If you’d like to learn how to make homemade Udon noodles then you’re in the right place.

You actually only need 3 simple ingredients – flour, water and salt, but it would be misleading to say that making noodles is easy. It will take some knowledge and a little practice!

Don’t worry I’ll take you through the process step by step and provide as many helpful tips as I can.

How to Make Udon Noodles At Home

Udon noodles are made without eggs (unlike Ramen noodles which contain eggs) and so they are vegan. They are also thicker than some other noodles e.g.rice or ramen noodles, and they have a slightly chewy and even bouncy texture.

Step 1 – Make the Noodle Dough

Ingredients

• 200g Plain Flour
• 10g Salt
• 90g of Water
• A little cornflour (cornstarch) for dusting

This recipe will get you 2 servings of noodles. If you want 1 serving simply half it, if you want 4 servings multiple by 2 etc.

The flour to water ratio (hydration ratio) is important here – too little water and your dough will be too dry and not stretch out well, too much and it will not be the right consistency. I recommend that you measure your ingredients carefully.

Add the salt to the water and mix well. Place the flour in a bowl and then pour in half the water.

Using your hands knead and work the dough for about 2 minutes or so . You should find that you are starting to get little clumps of flour.

Pour in the rest of the salt water solution and knead the dough for around 10 minutes until it forms a tight ball. You will have to apply a good amount of pressure to really work the gluten, so you might want to lean all your weight onto it.

If you have a dough hook you can also use it to knead the dough – just make sure it’s on a low setting.

Step 2 – Rest the Dough

Now we need to rest the dough for about 2 hours to let the gluten develop so that we can stretch out our Udon noodles properly.

Make sure you cover the dough with a lid so it doesn’t go crusty.

Step 3 – Roll Out the Noodles

Dust a rolling pin with cornflour (cornstarch) and place the ball of dough on a lightly floured surface.

Roll the dough into a rough square shape. You will probably need to dust with a little cornflour a few times.

Top Tips for Rolling Out Noodles

• Press the rolling pin in the middle of the dough and roll away from you. Now roll back towards your own body. You will now have a roughly rectangular shape. Turn the piece of dough at 45° angle and repeat the process
• Dust with cornflour to stop the dough sticking
• When the dough is about 3mm (0.1″) wrap it around your rolling pin. Now roll your dough back and forth to achieve even thickness throughout

Check the photos and video below to help.

If you have a pasta machine you can also run it through a few times to make sure the noodle dough’s thickness is even throughout.

Step 4 – Cut the Dough into Udon Noodles

Using a sharp knife cut the dough into strips.

Remember that the noodles will double in size when they are boiled, so don’t cut them too thickly. I like my udon noodles to be quite thick, but if you prefer them thinner you just need to make your cuts finer.

Try to cut them as evenly as possible.

Dust with a little cornflour, pull out the strands of dough and fold back on themselves – try and arrange the noodles in around 4 neat piles to stop them sticking together.

Step 5 Boil the Noodles

When you are using dried noodles from a packet you only need to boil them for around 2-3 minutes. Since we are making them from scratch it will take a bit longer – around 5 minutes.

After around 3 minutes the noodles will begin to rise to the top of the water. When this happens you know that they will need around another 2 minutes.

Obviously the thicker your noodles are the longer they will take to cook.

If you are using the noodles for a stir fry you can add the noodles to the pan or wok at the end of cooking. If you are making a noodle soup like I did, you can place them in a bowl and pour over the broth/stock mixture.

Now it’s over to you! I hope you enjoyed my ‘How to Make Udon Noodles,’ article.

Let me know in the comments below if you tried it out!

FAQ’s About Udon Noodles

How to Make Udon Noodles Stir Fry

For a great recipe for Stir Fry Beef Udon I would recommend you try the link below.

Beef Udon Stir Fry

How to Make Udon Noodles Soup

If you are looking for a good recipe for udon noodles soup you could try this one.

Udon Noodle Soup with Chicken & Mushrooms

What Are Udon Noodles Made Of?

Udon noodles are made from 3 simple ingredients – water, salt and flour. You may also wish to use some cornflour (cornstarch) to stop them sticking together.

Unlike Ramen noodles they do not contain eggs.

Do I Have to Boil Udon Noodles?

Yes you will have to boil Udon noodles. If you are using dried noodles from a package it will take around 2-3 minutes. If you are making noodles from scratch it will take a little longer – around 5 minutes.

Are Udon Noodles Healthier than Ramen?

Overall Udon noodles contain less calories and fat than ramen noodles, so in that sense they are healthier. However, it’s also worth noting that they contain less protein than ramen becuase they don’t contain eggs.

Where to Buy Udon Noodles

If you are having trouble finding udon noodles in your local supermarket or grocery store, it might be a good idea to try a specialised Asian supermarket nearby.

If you want to buy online I would recommend this brand below, although there are plenty of other good options.

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