If you love ramen as much as we do, this post covers everything you need to make the best springy, slippery, bouncy homemade ramen (noodles) you've ever had. Every bowl of Japanese Ramen centers around the highest quality wheat-based alkaline noodles you can find (which aren't easy to come by here in Italy). That's where this simple ramen recipe comes in -- it relies on good measurements, a few basic pantry staples, and plenty of resting time to help make the ramen dough more pliable and much easier to work with.
Keep on reading to learn how to make the best homemade ramen (noodles) for everything from ramen soup to dan dan mian. I sometimes call these tonkotsu noodles because that's my go-to ramen broth. This is a very stiff dough (as we'll get into below) and resting it at various stages is not only essential, but it basically renders this a no-knead ramen noodle recipe. As always, I've included step-by-step ramen recipe photos below to make the process easier for anyone new to making alkaline noodles. This way, you can get it right (and enjoy relly them) the first time around.
What Are Ramen (Noodles) Made Of?
No matter where you're eating ramen, these noodles are always made using wheat flour, water, salt, and an alkaline mineral known as kansui in Japan, or jian shui in China. Sometimes, they're made using eggs too (we love them and make them this way too). The word "ramen" refers to both the noodles themselves and the dish as a whole (broth + noodles + toppings). So, if we say "ramen noodles" we're really saying "noodles noodles", but it makes it easier for people to search how to make them. So, I'll mostly be referring to them as "ramen noodles" in this post.
Ramen noodles are actually Chinese wheat noodles that were first introduced to Japan around the late 19th century and became wildly popular sometime around the war in the 1950s. So popular in fact, that today people think of ramen as having originated in Japan. You can make your own kansui or jian shui substitute by baking regular baking soda in the oven for about one hour (for smaller batches) and a couple of hours if making bulk baked baking soda. Baked baking soda turns bicarbonate of soda (pure baking soda) into sodium carbonate which is a very strong alkaline salt and perfect to make great homemade ramen noodles. Head over here to learn everything you need to make your homemade baked baking soda.
What Are Alkaline Noodles & How Were They First Made?
Alkaline noodles are noodles made using water with a higher pH than that of normal drinking water. Regular drinking water has a pH of around 7 and alkaline water has a pH between 9 and 11. Alkaline noodles originated in China using naturally alkaline water found in underground wells. Alkaline noodles are characteristically slippery, springy, and shiny, with a texture that holds up very well in hot broth without falling apart.
They often (but not always) have a natural yellow hue from the salt minerals (higher pH) or from the addition of eggs. But no matter what color they are, they always have a distinctly delicious flavor. You can easily make them at home using either baked baking soda (sodium carbonate) or kansui or jian shui which are basically Japanese and Chinese commercial food-grade lye water. If you love dan dan mian, ramen (noodles), or lots of other Asian noodle dishes, chances are you've probably eaten and enjoyed these alkaline noodles before.
Why We Love This Ramen (Noodle) Recipe
- It uses just 4 basic pantry ingredients
- The flavor and texture are far superior to dried ramen
- They're slurpy, slippery, springy, and delicious thanks to homemade baked baking soda
- They hold up in hot soups and broths in a way regular noodles don't
- They have a distinctively delicious flavor that only real ramen noodles have
- These make great noodles for homemade dan dan mian and lots of other non-soup Asian noodle recipes
Is It Easy To Make Alkaline Noodles At Home?
It's actually very easy to make homemade alkaline noodles as long as you have a few essential ingredients and equipment. To start, you'll need homemade baked baking soda (or kansui or jian shiu). The ramen dough itself is much stiffer than a typical homemade Italian egg noodle dough (really stiff) which means the typical hand kneading doesn't really work for ramen.
If you've ever made homemade udon noodles, it's similarly stiff. Therefore, it's essential to have two resting periods for the dough at different stages, and having a pasta machine is all but essential. Also, having a stand mixer to knead ramen dough for 1 minute is a huge help, but not totally necessary.
Overview: Making Homemade Ramen Dough (Mix, Rest, Roll, Rest Again, Roll Again, Cut & Rest)
As mentioned above, making homemade ramen noodles is easy, but ramen dough is really stiff so you'll need to to allow for a little extra time for it to rest twice. Allowing it to rest two (or even 3 times) helps the gluten structure relax and helps hydrate the dough which makes it more pliable and easy to roll out. Also, rolling the dough through the pasta machine (called sheeting) has a dual purpose -- it helps to build the gluten structure any good homemade noodles need and it also allows us to easily roll out a very stiff (low hydration) dough to the desired thickness.
- The 1st stage is mixing all of the ingredients together to form a shaggy "ball" of dough that holds together.
- The 2nd stage is covering the dough and resting overnight in the refrigerator to hydrate and relax it which makes it easier to roll and "knead" using the sheeted dough method.
- The 3rd stage is sheeting the dough by folding it over itself and running it through the widest setting on the pasta machine until it becomes smooth and soft (3 to 4 times) which helps build a stronger gluten network.
- The 4th stage is resting the sheeted dough (covered) again for 30 minutes to allow the gluten network to relax and reorient itself which makes it easier to roll out thinly and cut.
- The 5th stage is rolling the dough back through the pasta machine until you've reached the desired thickness and then cutting the noodles using the smallest noodle cutter attachment.
- The 6th stage is tossing the cut noodles with cornstarch and sealing them in an airtight bag or container and refrigerating them overnight which gives you the best flavor. However, I've used them right away at this point and they're delicious.
Overview: Homemade Ramen Noodle Ingredients
You only need 4 ingredients to make ramen soup noodles at home. Don't be tempted to use all-purpose or Italian 00 flour which doesn't have enough protein. Instead, use bread flour (we use King Arthur when we're back home in the States) which has a higher percentage of protein and gives ramen noodles their pleasant "chew". I recommend using a digital scale when making these noodles, but I've provided cup measurements that also work very well.
- bread flour
- baked baking soda (sub kansui or jian shui)
- water
- salt
How to Make Homemade Ramen Noodles (For Soup & Asian Noodle Recipes like Dan Dan Mian)
Making alkaline noodles at home is super easy, but requires a little patience because the ramen dough is stiffer-than-stiff and requires a few resting periods to make it softer and more pliable. But, this is probably the easiest ramen noodle recipe you'll find because we take the time to rest the dough at these various stages.
- Make the alkaline water. In a large measuring cup, add 1 cup of water, salt, and the baked baking soda and stir well to dissolve.
- Make the ramen dough. Add the sifted flour to a large mixing bowl and add about ¾ of the alkaline water and stir in a circular motion with your hands to combine, adding more water slowly until the dough comes together and you can form a shaggy ball out of it (see photos for what it should look like at this stage). Once the dough ball is formed, try your best to knead it for 2 or 3 minutes by hand (or in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook for 1 minute only).
- Rest the dough (1st time). Place the dough in a sealed bag and remove any air from it and refrigerate the dough overnight.
- Roll out the dough. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut it into 4 equal pieces. FYI, the dough will be much softer and pliable at this point after resting overnight. Working with one piece at a time, press the dough down with your hands to create a rectangle, and then use a rolling pin to get it just thin enough to fit into a pasta machine on the widest setting. Dust the dough with bread flour and run it through the pasta machine. Fold it in half and run it through the pasta machine again. Next, fold it like a business letter (into thirds) and run it back through the pasta machine again. Do this two more times repeating the "business letter folds" and running through the pasta machine until you have a smooth and much softer rectangular dough sheet.
- Rest the dough (2nd time). Place the dough in a sealed bag, remove any air, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Roll out the dough sheets. Working with one dough sheet at a time, dust it with flour so it doesn't stick and run it through the pasta machine starting on the widest setting. Then roll into progressively thinner sheets until you reach the desired thickness (for me, this is setting #3 on a Marcato Pasta machine).
- Cut the noodles. Attach the thinnest pasta cutter attachment to the pasta machine (the same one used for making cappellini or spaghetti), dust the dough sheet with flour so it doesn't stick to the machine, and run the sheet through to cut it into ramen. Dust the well with cornstarch to keep them from sticking and create a nest. If you want curly ramen noodles, crinkle them with your hands by gently tossing them before letting them rest.
- Rest the noodles. Rest the noodles in a sealed bag overnight in the refrigerator for the best flavor, or at least 1 hour before using them. Alternatively, you may place the noodles into a sealed bag and freeze them for up to 6 months or even longer if stored well.
- Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil over high heat, add the noodles, and cook stirring with chopsticks or a spoon to prevent them from sticking together, for 1 to 3 minutes depending on the thickness of the noodles. Strain them and use them as the recipe directs. Enjoy!
Easy Homemade Ramen (Noodles) step-by-step recipe photos
How to Cook Homemade Ramen (Noodles)
- Use plenty of boiling water to cook them in. Homemade ramen noodles need more water to cook in than homemade Italian egg pasta or chicken soup egg noodles (especially because they're coated in cornstarch before resting in order to keep them from sticking together. When this cornstarch hits the boiling water, it starts to thicken quickly.
- Cook ramen for just 1 to 3 minutes. Depending on the thickness of the noodles and whether you enjoy them extra-firm, firm, or soft, ramen cooks in just 1 to 3 minutes. We like ours somewhere between extra-firm and firm when eating ramen soup because they continue to soften when you add the boiling tonkotsu (or other) broth to the bowl. For dan dan mian, we like them semi-firm or al dente.
- Do not add salt to the cooking water. Cook ramen noodles in plain boiling water because they already contain salt.
- Stir the noodles with a pair of chopsticks as they cook. This will keep them from clumping together.
- If cooking homemade ramen noodles from frozen, do not thaw them first. Simply drop them into boiling water and cook them until you reach the desired doneness. They may take 30 seconds to 1 minute longer depending on how firm or soft you like the ramen.
How to Store Homemade Ramen (Noodles)
You can use homemade ramen when it's first made, but it benefits from resting in the refrigerator overnight after the noodles have been cut. You can also freeze them so you can host a ramen party or just enjoy being able to enjoy a piping hot bowl of ramen any night of the week.
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- Store homemade ramen (noodles) in the refrigerator in a sealed bag, or on a parchment-lined tray for 2 to 3 days and cook as directed.
- Store homemade ramen (noodles) in the freezer after resting them overnight in the refrigerator in a sealed container for 3 to 6 months (even longer if stored well) and cook directly from frozen. Do not thaw the noodles before cooking.
- Do not dry homemade ramen (noodles) because they get very brittle and will break instead opt for freezing as mentioned above.
More Ramen Month Recipes to Make the Perfect Piping Hot Homemade Bowl
If you're just getting into making homemade ramen (and all the delicious components that go with it), you can start from the beginning with our favorite ramen recipes. Lots of these components can and should be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen which makes it easy to have real ramen any night of the week with minimal prep work. Here are some of our favorite Ramen recipes starting with baked baking soda which is the foundation of any good bowl of ramen.
- How to Make Baked Baking Soda (for Ramen, Chinese Wheat Noodles & Pretzels)
- How to Make Perfect Jammy Ramen Eggs (Ajitsuke Tamago 味付け卵)
- Easy Chashu Pork チャーシュー(Marinated Braised Pork Belly Recipe For Ramen )
- Easy Japanese Braised Pork Belly (for Momofuku & Ippudo Style Pork Buns)
- How to Make Crispy Shallow-Fried Chicken Breast Cutlets (like chicken katsu)
- Crispy Shallow-Fried Turkey Breast Cutlets (like turkey katsu)
- Fluffy-Soft Homemade Pork Buns (Momofuku & Ippudo-Style)
- Rich and Creamy Homemade Tonkotsu Ramen Broth Recipe
A Few More Delicious Noodle Recipes to Make
If you love easy noodle recipes as much as we do, here are a few of our favorites we think you might also enjoy.
- Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup (With a Ramen Twist)
- Takeout Style Pork and Green Bean Stir-Fry w/Glass Noodles
- 20-Minute Singapore Mei Fun Noodles (Shrimp Mei Fun)
- Chinese Takeout Chicken & Vegetable Stir-Fry w/Glass Noodles (a Family Favorite)
Let's get started!
Print📖 Recipe
How To Make Easy Homemade Ramen Noodles From Scratch
- Total Time: 8 hours 38 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
If you love ramen as much as we do, this post covers everything you need to make the best springy, slippery, chewy homemade ramen (noodles) you've ever had. Every bowl of Japanese Ramen centers around the highest quality wheat-based alkaline noodles you can find (which aren't easy to come by here in Italy). That's where this simple ramen recipe comes in -- it relies on good measurements, a few basic pantry staples, and plenty of resting time to help make the ramen dough more pliable and much easier to work with.
Ingredients
- 3 ¾ cup bread flour, sifted (515g) *see recipe notes for properly weighing the flour.
- 1 tablespoon of homemade baked baking soda (12g) (sub kansui or jian shui)
- 1 cup water (236g)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (4g)
- cornstarch (for dusting cut noodles to keep them from sticking together)
Instructions
If you're making homemade ramen, plan a couple of days in advance because the noodle dough needs to rest overnight and the cut noodles also need to rest overnight for the best flavor.
- Make the alkaline water. In a large measuring cup, add 1 cup of water, salt, and the baked baking soda and stir well to dissolve.
- Make the ramen dough. Add the sifted flour to a large mixing bowl, add about ¾ of the alkaline water, and stir in a circular motion with your hands to combine, adding more water slowly until the dough comes together and you can form a shaggy dough ball (*see photos in main post for what it should look like at this stage). Once the dough ball is formed, try your best to knead it for 2 or 3 minutes by hand (or in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook for 1 minute only).
- Rest the dough (1st time). Place the dough in a sealed bag, remove any air from it, and refrigerate the dough overnight.
- Roll out the dough. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut it into 4 equal pieces. FYI, the dough will be much softer and pliable at this point after resting overnight. Working with one piece at a time, press the dough down with your hands to create a rectangle, and then use a rolling pin to get it just thin enough to fit into a pasta machine on the widest setting. Dust the dough with bread flour and run it through the pasta machine. Fold it in half and run it through the pasta machine again. Next, fold it like a business letter (into thirds) and run it back through the pasta machine again. Do this two more times repeating the "business letter folds" and running through the pasta machine until you have a smooth and much softer rectangular dough sheet.
- Rest the dough (2nd time). Place the dough in a sealed bag, remove any air, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Roll out the dough sheets. Working with one dough sheet at a time, dust it with flour so it doesn't stick and run it through the pasta machine starting on the widest setting. Then roll into progressively thinner sheets until you reach the desired thickness (for me, this is setting #3 on a Marcato Pasta machine).
- Cut the noodles. Attach the thinnest pasta cutter attachment to the pasta machine (the same one used for making cappellini or spaghetti), dust the dough sheet with flour so it doesn't stick to the machine, and run the sheet through to cut it into ramen. Dust noodles well with cornstarch to keep them from sticking together and create a nest. If you want curly ramen noodles, crinkle them with your hands by gently tossing them before letting them rest in a shaggy pile.
- Rest the noodles. Rest the noodles in a sealed bag overnight in the refrigerator for the best flavor, or at least 1 hour before using them. Alternatively, you may place the noodles into a sealed bag and freeze them for up to 6 months or even longer if stored well.
- Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil over high heat, add the noodles, and cook stirring with chopsticks or a spoon to prevent them from sticking together, for 1 to 3 minutes depending on the thickness of the noodles. Strain them and use them as the recipe directs. Enjoy!
Notes
- If using your stand mixer to help knead the ramen dough, do not do it for longer than 1 minute so you don't overwork the motor.
- I have personally frozen homemade ramen noodles for over 1 year and they tasted exactly as good as the day that I made them (really and truly). If you eat a lot of ramen, I suggest making them in bulk, portioning and freezing them.
- Depending on the humidity absorption potential of your flour (and how humid or dry your environment is), you may need to add just a tiny bit more water than 1 cup, or a little less than 1 cup. The dough will look dry and shaggy compared to most other pasta or noodle doughs, so don't be tempted to add too much water. It shouldn't be crumbling apart, but it shouldn't be wet or even tacky at this point. (See step-by-step recipe photos in the main post for exactly what it should look like at this stage).
- Use plenty of boiling water to cook them in. Homemade ramen noodles need more water to cook in than homemade Italian egg pasta or chicken soup egg noodles (especially because they're coated in cornstarch before resting in order to keep them from sticking together. When this cornstarch hits the boiling water, it starts to thicken quickly.
- Do not add salt to the cooking water. Cook ramen noodles in plain boiling water because they already contain salt.
- Be sure to stir the noodles while they cook using chopsticks or a fork to keep them from clumping together.
- Store homemade ramen (noodles) in the refrigerator in a sealed bag, or on a parchment-lined tray for 2 to 3 days and cook as directed.
- Store homemade ramen (noodles) in the freezer after resting them overnight in the refrigerator in a sealed container for 3 to 6 months (even longer if stored well) and cook directly from frozen. Do not thaw the noodles before cooking.
- Do not dry homemade ramen (noodles) because they get very brittle and will break instead opt for freezing as mentioned above.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Rest Time: 510 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Mix & Stir
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ of recipe
📖 Recipe
How To Make Ramen Noodles From Scratch
Ingredients
Norma says
If your dough is too dry do you add plain water for it to come together or do you mix up more alkaline water solution and add that?
Kelly says
Hi Norma! There's no need to mix up more alkaline water solution assuming you'd only need 1 or 2 more tablespoons of water. Just know that ramen dough is very strong (much "tougher" than say a regular dough like this homemade pasta dough). As long as your ramen dough is pliable, and not crumbly or sticking to your finger when you touch it, it's probably perfect!❤️ Please feel free to ask me any more questions you may have. Would love to know how it turns out for you🤗! Best of luck, but I'm sure you won't need it:)