Homemade Udon Noodles

Add the water and salt into a measuring jug and mix until dissolved.

Add the plain flour into a large bowl. Using your hands stir ¾ of the salty water though, until incorporated and a dough forms. Add more water, a little at a time if the dough is too dry and crumbly.

Transfer the dough into a large sandwich bag and close, leaving a small opening. Let the dough rest for 30 mins.

Sandwich the dough bag between 2 clean tea towels. Using the heel of your feet, step on top of the dough to flatten. Continue doing this until the dough has flattened completely.

Remove the dough from the bag and fold in the edges to ball the dough up again. Place back in the bag, close, leaving a small opening. Place between the tea towel and repeat flattening it. Repeat this step 4-6 times, until the dough is smooth (it should feel as soft as an earlobe).

Once soft, fold in the edges to make a ball and place in the bag, entirely closed and let rest for 2 hours up to overnight.

Once rested, lightly dust a clean work surface with cornflour. Flatten the dough with your hand, then roll it out into a rectangle until 5mm thick (you can make them thicker or thinner if you want). Dust some more cornflour onto the dough then fold the longest length into halves or thirds.

With a sharp knife, slice 5-7mm strips of noodles, unroll them and dust with more cornflour so that they don’t stick (you can make them thicker or thinner if you want).

Bring a large saucepan of unsalted water to the boil. Once boiling, drop the noodles in, cook for 8-10 mins (depending on the thickness of the noodle), then drain and rinse under cold water - this will help firm up the noodles, creating that chewy texture.

Serve in your broth or sauce of choice and add your toppings.