Ramen Noodles

also called ramen noodles · ramen noodle · rāmen · 拉麺 · 中華麺 · chukamen · chuka men · alkaline noodles · kansui noodles · fresh ramen noodles · noodle dough for ramen

Three ways to read this recipe

The table

Ramen Noodles: ingredients down the left, what to do with them across. Tap any cell to cross it off.
38% hydration — the dough looks broken all the way through and that is correct.
5 g(1 tsp powdered alkaline salts)kansuidissolve the kansui and saltrub to a dry crumb 5 minpress into a slab, rest 1 hrsheet to 1.5 mm, rest 30 mincut, dust, rest 24 hr
5 g(1 tsp)fine sea salt
190 g(190 mL, cold)water
500 gbread flour
15 g(2 Tbs)vital wheat gluten
2 Tbs(20 g)potato starch
Tap anything to cross it off.

What to lay out

Everything the recipe asks for, sitting under the step that eats it. Tick each one as you measure it.8 things to get out.

Pans and tools

Before anything else

2dissolve the kansui and salt

3rub to a dry crumb 5 min

goes in with what step 2 made

6cut, dust, rest 24 hr

goes in with what step 5 made

Cooking it

Tap a step when it is done; the next one lights up.

The clock

Start to finish
at least 1 day 1 hr1 of 5 steps gives no time
Needs you
about 5 min
If you get it wrong
Forgiving — at 38% hydration the dough stays a dry crumb, and anybody who adds water to fix that has made a different noodle
  1. dissolve the kansui and salt

    not timedfrom the start

  2. rub to a dry crumb 5 min

    5 minneeds youfrom the start

  3. press into a slab, rest 1 hr

    1 hrwalk away5 min in

  4. sheet to 1.5 mm, rest 30 min

    30 minwalk away1 hr 5 min in

  5. cut, dust, rest 24 hr

    1 daywalk away1 hr 35 min in

You'll need pasta roller

Goes with

See how it is written
>> title: Ramen Noodles
>> category: Noodles
>> tags: japanese, noodles, kansui, dough, make-ahead
>> counters: Ramen Shop
>> aka: ramen noodles, ramen noodle, rāmen, 拉麺, 中華麺, chukamen, chuka men, alkaline noodles, kansui noodles, fresh ramen noodles, noodle dough for ramen
>> pairs-with: tonkotsu-ramen, shoyu-ramen, shio-ramen, miso-ramen
>> servings: 4
>> time: 26 hr
>> slack: forgiving — at 38% hydration the dough stays a dry crumb, and anybody who adds water to fix that has made a different noodle

>> step: 38% hydration — the dough looks broken all the way through and that is correct.
38% hydration — the dough looks broken all the way through and that is correct.

>> step: dissolve the kansui and salt
Dissolve @kansui{5%g}(1 tsp powdered alkaline salts) and @fine sea salt{5%g}(1 tsp) in @water{190%g}(190 mL, cold) and stir until the liquid is clear.

>> step: rub to a dry crumb 5 min
Rub @&(~1)alkaline water{} into @bread flour{500%g} and @vital wheat gluten{15%g}(2 Tbs) with your fingertips ~knead{5%min}, until it is an even crumb the texture of damp sand with no dry flour left in the bowl.

>> step: press into a slab, rest 1 hr
Press @&(~1)crumb{} hard into a solid slab in a bag or under a rolling pin, then ~rest{1%hr}.

>> step: sheet to 1.5 mm, rest 30 min
Sheet @&(~1)rested dough{} through a #pasta roller{} in progressively thinner passes down to 1.5 mm, folding and re-rolling the first three passes, then ~rest{30%min} under a cloth.

>> step: cut, dust, rest 24 hr
Cut @&(~1)sheet{} into strands — 1.5 mm straight for tonkotsu, 2 mm wavy for shoyu, 3 mm for miso — toss them with @potato starch{2%Tbs}(20 g), nest them into 5-oz coils, and ~rest{24%hr} in the fridge.