Chinese Hand-Pulled Noodles

Chinese hand-pulled noodles, a tradition from Lanzhou in northwest China, require just 3 ingredients and a lot of patience to make. Called lamian, you can serve the noodles in your favorite Chinese broth for a delectable and warming meal. But be warned - they are not easy to make and take years of experience to perfect, but keep trying!

• Preparation Time: 60 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 412 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 8 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ cups water

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place flour in a large bowl and gradually mix in water. Mix until dough comes together; knead until smooth, 15 to 20 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

Step 2

Knead dough again for 2 minutes; cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

Step 3

Knead dough one more time for 2 minutes. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 3/8-inch-thick sheet. Brush both sides of each sheet with oil. Stack sheet together; cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 4

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil.

Step 5

Place one sheet of dough on a cutting board and slice into 1/8-inch-wide strips. Take one end of a strip in each hand and stretch it until it is 30 to 35 inches long. Fold it in thirds and stretch again to the same length; shake and slap against the counter several times to lengthen it to 2 to 3 yards. Drop it into the boiling water. Add 2 to 3 more strips of noodles to the boiling water; cook until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer drained noodles to a serving bowl.

Step 6

Repeat with remaining sheets of dough.