Ramen can be viewed very narrowly, but it is a whole wide world beyond the crinkly package of dehydrated noodles found for less than a dollar per package in the soup aisle of the grocery store. In Japan, ramen chefs train for years to be expert ramen makers. Ramen literally means pulled noodles in Japanese, so we're subverting the true meaning by making these pasta roller ramen noodles in a pasta roller and pasta cutter machine. But I think you'll still find yourself delighted by the act of slurping up not just noodles, but noodles YOU made. If nothing else, this is a good introduction to ramen making and the chemistry behind it.
Kansui for Ramen
Ramen noodles only have two ingredients. Flour and kansui — which is an alkaline solution made of water and baked baking soda. Yes, baking soda that has been baked. This does some behind the scenes science stuff that makes it a basic (opposite of acidic). When baked baking soda is mixed with water, it makes a lye, so DO NOT TOUCH IT. Use utensils only at this point on this liquid mixture. Lye can cause chemical burns on your skin, so be careful with it.
To make it, spread 2.5 teaspoons of baking soda evenly on a totally clean baking sheet. Or you can put it in a smaller baking ramekin to keep it more easily contained. Bake it for 60 minutes at 250 degrees F. Remove from oven and let it cool in the baking vessel.
Baked baking soda can be made ahead of time before your ramen making adventure, just seal it up in an airtight container until it's time to use it. That's why I didn't include this part in the time it takes to make this recipe.
Ramen Making Tools
The only true tool you need for this is a KitchenAid pasta roller and cutter set. Or any other pasta roller and cutter set that you may want to use, but the KitchenAid version is what I use. I hate hand crank pasta machines, so use those at your own frustration.
But other things will make it easier. One is a digital kitchen scale. This will help you measure the flour by weight, which is more accurate than measuring by cups.
This gigantic XXXL cutting board is also another great tool to make things go more smoothly. I bought this oversized cutting board specifically to make noodle-making easier by giving me more surface area to set rolled pasta sheets until I am ready to cut then, then to store the noodles after they dry.
A bench scraper might qualify as necessary, now that I think about it. It's perfect for cutting the pasta sheets once they get too long. It's easier to manipulate than a knife in this scenario.
Pasta Roller Ramen
Equipment
- Pasta roller and cutter
- Bench scraper
- Kitchen scale
- Oversized cutting board (optional but life changing)
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons kansui, "baked baking soda" see notes
- 240 grams all purpose flour
- ½ cup warm water
Instructions
- Heat a half cup of water in a microwave safe measuring cup.
- Mix in 2 teaspoons kansui, using a spoon to ensure clumps are broken up.
- Measure 240 grams of all purpose flour into a large mixing bowl. Pour in the kansui and use a wooden spoon to mix the water into the flour. Do NOT touch the kansui with your hands until it's all absorbed into the flour.
- Once the kansui is absorbed in, then use your hands to briefly knead and shape the dough into a ball. The dough will not be smooth at this point. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. Immediately wash your hands!
- After 30 minutes, unwrap the dough and knead for 3 minutes. Use a bench scraper to cut in half, return half of the dough to the plastic wrap.
- Use your hands or a rolling pin to roll the dough to about ½" thickness.
- *From here on out all instructions are for the KitchenAid pasta roller and press. Adjust directions accordingly if using another pasta roller.* Attach the pasta roller to the Kitchenaid. Turn to speed 2.
- Pass the dough through the widest setting (1). Fold into thirds. It will be raggedy looking.
- Repeat this pass and fold action 4-8 times, it will probably be closer to 8. Once the dough looks more supple and less raggedy, and is the width of the pasta roller, change the width setting to 2.
- Run the pasta through at setting 2. Do NOT fold into thirds anymore.
- Change the setting to 3, run the pasta through. Feel free to repeat any width again to ensure evenness. I used the bench scraper to cut the pasta sheets in half widthwise at this point.
- Move the setting to 4. I stopped after 4 and set the dough aside.
- Change the width back to 1 and repeat these steps with the other half of the dough.
- Remove the pasta roller, and put on the spaghetti cutter. Turn the KitchenAid's speed to 7.
- Run each sheet of dough through the spaghetti cutter. Divide each now cut sheet into about half and set aside in a little nest. Use a light touch here, do not mash the noodles together with any amount of pressure.
- Repeat for all dough sheets until you have done them all.
- Gently transfer the nests of noodles into airtight containers or put into boiling water immediately. Boil for 1 minute.
Ramen Storage
Any noodles you do not use immediately should be stored in airtight containers. I like to store one serving at a time so it's easy to dump into boiling water. Refrigerate these containers for up to five days (it may last longer, I just haven't gotten that far).
How to Use Ramen Noodles
You can do anything with these from here. Put fresh noodles in boiling water for 1 minute, then remove. I put mine in an Ocean's Halo ramen broth with some of my favorite ramen fixings, like kombu, scallions, black sesame seeds, chopped baby spinach, mung bean sprouts, pickled shredded carrots, and what was supposed to be a soft boiled egg.
I also had great success using them in a non-brothy way by subbing them into an easy sesame ramen sauce from How Sweet Eats. Pretty much any way you'd use packaged noodles, you can use these — just with the extra satisfaction of having made them yourself!