Homemade Ramen Noodles Recipe

I share how Easy Homemade Ramen Noodles can be made with just three ingredients and a small trick, so you can quickly add fresh noodles to soups, stir-fries, and salads.

I’ve always thought ramen was something you buy, not make, but after messing around with a simple mix of bread flour and cold water I got hooked. This isn’t about shortcuts, it’s about texture, chewy yet tender and a little rough at the edges, oddly addictive.

If you’ve searched for Easy Homemade Ramen Noodles online and felt intimidated, trust me, there’s a better way. Making Ramen Noodles From Scratch turned my weeknight bowls into something worth bragging about and I kept finding new uses for them in stir fries and salads.

You’ll wanna try it, I promise.

Ingredients

• High protein flour gives chew, structure and more gluten, so noodles are springy not mushy
• Cold water slows gluten development, firms dough and helps you control texture, yep
• Kansui alkaline water turns noodles yellow, firms them and adds that savory bite
• Baked baking soda is a homemade kansui stand in, easy but can taste slightly metallic
• Flour brings mostly carbs and protein, little fiber unless you use whole grain flour
• Noodles are calorie dense so add veg, protein and broth to make it more balanced

Ingredient Quantities

• 300 g bread flour (about 2 1/3 cups), or high-protein all purpose flour for chewier noodles
• 120 to 135 g cold water (about 1/2 cup plus 2 to 3 tablespoons)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons kansui (alkaline water) OR 1/2 to 1 teaspoon baked baking soda powder (sodium carbonate substitute)

How to Make this

1. Measure 300 g bread flour into a big bowl and make a shallow well in the center.

2. In a separate cup, mix 120 to 135 g cold water with 1 to 2 teaspoons kansui OR 1/2 to 1 teaspoon baked baking soda powder until dissolved. Use 120 g for firmer chewier noodles, 135 g for a softer noodle. If you only have regular baking soda bake it first at about 120 C for 60 minutes to turn it into the alkaline powder.

3. Pour the alkaline water into the flour well a little at a time and stir with chopsticks or a fork until a shaggy dough forms, scraping in any dry bits.

4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 8 to 12 minutes by hand until smooth and elastic and slightly firm; a stand mixer with dough hook takes about 6 to 8 minutes. Dont add more water unless it is really dry, and dont add too much flour while kneading.

5. Shape into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic or cover the bowl, and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to relax the gluten. For a chewier bite you can refrigerate wrapped for a few hours or overnight then bring back to room temp before rolling.

6. Divide the dough into 2 or 3 pieces, flatten each piece and roll thin with a pasta machine or rolling pin to about 1 to 2 mm thickness. If using a pasta machine start on the widest setting and work down gradually. Dust with flour now and then so it wont stick.

7. Fold the sheet lightly (dust between layers) and cut into strips about 1 to 2 mm wide for classic ramen. Unfold the strips and toss with a little flour so they dont clump.

8. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add the noodles and stir gently to separate. Fresh ramen cooks fast, about 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on thickness. Taste a strand for doneness. For soup, drain and place directly in hot broth; for stir fry, shock in cold water to stop cooking then drain.

9. To store, dust fresh noodles with flour, layer on a tray and refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze on a tray then bag for up to a month. Cook from frozen, adding about 30 seconds extra to the boiling time.

Equipment Needed

1. Digital kitchen scale (for accurate 300 g flour and water)
2. Large mixing bowl (big enough to mix and rest the dough)
3. Measuring spoons + small cup or jar (for kansui or baked baking soda and to mix the alkaline water)
4. Chopsticks or fork (to stir the alkaline water into the flour, they work better than a spoon)
5. Bench scraper (scrape the dough, divide portions and clean the surface)
6. Stand mixer with dough hook or just your hands (stand mixer saves time but hand kneading is fine)
7. Rolling pin or pasta machine (to roll sheets down to about 1–2 mm)
8. Sharp knife or pasta cutter (to cut the noodles about 1–2 mm wide)
9. Large pot and colander (for boiling and draining the noodles; plus a tray and plastic wrap for resting/storage)

FAQ

Homemade Ramen Noodles Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Bread flour: use 300 g high-protein all-purpose flour, or 300 g all-purpose + 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten to boost chew, you’ll get a bit less chew if you use plain AP alone.
• Cold water (120–135 g): swap for the same weight room-temp water for easier kneading and a softer bite, or use slightly warm water (reduce by ~5–10 g) if you want the dough to hydrate faster.
• Kansui: use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon baked baking soda (makes sodium carbonate). To make it, spread baking soda on a tray and bake at 250 C (about 480 F) for ~1 hour, cool and sift.
• Alternative alkaline: food-grade lye water or commercial kansui from an Asian market, use sparingly (around 1/4–1/2 teaspoon for 300 g flour) for the classic yellow color and snappy chew.

Pro Tips

– Hydration is your mood setter. Use the lower water if you want a really snappy chew, more water for a softer slurp, and if the dough feels a little dry add a teaspoon at a time, dont dump more or you’ll end up sticky. Knead until it passes the windowpane test or feels smooth and slightly firm, that tells you you’re done.

– If you want classic chew, let the dough rest longer than 30 minutes, wrap it tight and chill a few hours or overnight, then bring back to room temp before rolling. Cold resting firms the gluten and makes the texture pleasantly elastic, but dont try to roll it straight from the fridge or it’ll fight you.

– Be careful with the alkaline stuff, small changes make big taste differences. If you use baked baking soda start small, too much gives a metallic or soapy flavor, and dissolve it well in cold water so it spreads evenly through the dough.

– When cutting and storing: dust sheets lightly with flour or rice flour so the strands dont stick, and freeze on a tray first if you want long term storage. Cook frozen noodles straight from the freezer, adding only about 30 seconds to the boil, and always taste a strand to check doneness because fresh noodles can go from perfect to overcooked fast.