Hand-pulled Noodles
Give an idea a shape you can hold
A small piece of dough stretches between two hands into a long noodle. Lower it into boiling water, lift it into broth or add a topping, and flour, water and salt take on a new form. Watching those hands can feel like watching magic. Trying it reveals the judgment and practice behind each stretch.
Hand-pulled noodles take different forms in different places. In Xinjiang, latiaozi are often served with stir-fried vegetables on a separate plate, ready to mix together at the table. The same dough can carry many sauces, vegetables and familiar household flavors. Skill opens possibilities with simple ingredients.
The traditional Magician stands at a table with his tools laid out. One hand points upward, the other toward the ground, as though connecting an idea with an action here and now. Each tool has a use; what matters is how he chooses to use it.
Hand-pulled noodles make that act of bringing something into being wonderfully concrete. First make the dough. To help it stretch, give it time to rest and pay attention to the pressure of your hands. Each step produces something you can observe and adjust.
Perhaps you have gathered plenty of information about an idea without starting work on it. Choose one part you can finish today and give it a visible shape. A first noodle that is short or uneven leaves something to improve in the next.
Recipe overview
What you’ll need
All-purpose flour, salt, water, cooking oil; broth or toppings of your choice
Steps
- 01
Knead flour, salt and water into a dough. Cover, rest briefly, then knead until smooth.
- 02
Roll into a thick sheet, oil both sides, cover and rest for at least 1½ hours.
- 03
Cut into strips and gently stretch each one between your hands. Drop into boiling water as you go, cook through and serve with broth or toppings.