Homemade Udon Noodles

Cooking

1. Dissolve salt in water. Gradually pour the salted water into the flour, mixing with your hands until coarse crumbs form, then gather into a tight ball.
2. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes until smooth. The dough will be very firm — traditionally, it is placed in a sturdy bag and kneaded with feet through a towel for 5-7 minutes, folding it into thirds between sessions.
3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour (30-40 minutes in summer).
4. Generously dust the work surface with starch and roll the dough out into a rectangular sheet 3-4 mm thick.
5. Dust the sheet with starch, fold it into thirds like an accordion, and use a sharp knife to cut strips 4-5 mm wide. Shake out the noodles, toss in starch, and hang or spread them out so they don't stick together.
6. Cook these noodles for 8-10 minutes in boiling salted water.

Storage

1. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week, or frozen and stored for up to 6 months.