How to Make Soba
Purchase the right buckwheat for soba noodles -- not all of them are created equally., Weigh out your flours, whenever possible, and mix in a large bowl., Sift the flour to remove any lumps., Add the warm water slowly, blending into the dough with...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Purchase the right buckwheat for soba noodles -- not all of them are created equally.
Whenever possible, go to an Asian market and look for Soba Koh buckwheat, which is specially milled for soba noodles (try Cold Mountain or Anson Mills brands, which are designed for soba).
You never want whole-grain flour.
Soba buckwheat is milled incredibly slowly for extra-fine grains., Flour compresses unevenly, meaning two cups of flour could have different quantities if one is more compact than the other.
Weighing out your flour avoids this problem, and in a recipe as precise and fine as soba noodles this kind of perfection is necessary., You want the flour to be as light, airy, and fine as possible when mixing.
You can sift the flours either separately or together, after measuring.
If you don't have a sifter, a fork or whisk will do as well., Toss and massage the flours into the water until it forms a crumbly, muddy texture.
It should smell fragrant, like sesame seeds, as the water blends in.
The flour will also start to turn slightly gray
-- this is a good thing!, If it feels a little dry and powdery, add 1 tablespoon of water and keep kneading.
If it's sticking to you and feels too wet, sprinkle in a bit more buckwheat flour.
Knowing exactly when the dough is ready takes some experience, but trust yourself.
As long as you keep the adjustments small, a tablespoon or less at a time, you'll be fine.
Humidity will affect this stage of the recipe.
If it is humid out you'll likely need to add a bit more flour.
If the air is dry, add a touch more water., Spread a little buckwheat or tapioca flour on the counter and knead until the dough is smooth.
When you're done, it will hold it's shape without cracking as you knead it.
It is a very dense dough, so you'll want it about waist height so you can put your body weight into the dough.
For a refresher on kneading:
Fold about 1/3 of the dough ball on top of itself.
Press the heel of your hand into the fold, driving down into the dough.
Rotate the dough ball a quarter turn.
Repeat., You want to make a mini mountain on your countertop.
Working from the outside in, from a peak with the dough about 6" (15cm) tall., The bottom should be smooth, and the top will likely have some pleats and ridges.
There should be a small bump of dough in the center.
Alternatively, skip the peak.
Instead, pull up an inch of dough from the outside of the dough and fold it into the center of the dough.
Repeat 8 times so that your dough resemble a chrysanthemum, with pleats meeting in the middle.
While harder, this is a more traditional method., This ensures that the dough doesn't stick and rip as you roll it out.
You can use the same surface you kneaded on, but make sure that it is still floured.
You should be able to cut on this surface, as well., For restaurant quality noodles, aim for 1/18" (10-15 millimeters) thickness.
For beginners, a little thicker is fine, but try to keep it as thin as you can.
Use more flour as necessary to prevent sticking as you roll.
To get perfectly square corners, pull at the edges and then press them lightly with the rolling pin to get straight line The exact rectangle dimensions are unimportant, but know that the vertical length of you rectangle is going to be the final length of your noodles., Start with two horizontal halves, one on the right and one on the left.
Sprinkle tapioca or buckwheat flour over the right half.
Be generous, a nice dusting over the entire half of dough., You're making layers to cut through, as cutting identical noodles on the large flat dough would be impossible.
The flour prevents the dough from sticking to itself as you work., Just repeat the last steps two more times, this time vertically.
Flour the bottom half of the dough, then fold the top half on top.
Then flour the bottom half of this smaller rectangle and fold the top over again.
For the last fold, you can also flour the entire thing, since you have a relatively small area to work with.As you get better, aim for a nice, perfect rectangle at this stage.
It takes practice, but that's the point of mastering soba. , You want the cut to be about the same thickness of as the dough, and all the cuts to be even.
Use a pastry scraper, ruler, or other clean straight edge as a guide for your knife as you cut, ensuring clean, straight slices., To prevent the noodles from sticking, sprinkle in some more flour and use your hands to toss the noodles so that they have a light dusting of flour on them., Soba noodles are meant to be cooked and eaten the same day they are made, as they are a fresh noodle that will dry out if left for too long.
That said, they can be frozen in a large plastic bag for up to three months.
Simply thaw them out slightly before cooking. -
Step 2: Weigh out your flours
-
Step 3: whenever possible
-
Step 4: and mix in a large bowl.
-
Step 5: Sift the flour to remove any lumps.
-
Step 6: Add the warm water slowly
-
Step 7: blending into the dough with your fingers.
-
Step 8: Knead until you have a crumbly
-
Step 9: loose dough
-
Step 10: adjusting as needed.
-
Step 11: Knead the dough on a floured counter until smooth
-
Step 12: about 5-7 minutes.
-
Step 13: Mold the dough into a flat-bottomed peak.
-
Step 14: Press the peak straight down with your palm to form a 1/2" (1.3cm) dough disc.
-
Step 15: Dust your rolling surface and rolling pin with more flour.
-
Step 16: Roll the dough
-
Step 17: starting from the center and working out
-
Step 18: into a thin rectangle.
-
Step 19: Sprinkle flour over half of the dough.
-
Step 20: Fold the unfloured dough half on top of the floured half.
-
Step 21: Flour the bottom half of the dough and fold it over two more times.
-
Step 22: Slice the dough vertically with even
-
Step 23: methodical cuts.
-
Step 24: Immediately toss the noodles with a pinch more flour.
-
Step 25: Cook the noodles that day or freeze for three months.
Detailed Guide
Whenever possible, go to an Asian market and look for Soba Koh buckwheat, which is specially milled for soba noodles (try Cold Mountain or Anson Mills brands, which are designed for soba).
You never want whole-grain flour.
Soba buckwheat is milled incredibly slowly for extra-fine grains., Flour compresses unevenly, meaning two cups of flour could have different quantities if one is more compact than the other.
Weighing out your flour avoids this problem, and in a recipe as precise and fine as soba noodles this kind of perfection is necessary., You want the flour to be as light, airy, and fine as possible when mixing.
You can sift the flours either separately or together, after measuring.
If you don't have a sifter, a fork or whisk will do as well., Toss and massage the flours into the water until it forms a crumbly, muddy texture.
It should smell fragrant, like sesame seeds, as the water blends in.
The flour will also start to turn slightly gray
-- this is a good thing!, If it feels a little dry and powdery, add 1 tablespoon of water and keep kneading.
If it's sticking to you and feels too wet, sprinkle in a bit more buckwheat flour.
Knowing exactly when the dough is ready takes some experience, but trust yourself.
As long as you keep the adjustments small, a tablespoon or less at a time, you'll be fine.
Humidity will affect this stage of the recipe.
If it is humid out you'll likely need to add a bit more flour.
If the air is dry, add a touch more water., Spread a little buckwheat or tapioca flour on the counter and knead until the dough is smooth.
When you're done, it will hold it's shape without cracking as you knead it.
It is a very dense dough, so you'll want it about waist height so you can put your body weight into the dough.
For a refresher on kneading:
Fold about 1/3 of the dough ball on top of itself.
Press the heel of your hand into the fold, driving down into the dough.
Rotate the dough ball a quarter turn.
Repeat., You want to make a mini mountain on your countertop.
Working from the outside in, from a peak with the dough about 6" (15cm) tall., The bottom should be smooth, and the top will likely have some pleats and ridges.
There should be a small bump of dough in the center.
Alternatively, skip the peak.
Instead, pull up an inch of dough from the outside of the dough and fold it into the center of the dough.
Repeat 8 times so that your dough resemble a chrysanthemum, with pleats meeting in the middle.
While harder, this is a more traditional method., This ensures that the dough doesn't stick and rip as you roll it out.
You can use the same surface you kneaded on, but make sure that it is still floured.
You should be able to cut on this surface, as well., For restaurant quality noodles, aim for 1/18" (10-15 millimeters) thickness.
For beginners, a little thicker is fine, but try to keep it as thin as you can.
Use more flour as necessary to prevent sticking as you roll.
To get perfectly square corners, pull at the edges and then press them lightly with the rolling pin to get straight line The exact rectangle dimensions are unimportant, but know that the vertical length of you rectangle is going to be the final length of your noodles., Start with two horizontal halves, one on the right and one on the left.
Sprinkle tapioca or buckwheat flour over the right half.
Be generous, a nice dusting over the entire half of dough., You're making layers to cut through, as cutting identical noodles on the large flat dough would be impossible.
The flour prevents the dough from sticking to itself as you work., Just repeat the last steps two more times, this time vertically.
Flour the bottom half of the dough, then fold the top half on top.
Then flour the bottom half of this smaller rectangle and fold the top over again.
For the last fold, you can also flour the entire thing, since you have a relatively small area to work with.As you get better, aim for a nice, perfect rectangle at this stage.
It takes practice, but that's the point of mastering soba. , You want the cut to be about the same thickness of as the dough, and all the cuts to be even.
Use a pastry scraper, ruler, or other clean straight edge as a guide for your knife as you cut, ensuring clean, straight slices., To prevent the noodles from sticking, sprinkle in some more flour and use your hands to toss the noodles so that they have a light dusting of flour on them., Soba noodles are meant to be cooked and eaten the same day they are made, as they are a fresh noodle that will dry out if left for too long.
That said, they can be frozen in a large plastic bag for up to three months.
Simply thaw them out slightly before cooking.
About the Author
Aaron Russell
Experienced content creator specializing in DIY projects guides and tutorials.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: