I was channeling a dong bei noodle master’s energy this afternoon because I was overcome with the spirit to make some noodles.  For the dough, I winged it, but it’s roughly:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tsp salt

I stirred the salt into the warm water till it dissolved, then slowly poured it into my mountain of flour, kneading it as I went. When most of the water was incorporated, I started to really knead the dough.  It was a nice mid-afternoon stress release. I highly recommend it as a break from work. After kneading for about 10 minutes, the dough should be mostly smooth. Stick it in a ziplock bag and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

When you’re ready to cut the noodles, generously flour a flat surface and your rolling pin.  Cut the mound of dough in two and work with one half at a time.  I did a combination of rolling flat and folding to get the noodles thin enough.  When they got to my preferred thinness, I rolled it into a tube and sliced it into noodles.  Sprinkle the noodles with flour, toss them a little, and set them aside while the water boils.

The broth for this noodle soup was made from a mishmash of leftovers in the fridge: baby bok choy, wood ear mushroom, dried shiitake, leeks, and some preserved bamboo shoots.  After adding a sprinkling of white pepper at the end, it turned out to be a tasty broth that wasn’t so strong it overpowered my freshly made noodles.

The noodles were a cinch to cook since they were fresh. I don’t think it took longer than 5 minutes for them to fully cook in boiling water.

Not bad for a last-minute, gotta-clear-the-fridge meal.