flour, but Luke’s decision to use cake flour was because of it’s low gluten properties. I wanted to get a your perspective on this contradition. thanks again

    Log in to Reply
    • Jennifer Che says

      March 5, 2016 at 12:11 am

      Hi Nate,
      I have noticed the same contradiction and it has puzzled me. I think hand-pulled noodles in China often use kansui, a strong base, to give the noodles the al dente texture and elasticity. Luke chose low gluten flour and used a weaker base (baking soda). My theory is that the kansui together with the high-gluten flour works the best, but most people can’t access kansui, and thus low gluten + baking soda also works. I have no real proof that this is true, and honestly, I haven’t tried the kansui method (though I have some kansui at home now so I hope to try it one of these days). If I am able to get the kansui to work, I will definitely post about it! As of now, I’ve only been able to successfully pull the cake flour recipe version!
      Jen

      Log in to Reply
  101. Nikola says

    April 10, 2016 at 9:46 am

    Do we really need to knead it for 45 min if we don’t have a food processor?

    Log in to Reply
  102. Lynn says

    April 17, 2016 at 5:38 pm

    Was just reading about millet and saw there are many different kinds of seeds called millet and much used in Inida. Found there was 4000yrs old noodles in China and thought made of foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) . WOndered if the alkaline product can make these be usable for “stretch ” noodles?
    Or maybe way heated and fermented could help or tapioca flour added?

    Log in to Reply
  103. Jack Guard says

    December 5, 2016 at 11:34 am

    Hi Jen….wow up to 109 comments and I”m not surprised that there isn’t even one who DID it. I am NOT disputing you or your claims—many foodies are like Charlie Brown wishing that on the 1,000x that Lucy will actually hold that football so he can kick it….All my bias aside, why not just tell folks to use the Peng Hui powder like in China? It’s probably available somehow on the internet or I’ve heard Borax powder can work in a pinch. I did this at a culinary school in Beijing because I had to learn for myself how it was done. In China huge stand mixers are used—just flour/water and the magic stretching powder Peng Hui—it’s a special type of carbonate….but with your background I’m thinking you know what it is—-a small amount of the Peng Hui was added to water then put into the stand mixer with the flour and water and in 12 minutes it was ready to stretch to the moon. The reason why I sounded so ??? above is that each and every person on the internet who has one of these videos has the same ZERO “I did it” in the remarks—–just say’in…..I do love you blog however and your energy and love of food…..I’m just a no BS guy who also makes Chinese food for a living—my homemade flour/water hand-cut noodles are as tasty as the ones I had in China—albeit the Peng Hui did add a flavor that was distinct. Cheers—

    Log in to Reply
    • Jennifer Che says

      December 5, 2016 at 11:25 pm

      Thanks for sharing! I bought some kansui (bicarbonate/jian shui in Mandarin) but I have yet to try it. Please do share your recipe! I would love to try it.

      Log in to Reply
      • Jack Guard says

        February 8, 2017 at 10:26 am

        again like Charlie Brown hopping to kick that football and little Jimmy trying to believe in the Easter Bunny….this is a bit crazy. Are there any—-have you had any people say they have “done” it and OMG it is great? Cooking is not rocket science and no recipe should take hundreds of times to complete and just think of the money people spend foolishly buying tons of cake flour to try to do this and fail? I myself did it like 10 times and quite rightfully gave up. IF this works and people have the patience to kneed dough for hours to make a bowl of noodles then GOD SPEED for them. I attended a hand-pulled noodle school in Beijing and the whole art skill of this takes about 22 minutes but mainly fantastically STRONG arms as most pullers of said noodle dough have to lift ropes of this dough that must weigh 10 pounds—-I know because my arms were so sore after two classes that I could barely move them—-Chinese simply add the kansui (peng hui) to the flour in the stand mixer and several minutes later it is able to stretch to the moon and back—-yeah there is a “bite” to the noodles that is nice and the ability to flatten out the strands so you get nice fat/wide noodles is nice too—-again—-IF there is anyone who did this I’d love to know who…..

        Log in to Reply
    • Grant says

      December 8, 2016 at 1:33 pm

      If you could post your recipe I would be curious to try it as well. I’ve been looking for a good hand pulled recipe ever since I’ve returned from China. Cheers.

      Log in to Reply
  104. Stephen Lea says

    March 17, 2017 at 6:18 pm

    愉快的美丽的面条

    Log in to Reply
  105. Kelly says

    December 27, 2017 at 4:59 pm

    good job girl! The video is awesome! love it!
    I will try it with my Taiwanese school kids here in Milwaukee sometimes!

    Log in to Reply
  106. Sheikh Jahbooty says

    January 14, 2018 at 1:42 am

    I do not have a bread machine or cake flour. Is there some way to make it by hand and with rice flour? Or… I seem to also have semolina flour, whole wheat flour, buckwheat flour, chickpea flour, mung bean flour, quinoa flour, corn flour, and spelt flour.

    Does cake flour have no gluten in it? I don’t make cakes so I don’t know. I also seem to have a gluten free flour that looks like it is mostly chickpea flour and potato starch. Should I just use more all-purpose wheat flour and replace the cake flour with a lesser amount of this gluten free flour?

    Thanks in advance for any help. I’ve only just started learning how to make noodles so I’ve only tried udon as yet, but I seem to be pretty good at that.

    Oh! Maybe there’s some sort of stretching test I can do to establish that I’ve got the gluten level correct? If the gluten is too low I can bail on hand stretched noodles and make the dough into boiled dumplings like kopytka, and if the gluten is too high I can roll it out and cut it into udon.

    Log in to Reply
  107. Cheekwong Ho says

    April 16, 2019 at 8:17 pm

    can you send me the the proper recipe for hand pulled noodle

    Log in to Reply
  108. Dr. Paul Michael Krämer says

    December 29, 2019 at 3:49 am

    Like your husband I am a asian noodle enthousiast, affictionado, geek, otaku .. whatever. Thanks a lot for this very valuable description and links. I learned a lot !

    Log in to Reply
  109. Mason Hu says

    April 4, 2020 at 4:47 pm

    tHIS This is great information. Thank you for posting this. I became fascinated after catching a youtube video some time back 2011 or 2012, I think. My cousin’s husband is from Lanzhou, and when he visited last we made some. I search from time to time for classes in NYC. So far, I have not found any, but have not given up hope!

    Log in to Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Shiwei Knife Shaved Noodles Hong Kong - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
    April 5, 2019 at 11:24 am

    […] 拉麵 is difficult to master (trust me, I’ve tried taking classes in Beijing and even attempted it myself at home). Those who can do it make it look simple, but it’s really not. The finished product is also […]

    Log in to Reply
  2. Reflections on a Decade of Blogging: Happy Birthday Tiny Urban Kitchen! - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
    October 4, 2019 at 11:57 am

    […] Pulling noodles for Round VII of Project Food Blog: Make a video [link to post] […]

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Welcome to Tiny Urban Kitchen!

JenChe

Hi, my name's Jen and welcome to my cooking, eating, and travel site! I am a Boston to Hong Kong transplant, born and raised in Ohio with parents from Taiwan. Feel free to head on over to the About page if you want to learn more about me, or just explore away, maybe starting with the Recipe Index or one of the travel pages! I hope you enjoy this site!
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Archives

Categories

Awards

Saveur
PFB

BostonGlobe

Most Recent Posts

Arbor Hong Kong

Arbor Hong Kong

Mono HK

Mono Hong Kong

Summer Palace Hong Kong Iconic Wine Lunch

Summer Palace Iconic Wine Lunch – Hong Kong

Lucciola The Hari Wan Chai

Lucciola – Italian food at The Hari Hotel in Wan Chai

beef quesadilla

Studio City by Cali-Mex Causeway Bay Hong Kong

Petrus Hong Kong

Petrus Hong Kong

Ichiran Hong Kong Ramen

Ichiran Tonkotsu Ramen Hong Kong

James Suckling Wine Central Hong Kong

James Suckling Wine Central – Hong Kong

Roganic Hong Kong

Birthday at Roganic Hong Kong

Caprice Hong Kong

Caprice Hong Kong – Four Seasons

France!

Restaurant Le George Paris
Yam'Tcha Paris
David Toutain Paris
Divellec Paris
Breizh Cafe Paris

Kawaii! (Cute)

Norway!

logo
Food Advertisements by

Chinese Recipes

Okra with Chicken
logo
Food Advertisements by

Shop & Support us!

Spain!

Girona Spain
Amelia San Sebastian

Japan!

Bulgari Il Ristorante Luca Fantin
Sukiyaki Imafuku Tokyo
Sushi Ishimaya Tokyo
Disney Sea Tokyo
Tempura Fukamachi Tokyo
Shinjuku Gyoen

Cambridge restaurants

logo
Food Advertisements by
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress