Handrolled Noodles and Why You Should Buy Grey Goose

I needed fresh handrolled noodles to go with the Taiwanese beef noodle soup but when we went grocery shopping, Tombee drove away from the fresh noodle shop and would not turn around. He has no appreciation for my creative genius I tell you! I therefore had to make homemade handrolled noodles because the beef noodle soup is just not the same otherwise. I used a recipe from Gaga In The Kitchen. Personally I thought the noodles tasted too floury and I found it very difficult to cut the dough into thin enough noodles. Making the actual dough was incredibly easy and quick and it would be worth making the noodles just for those very reasons if you are craving home made noodles. Next time I might try adding 1/8 oil into the ratios for the dough in hopes that it would add a smoother and less doughy texture and perhaps add some more taste into the noodles themselves. I'm not sure if I did not knead enough, therefore not developing the gluten in the flour fully and that's why it resulted in a more floury taste and not enough of a chewy texture. When making these noodles, I used my trusty grey goose bottle to roll out the dough. This is probably the third time I've used this bottle to roll out dough and I'm loathe to get rid of something so useful (this is a two-in-one really as you can roll dough and drink from the bottle in between to make the job more fun) but I know I really should go and find a real rolling pin. However, it would be almost like parting two true loves; I've even written an ode to my grey goose bottle:

How I love thee grey goose bottle, let me count the ways:

I love thee for thy long and smooth curves that I can grip when rolling,
I love thee for thy matte skin to prevent sticking to dough,
I love thee for thy joyous taste when I need to quench my thirst,
And I love thee for thy magical powers in making me feel like the smartest person in the universe.



I know what you're thinking (other than that I should be a professional poetess of course) - I should get out more. But back to the noodles. I used 4 cups of flour and got enough dough to for 2 meals but again that depends on how thick or thin you slice your dough.


Very messy process


Coiled and ready to be cooked

Handrolled Noodles from Gaga In The Kichen

Ingredients
2 parts flour
1 part ice water
extra flour to keep things from sticking

Directions
1. Place flour into a bowl.
2. Make a well in the center of the flour and add some ice water. Mix flour around until water is absorbed. Keep doing this until all the water is added and a sticky dough forms.
3. Turn dough onto heavily floured surface and begin kneading until it forms a nice smooth dough, adding more flour as needed for dusting the work surface and your hands.
4. Let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes.
5. Roll the dough out into sheets about 1/8 of an inch thick. I would roll it out even thinner if you don't want very thick noodles as they expand when you boil them. If you're having trouble rolling it out, let it rest longer.
6. Flour the sheet heavily and roll it loosely into a log.
7. Cut the rolls into strips of your desired thickness.
8. Flour cut rolls heavily and stack in piles.
9. Freeze noodles if you are not ready to eat them. If you are ready to use them, place in boiling water and cook for a few minutes until noodles are cooked through.
10. Serve with Taiwanese beef noodle soup.