I figured out how to make ramen noodles at home during the Bay Area shelter-in-place. We started making a lot of noodles as soon as our son’s school was closed due to COVID-19. We figured it would be a good way to do some teaching beyond the usual distance learning lessons provided by his elementary school. Our noodle-making pretty quickly progressed from fettucine-style noodles to ramen once I got my hands on a few key ingredients.
The most important thing to know about making ramen noodles is that they are alkali noodles, not egg noodles. So, reallythemost important ingredient to have on hand is sodium carbonate (Na2CO3). Ironically, although roughly 0% of household kitchens stock sodium carbonate, approximately 100% of household kitchens have sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), also known as baking soda. To be honest, I have always found the namebicarbonateconfusing. It turns out the name is based on an outdated nomenclature system, and has to do with the fact that there is twice as much carbonate per sodium ion insodium bicarbonaterelative tosodium carbonate(the sodium bicarbonate article link references Wikipedia, of all places!).Sodium carb is a significantly stronger basethan sodium bicarb because both of its sodium ions will dissociate when dissolved in water, ultimately generating more hydroxide anion (via the water) than sodium bicarb can.Parenthetically, thewordsodiumderives from the (older) English wordsoda,so if you’ve ever wondered,Why is it called baking soda?, you should remind yourself of the linguistic connection betweensodiumandsoda.
How do you get ahold of sodium carb? Turns out you can easily make it yourself by heating sodium bicarb at 250°F for about an hour. Some recipes say to heat at 350°F; apparently, it’s not too picky of a reaction. The heating results in a decomposition reaction wherethe sodium bicarb ends up releasing water (as steam) and carbon dioxide.I watched someone do this on a stovetop in a video I found online, and you can actually see the dry white powder bubbling as it releases gas, which looks pretty cool, but I opted for the oven method for temperature stability purposes. To ensure you’ve heated it long enough, you should weigh your powder before and after heating, and should expect to see a weight loss of about one-third of the starting weight.
What do you need to make good ramen noodles?
bread flour – all-purpose flour also works, but it has less wheat protein, so you’ll need to supplement with more of ingredient #2.
vital wheat gluten – this helps make the noodles springier
sodium carb – this affects the structure of wheat gluten, enhancing springiness; gives the noodles their yellow-brown color; affects taste
salt
water
You’ll also want a KitchenAid mixer; the pasta maker attachment to the KitchenAid mixer helps a lot – it would bereallydifficult to sufficiently flatten the stiff – and I meanstiff– dough by hand. I followedthis recipevery closely, so I won’t belabor all the detailed points. The only modification I made was to use about 20% less sodium carb than the recipe called for, since a reader commented that they thought the noodles tasted a bittooalkaline, and I really did not want our son to have a bad first experience with homemade ramen.
Anyway, that’s enough written description of these noodles – they were great on the first try, even better on the second try. Our son put it best when he excitedly said, upon first trying the ramen, “These noodles taste just like the ramen from Healdsburg!”, referring to one of our favorite ramen shops there,The Taste of Tea. I couldn't have asked for a better compliment!
That being said, we're not going to lie: making ramen from scratch requires time, patience, and a fair amount of effort. It can be a multi-day affair, and if you simply don't have time for it, it can seem very intimidating.
There are really no bad choices when it comes to ramen and cheese combinations. Whether you're craving a miso and parmesan take on Italian wedding soup, a plate of Cheese Corn Ramen, or a simple bowl of Classic Cheese Ramen, there is really never a bad time for a cheese and ramen combo.
Add the noodles and cook for 2 minutes. Add the flavor packet, stir, and continue to cook for another 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the egg. Do not stir; pull the noodles over the egg and let sit for one minute to poach.
If you want to add a poached egg to Ramen, start by boiling your Ramen in 2 cups of water for 90 seconds. Then, stir in your seasonings and crack a raw egg into the pot of water. Place a lid on the pot, turn off the heat, and let it sit for 2 minutes to cook the egg and finish the noodles.
Have you ever wondered what that cute pink and white spiral thing is that you see in some ramen noodle bowls? That would be Narutomaki. This traditional ramen topping is made by rolling red and white fish paste into a log, cooking it with steam, and cutting it into thin slices.
The possibilities are endless, but some common additions include chashu pork (succulent pieces of braised pork belly), soft-boiled eggs (cooked in the pork's braising liquid), assorted vegetables and extra pork fat for good measure.
The first step to make ramen healthier? Throw out the flavor packet, which is little more than an artificially flavored salt lick. Instead, I use miso to flavor the broth.
One of our favorite recipes is to use two ounces of cream cheese or yogurt with a packet of ramen noodles. Add some red pepper flakes, and stir everything together until it's melty and creamy. The best thing about this recipe is that it's simple, and you can prepare it in only a few minutes.
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