If you've been following along for any length of time, you probably know I've been working on concocting the perfect bowl of ramen for quite some time. With the soup improving with each batch I made, I was starting to feel like the store-bought noodles were the weak link holding the entire bowl of ramen back. It was time to tackle the noodles, but given the decade of trial-and-error it took to get the soup right, I figured I was in for another dozen years of experimentation before I'd turn out a decent batch of homemade ramen noodles.
Part of the problem is that there isn't much information out there in English on making ramen noodes. Even in Japan, noodle making is a closely guarded secret and you don't see ramen shops parading around their recipes on the web. From the information I was able to glean, I knew that the noodles are made with wheat flour, and get their yellow color and distinctly firm texture from the addition of kansui. I also knew that they're traditionally hand pulled, which means the dough has a higher water content than noodles you'd roll and cut.
Since noodles get their texture from the proteins in the wheat forming elastic chains of gluten, I decided to use bread flour, which typically contains 12-14% protein (higher than all-purpose flour). I also knew that learning how to hand pull noodles as fine as ramen was a skill that would take far longer to master than I, or many of my readers, would have patience for, so I decided to make a drier dough that could be rolled and cut using a pasta maker. This would put homemade ramen noodles within the reach of most home cooks.
Here's an account of my learnings batch by batch:
Batch #1: I made this with 2 cups bread flour, ⅔ C water and ½ teaspoon of liquid kansui. Everything went into a stand mixer with a dough hook until the dough came together. Then I formed it into two squares, wrapped and refrigerated one, and rolled out the other. I rolled it out to setting #5 of on the pasta maker and cut it using the spaghetti attachment, then boiled the noodles for 1 ½ minutes. This batch had a couple of problems. The dough was a bit tacky, so even after being dusted with flour, the noodles stuck together in pairs of two and had to be hand separated. I'd also rolled it out too thin and by the time the noodles were in the ramen, they were soggy. The dough also lacked the lustrous yellow color I was looking for. Fresh noodles, but not quite what I was looking for.
Batch #2: After resting in the fridge overnight, I took the other half of the first batch and rolled it out, this time only to setting #3. The strands were still sticking together, but the noodles had a nice firm texture when cooked.
Batch #3: For this batch, I used 2 cups of bread flour, reduced the water to ½ cup and increased the kansui to 1 teaspoon. As soon as I added the water/kansui mixture I knew this batch was going to be better, as the flour immediately turned a bright golden yellow. I let the mixer run for 10 minutes this time and the mixer bowl was full of golden yellow nuggets. I was worried I hadn't added enough water, but with a little hand kneading it came together into a ball, and I let this rest overnight in the fridge. The next day, I cut the dough in half, rolled it out to setting #3 and ran it through the spaghetti cutter as before. This time the noodles didn't stick together, and I reduced the boiling time to just over a minute. The noodles were extremely firm (almost too firm), but by the time I had the soup and all the toppings on the ramen, they were the perfect texture and stayed that way until the last drop of soup was gone. Success! Homemade ramen noodles that came very close to store-bought.
If you're wondering what kansui is, it's the ingredient that makes all the magic happen. The story goes that the unique noodles produced around lake Kan in Inner-Mongolia were attributed to the water from the lake. Modern science has since revealed that the lake is highly alkaline, which is what gives the noodles their unique texture, flavor, and color. You can now buy factory produced "kansui" (lake Kan water) either in powdered or liquid form. I used a brand called Koon Chun which labels their product as Potassium Carbonate Sodium Bi-Carbonate. It's similar to lye water used in European baking, but check the label to be certain it has the same composition.
If you're looking for a more scientific explanation behind how kansui works, here's what Dr. Kantha Shelke, Scientist at Corvus Blue LLC, a Chicago-based food and nutrition research firm has to say:
Science Behind the Noodle
"Kansui is a mixture of sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate which form an alkaline solution (pH ~9) when mixed with water. Wheat flour contains a number of compounds called flavones and trans-ferulic acid which are bound to starch and therefore colorless or white. The addition of an alkaline solution to wheat flour changes the pH of the mixture, which in turn detaches these flavones (specifically apigenin glycosides) and trans-ferulic acid from starch and allows their natural yellow color to manifest.
"Another reason for the addition of kansui is to toughen the protein in wheat flour so that the resulting noodles are firmer, more elastic and springy texture, and less sticky when cooked. The addition of Kansui allows the use of lower protein (and therefore less expensive) wheat flour to make noodles with the quality one would expect of noodles made with superior quality flour with higher protein levels."
I know this isn't a typical post since you don't end up with a finished dish, but I really wanted to write a comprehensive post on making ramen noodles from scratch. Here are some recipes for ramen and ramyeon that you can use these alkaline noodles for:
- Tonkotsu Ramen (Pork Ramen)
- Hokkaido Miso Ramen
- Tsukemen Ramen (Dipping Ramen)
- Chicken Ramen
- Kimchi Ramyeon (Korean style ramen)
- Tonkotsu Miso Ramen
- Spicy Tantanmen Ramen
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
- 300 grams bread flour (about 2 cups)
- ½ cup water warm
- 1 teaspoon kansui (Potassium Carbonate & Sodium Bi-Carbonate)
Instructions
- Put the 300 grams bread flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix the ½ cup water and 1 teaspoon kansui together, then add the mixture to the flour. The flour should immediately start turning yellow. If it doesn't, it's possible your kansui is less concentrated than the one I used, in which case, you will need to experiment to figure out the right amount to add.
- Give the mixture a quick stir with a fork or chopsticks to combine everything then attach the bowl to your stand mixer, attach the dough hook, and run on medium high speed for 10 minutes. It's a dry dough so it will look like a bunch of gravel at this point. Use your hands to divide it in two and press together into two balls. Wrap with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for at least 1 hour.
- Flatten each ball out on a flat surface, and run it through the largest setting of your pasta roller a few times, folding it in half each time. The dough will be ragged the first few runs though but will smooth out. When it starts rolling out smoother, fold it up into a square and wrap with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge overnight.
- When you're ready to cook it, prepare a large pot of water by salting it and bringing it to a boil. Each ball will make enough for 2 bowls of ramen, so figure out how much you need. Flour the dough generously and roll it out to the 3 setting on your pasta roller. Cut the dough in half so you have two sheets of dough a little over 1 foot long and flour generously again.
- Use the spagetti attachment to cut the pasta into long thin noodles, dusting them with flour as they are cut to keep them from sticking together.
- Boil the noodles until they are slightly firmer than the final consistency you want, since they will continue cooking after you remove them from the water. I usually let them boil for about one minute.
Mackenzie says
Looks good
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Luke, I've never tried this, but Harold McGee has a method of turning baking soda into a stronger base https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/dining/15curious.html?_r=0 this should in theory mimic the effects of Kansui on the gluten in the flour, but since I've never tried it I can't say for certain.
Luke LeClair says
Is there any kind of a substitute for kansui? The part of Canada were I live has little to nothing when it comes to international ingredients.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Stephen, I've never tried drying ramen noodles, so I'm not sure I can be of much help. I do know that most dried ramen noodles in instant ramen packs are once flash fried. This is intended to make them cook faster, but I also wonder if it helps them not fall part too. Actually now that I think of it, almost all the instant ramens I can think of either come refrigerated with fresh noodles, or with flash fried noodles. There are some exceptions, but they may also be processed in some way before drying them.
Stephen says
Hi Marc, I have been using your recipe to make ramen noodles for a while now and have added these noodles to an assortment of pasta that sell as a small cottage food business. People in Michigan are not hip to the ramen craze yet, but I am working on them. Personally, I am grateful for your recipe and have had many a delicious bowl thanks to you. My question has to do with drying the noodles. My fresh noodles turn out great. However, when I dry them in nests they look fantastic but they break up into small pieces when cooking. I use the nest because it seems like the best way to prevent breakage . Do you have any suggestions about drying process or recipe that could help with this? I tend to make the dough with more liquid than you suggest and am wondering if that might be the thing. Thanks in advance! I would post a picture of the nests but it doesn't seem to allow that.
Stephen says
Hi Marc, I have been using your recipe to make ramen noodles for a while now and have added these noodles to an assortment of pasta that sell as a small cottage food business. People in Michigan are not hip to the ramen craze yet, but I am working on them. Personally, I am grateful for your recipe and have had many a delicious bowl thanks to you. My question has to do with drying the noodles. My fresh noodles turn out great. However, when I dry them in nests they look fantastic but they break up into small pieces when cooking. I use the nest because it seems like the best way to prevent breakage . Do you have any suggestions about drying process or recipe that could help with this? I tend to make the dough with more liquid than you suggest and am wondering if that might be the thing. Thanks in advance! I would post a picture of the nests but it doesn't seem to allow that.
Jon Kwan says
I've tried using baking soda instead of kansui. The eggy smell/ taste isn't that strong in my opinion. But it doesn't get as yellow as the one pictured!
ATB says
Tks you for your sharing.
Marc Matsumoto says
Ramen isn't like Italian pasta in that there are no names for specific noodles. Typically Hakata-style are thinner and Sapporo-style are thicker and chewier, but there are always exceptions (like Santouka). What I was saying about Santouka is that they probably manufacture their own noodles, so you won't be able to buy just the noodles as a store (although in Japan, Santouka sells a just-add-water instant ramen).
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi ATB, Santouka is a Japanese chain that started in Hokkaido. I'm assuming they have a factory somewhere in Japan that cranks out their noodles. They're a little unique in that their noodles are very thin for ramen from hokkaido. Usually thinner noodles come from the southern end of Japan (Hakata).
ATB says
Hi Marc,
Do you know the style and name of Ramen noodle which Santouka store used ? Is it imported from Japan and Mitsuwa Market place have carry it ? Thanks you so much.
ATB says
Hi Mac,
Do you know the name of ramen that Santouka Ramen used ? Do you think this ramen was imported from japan ? Tks.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi, I'm sorry to hear you're having problems with the dough. Next time, try using a scale to weigh the flour. Flour is easily compressed and the way 1 person measures 1 cup can contain a significant amount more flour than the next. Even the shape of the cup can make a difference, (round bottomed cups compress less and will hold less flour than flat bottomed cups). That's why it's pretty important to use weight measures when precision is important. It could easily account for the 1/4 cup extra water you needed to add. As for the kansui, did you use Koon Chun brand? Different brands have different concentrations and so you may need to use more or less.
nmharleyrider says
I found the kansui with no problem at our local international market. I made the dough using the 2 cups of flour with 1/2 cup of water and a tsp of kansui. I used my dough hook for a full ten minutes, after which I was not even close to a gravely consistency. It looked like I had added no water at all. The color was not even a pale yellow. I added another 1/4 cup of water and another tsp of kansui. The color barely changes at all and was a slightly off white color. I kneaded the dough some more and then finally thru it onto my board and tried to push it together into the two balls I was supposed to make out of it. I then put each ball through my electric pasta rollers but the dough just fell apart into little pieces. I kept on putting these pieces back together and then back into the rollers. After doing this, folding the dough in half, and rolling it again it finally came together into a course looking dough. Nothing smooth or sophisticated about this dough for sure. I worked both balls of dough this way, wrapped them in plastic wrap and they are now resting in the refrigerator. I am wondering why the original recipe was so far off for me, having to nearly double the water and doubling the kansui with no appreciative color change. I live in New Mexico and it is very dry here so I imagine the flour was very dry also and needed the extra water but to have to double it? As far as the kansui is, I cannot imagine how much of that I will need to pour into my mixer to get this golden yellow color you described.
Very frustrated and disappointed here as you can well imagine. We will see what happens when I take the dough out of the fridge and work it tomorrow
Marc Matsumoto says
It's the one that attaches to a Kitchenaid stand mixer.
Jennevieve Sevilla says
Just out of curiosity, what kind of pasta maker did you use, brand wise?
Ellen Liu says
Thanks for the recipe. I added a little more water to make the dough easier to work with. When I ran it through the pasta machine , I dipped the dough into a little flour and it worked out great. My husband is allergic to yellow dye that is in a lot of the commercially made ramen noodles and this way I control what goes into the noodles. I used the noddles to make Dan Dan noodles. They taste like the ones from PF Chang. Will definately make it again.
Marc Matsumoto says
I think the difference may be between Chinese noodles and Japanese ramen noodles. Japanese ones do not typically contain egg. Still it wouldn't hurt to try. Let us know how it goes if you give it a shot.
Thomas Abraham says
hey, thanks for your reply. I live near san francisco. I just started following your blog so i'm excited to try a few new things. Anyways. I have another question regarding your ramen recipe. Some other recipes i see has eggs in it while yours doesn't. What do you think about egg vs. no egg? Also, can u do egg AND kansui or they don't go together..
Sarah Morehouse says
You wonderful man! I can't put packaged ramen noodles into my own broth because any unfermented soy makes me very sick, and all the brands around here have soy bean oil. This recipe gives me a way to have ramen! Life-altering!
Marc Matsumoto says
Wow thanks for all the great info! I was recently introduced to vital wheat gluten through the process of making seitan and the the first thing I thought of was about adding it to ramen noodles. I haven't tried it yet, but will let you know when I give it a go. As for not letting the noodles dry, you can certainly do it, but I just prefer the texture of fresh pasta, whether it's Asian or Italian. The reason why instant ramen is deep fried first is to make them cook faster (i.e. just add boiling water). I find deep fried noodles tend to have a spongy texture, so even with "instant" noodles, I prefer the type that have dried noodles that need to be boiled a bit longer.
Marc Matsumoto says
I kind of wander around the world so don't really have a place I call home, but right now I'm in Japan.
Marc Matsumoto says
Boiling the noodles as soon as they're made reduces discoloration, and you can cut back on the smell by reducing the amount of kansui. I haven't tried this yet, but as another commenter suggested boosting the gluten content of the flour may be one way to cut back on kansui while giving the noodles an even better texture.
Herman says
Hi Marc,
I also enjowy making noodles and have experimented with kansui. The kansui really makee the noodles more springy and rnon-sticky. The only problem with the kansui is the eggy smell, taste and discoloration (greyish) of the noodles. How can this be avoided are reduced?
Marilia says
Hey Marc, thanks so much for this recipe. I'm just starting my journey to make my own ramen and it's very hard to find instructions. This is awesome. May I ask where you are located?
Marilia says
Hi Marc! I received a motorized Atlas pasta machine for Christmas, and am having a blast playing with pasta doughs. Through trying the different thickness settings, I found that I could achieve a ramen-like noodle, which started me on a search for ramen dough recipes, which led me to you!
A few random thoughts and observations...
~Regarding the kansui, or alkaline water - From my experiments with making pretzels I learned that the alkali reaction to flour when in contact with water, causes the proteins in flour to gelatinize - This is why some people notice a "slimy" feel, and why it may be related to too much or too strong a kansui solution.
~Noodle dough will turn gray because wheat enzymes start to break down once flour gets wet. While not very attractive looking, the dough is still edible - My mother made homemade noodles her entire life, and in quantities that would be refrigerated for 2-3 days until made into noodles and eaten. If you lightly re-knead the dough a bit, the discoloration works back in, and you simply move on. 🙂
~If you let the dough dry for about 10 minutes before running it through the cutters, you will find that it is less likely to stick. I also lightly dust my cutters with flour first.
~I too live in Colorado, and for this altitude your dough is a bit too dry. Adding a few extra Tablespoons of water eliminates a lot of breakage and toughness problems, especially if you then let the rolled dough dry for a bit before cutting it. Weighing the dough is a MUCH more accurate way of cooking - I do it for fresh bread as well.
~Another poster, "Nancy" mentions the book "Asian Pasta," and how the author uses wheat gluten in her noodles. That is something that interests me, as Vital Wheat Gluten is often added to AP flour, and even Bread Flour to give the dough more elasticity. Have you ever tried using it? I would expect it to make the dough a bit tougher to handle, but the chew might be fantastic. It might also allow for less kansui...
~Why do you not recommend letting the noodles dry? Packaged ramen is deep fried to remove all moisture, which gives the noodles longevity. Even Italian Egg Pasta can be dried. Any specific reason you recommend against this?
Sorry for the "mini-novel," but thank you immensely for sharing your recipes!
~M
Doug Yoshimura says
Hi Marc, thanks for posting this recipe. I'm in a suburb of Denver and have made about 5 batches so far of your noodle recipe using Koon-chun kansui, and King Arthur Bread Flour. I followed the recipe exactly as written for the first two batches and they came out okay but what a struggle to work with that dry of a dough! I adjusted the amount of water by adding approx. 1/4 cup of additional water and just a tiny bit less kansui and it made life a whole lot easier and the taste and texture was fine and didn't suffer from the changes (maybe actually it was a little less sulphury smelling than with 1 level teaspoon and a lot less smelly than with a dribble over a teaspoon). I am using an Italian made manual crank noodle cutter/roller and leave it at it's widest setting (7) for the first few passes and then gradually get it to the middle setting (5) after a couple more passes. I trim the ragged edges, wipe water on them, and then lay them on the center straight piece and use a rolling pin to roll it to an even thickness (to keep the edges somewhat straight) as I go through these passes and then fold the length in half and half again before wrapping it with plastic wrap and tossing it in the fridge overnight for the rest. The next day I run it through a few more times at 5 (trimming and rolling) before the final roll out at 3 and cutting it into thin noodles. Just for grins, I think I might try to adapt this same recipe for a try at hand-pulling noodles. Thanks again. Doug
Marissa says
Made this and it turned out great! Thank you so much for a fabulous recipe that will be made often.
Marc Matsumoto says
There are a lot of factors that could influence this. Did you use weight measures (vs volume measures) for the flour? If you used volume measure it's possible you're scooping more than 300 grams of flour into a with your measuring cups. If you weighed your flour (and assuming you followed all the other instructions precisely) it's possible your flour has a lower moisture content than the flour I use (King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour). In that case, increase the water slightly. The dough should still be very brittle and not come together fully until you've passed it through the rollers 6-7 times.
fenn says
I think your recipe is a little brittle/dry when using the pasta maker. When it goes through the spaghetti cutter, the noodles break into little pieces. I think probably 2/3 cup water and 1 tsp kansui or 1/2 cup water and 1/2 tsp kansui may be work better for me...
Nancy says
Totally agree with Fenn. Very disappointed with this recipe, considering I went out of my way to purchase the kansui. Not sure why a mixture is needed if after 10 minutes it's still going to look like gravel. And there was no mention of resting the dough, which makes working with the dough sooo much easier.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Nancy, I'm sorry to hear you had troubles with this recipe. The dough is deliberately brittle and the idea is to skirt the boundary between being unworkable and malleable. Unfortunately flour has different levels of moisture depending on the brand, and how old it is, so it's difficult to pinpoint an exact amount of water. Here in Japan where ambient humidity swings wildly from summer to winter, the amount of water required for making noodles can also vary by season. As for letting the dough rest, this is a step that will help any dough become more workable as it allows the gluten to relax. I'd mentioned it in the headnotes, but I've now updated the recipe to include a mention of it as well.
Marilia says
I made this last night and it turned out pretty good. My only problem was I couldn't find any kansui so I used about 3 tsp of soda ash instead so the color was off.
coffeecat says
kansui (or akaline) water is a very commonly used additive on some chinese food. perhaps you may find it in chinatown... it is also pronounced as 'kan-sui' in cantonese.
Marc Matsumoto says
I use a kitchen aid with the thin pasta attachment. It's a roller type, not an extruder.
Jay says
Marc, what pasta maker are you using? I want to make sure I have the right equipment before I try this!
Thank you,
Jay
Nancy says
Thank you for the science behind noodle making. Have you seen a book called "Asian Pasta" by Linda Burum. She uses wheat gluten with flour to make her noodles. I have had pretty decent results with her recipes.
Nancy says
Thank you for the science behind noodle making. Have you seen a book called "Asian Pasta" by Linda Burum. She uses wheat gluten with flour to make her noodles. I have had pretty decent results with her recipes.
Marilia says
Thank you so very much for sharing with us your knowledge and secrets of so many delicious food recipes,I wish you more success in life cause you have unselfishly shared your GOD given talents with us. I can never forget how crazy I was of ramen with pork when I was in Beijing. Everyday I would eat lunch or dinner and order the same ramen. Just like you I always assumed the oil on top of the soup was entirely sesame oil,now that I know the real score thanks to you plus the recipe of home made noodles when I get to pursue my dream of a small resto when I retire someday I will always have you in mind for your kindness and knowledge shared.Good health always...elmer frm manila
Marc Matsumoto says
You don't want them to dry out, so they should be covered, but if you seal them too tightly, the condensation might make the noodles stick together.
ebmsynthp0p says
Thanks Marc for the info.I do love your recipes. One more thing If i just keep them in the fridge for a day or two should I leave them in plastic bags or just out on a trey or plate? Thanks for the reply too.
Marc Matsumoto says
They'll keep in the fridge for a few days if you dust them generously with flour. They do have a tendancy of turning grey though. Best way to keep them long term is to freeze them.
ebmsynthp0p says
What is the best was to store these noodles? do i need to toss them in flour before i store them? How long can they last in my fridge? BTW the best noodles ever
ebmsynthp0p says
What is the best was to store these noodles? do i need to toss them in flour before i store them? How long can they last in my fridge? BTW the best noodles ever
E.T. says
It's probably a little late for this, but young, or green, flour usually is not desirable for recipes that require much gluten development or rely strongly on the flavor of the flour. I bet the flour you're using is of awesome quality, but I would let it sit for a few weeks in a cool, dry place before using it, so it has a chance to mature, or oxidize. This oxidization will help with gluten formation, and letting the flour rest will also help with fermentation tolerance (not relevant here, but useful for bread making). Green flour also tends to absorb more water initially than mature flour. For more on this, check out SFBI's Advanced Bread and Pastry.
Marc Matsumoto says
We're based in the US, so unless otherwise specified (for example "rice cooker cups") all measurements are in US cups.
travellingchef says
Point of interest for you, along with a question. Imperial dry and wet measurements are different from U.S. standard measurements. For example, 1 Imperial cup = 20 fluid ounces and 1 U.S. cup is 16 fluid ounces. 1 Imperial cup holds 250 ml and the U.S. cup holds 200 ml. The question is, which are you using?
Marc Matsumoto says
It's hard to explain, but the outside of the noodles got really sticky and soft. Honestly I haven't tested higher amounts of kansui enough to be able to conclusively say it was the kansui (it might have been due to resting period or some other factor). If you try larger amounts of kansui I'm sure we'd all love to hear how it goes:-)
David says
Hi Marc,
You said: "I've actually been experimenting and adding a 1/2 tsp more kansui does
increase the springiness. Anymore than that though and the noodles
take on a gummy texture that's not pleasant." What do you mean by 'gummy' texture? I was in China and I saw them making La Mian 'Hand Pulled' Noodles and the dough became very similar to the look to chewing gum and very stretchy. Maybe this is the stage which you are reaching with more Kansui? Did you know that they also add and alkali to their dough to make it more stretchy and firmer for boiling? I hope you find the time to reply.
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm not sure what Kaneko is, but if you mean Kansui, it's the liquid kind.
Phil says
Marc, the recipe calls for 1 tsp of Kaneko. Is that the liquid or the powder. I can only get the liquid form here.
Sook says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I can't wait to try this! I love ramen noodles.. and this recipe is much healthier than the store bought ones!