Ingredients: 2500 grams of refined powder, 1500 grams of water, 25 grams of alkaline noodles, and a little salt.

The making of ramen

The making of ramen

The making process:

1. Put the flour and salt noodles into a basin together, pour water with one hand (water temperature: warm in winter, cool in summer, warm in spring and autumn), knead the dough with the other hand, beat into ears, mix the flour and water, and knead until it forms a ball. Dip your hands in water and rub the dough evenly until the basin is clean and smooth and no longer sticks to your hands. Cover with a clean cloth for about half an hour.

2. Dissolve 100 grams of alkaline water into alkaline water.

3. After the dough is ready, take 1/2 of the dough and dip it in alkaline water with both hands and roll it into a long strip. Stretch one end of the dough with each hand, lift it off the chopping board, and slowly roll the dough up and down. Put your hands together and twist it into a twist shape. Repeat this. After shaking for six or seven times, when the thickness is uniform, place it on the chopping board, sprinkle with dry flour and roll evenly, then lift the two ends from the case and shake them into long strips, then place them on the chopping board, remove the two ends and fold them into two pieces, and hold two with one hand. Put the four fingers of the other hand on the other ends of the two noodles, pick them up in the air, stretch them with both hands at the same time, shake them up and down, and pull them six or seven times. Roll the noodles while pulling, and pull the noodles into thin stick-thick strips (64 sticks), and put in a pot of boiling water. When placing the dough into the pot, hold both ends of the dough with your left hand, spread the noodles evenly in the pot with your right hand, then place your right hand on the end of the dough, grab the broken dough ends with your left hand, and spread it into the pot.

Features: soft, tough and smooth.

1. Choosing noodles

Generally, you should choose fresh high-gluten flour. Lanzhou has special flour for beef ramen. It is not advisable to choose stale flour, and it is not advisable to choose contaminated flour that is insect-eaten, rat-bitten, or moldy, because this kind of flour not only does not meet the hygienic standards, but the protein molecules contained in it are protease (due to contamination). Under the action of protease activity (increased activity of protease, etc.), protein molecules are decomposed into amino acids, making the protein unable to combine with water to form gluten, thus greatly reducing the production of gluten. Only fresh high-gluten flour (special flour for Lanzhou beef ramen) with high protein content can ensure the prerequisite for the successful production of ramen.

2. Kneading noodles

Kneading noodles is the basis and key to making ramen noodles. The first thing to pay attention to is the temperature of the water. It is generally required to use warm water in winter and cold water in other seasons. Because the temperature of the dough is easily affected by the natural air temperature, the temperature of the mixed dough is always maintained at 30°C through the difference in water temperature during mixing. This is because the protein in the flour has the highest water absorption at this time, which can reach 150. At this time, the gluten It also has the highest production rate and the best quality, that is, the best extensibility and elasticity, and is the most suitable for stretching. If the temperature is lower than 30°C, the water absorption and quality of the protein will decrease as the temperature decreases. Exceeding 30°C will also reduce the production of gluten. When the temperature reaches 60°C, it will cause protein denaturation and lose its properties. It is to keep the dough in the most suitable stretching range. Secondly, an appropriate amount of water and ash should be added when kneading the dough, because both can increase the production rate and quality of gluten in the dough. For example, the osmotic pressure of an appropriate amount of water can reduce the distance between protein molecules in the dough and increase the density. In particular, it can increase the viscosity of gliadin, one of the gluten proteins, thus increasing the production and production of gluten. quality. Pay attention to "three times of water, three times of ash, and ninety-nine or eighty-one times of kneading." The ash in it is actually an alkali, but it is not an ordinary alkali. It is an alkaline substance burned from the grass produced in the Gobi Desert. It is commonly known as ash. When added to the noodles, it not only gives the noodles a special The noodles are fragrant and the noodles are smooth, yellow and chewy. In recent years, special dough mixers have been used instead. Kneading skills are still the most critical.

3. Proofing

Proofing means leaving the mixed dough for a period of time (generally no less than 30 minutes in winter, slightly shorter in summer), and its purpose is also to promote the development of gluten. generate. Placing it can also give proteins that have not fully absorbed water enough time to absorb water to improve the production and quality of gluten.

4. Sliding strips

The young man with strong arms will first pound, knead, stretch and throw the large ball of soft dough repeatedly, then place the dough on the panel and use both hands to Hold both ends of the strip, lift it up and slam it hard on the chopping board.

After the strip is elongated, fold both ends in half, continue to hold the two ends and beat them repeatedly. The purpose is to adjust the arrangement of the gluten proteins in the dough so that the chaotic protein molecules are arranged into a long chain, which is called smooth gluten in the industry. Then roll it into a long strip, pull it into a 20 mm thick and chopstick-long noodle section, or roll it into a round strip.

5. Ramen

Put the noodles on the chopping board, sprinkle with clear oil (to prevent the noodles from sticking), and then pull out noodles of different sizes and thicknesses according to the diners’ preferences. , those who like to eat round noodles can choose from 5 styles: thick, two-thin, three-thin, thin, and capillary; those who like flat noodles can choose from 3 styles: large, wide, and leek leaf; if you want to eat an angular noodle, , the ramen chef will pull a special bowl of "buckwheat noodles" for you. Pulling noodles is a unique skill of one hand. Hold both ends of the hand, use both arms to accelerate and stretch outwards evenly, then fold the two ends in half, place both ends at the same time between the fingers of one hand (usually with the left hand), and hook the middle finger of the other hand downwards. Hold the other end, turn your palms up so that the noodles form a noose shape, and at the same time stretch the noodles to both sides. After the noodles are stretched, put the hooked end of the right hand on the left finger, and continue to hook the other end with the right hand and stretch. When stretching, the speed should be fast and the force should be even. Repeat this process, and each fold is called a button. Stretching is a very technical job, and it is difficult for beginners to master the essentials. The same dough, in the hands of an experienced chef, is not only fast (usually only takes about 10 seconds), but also the noodles are uniform in thickness and do not break, which is difficult for beginners to do. One noodle section is enough to pull out a large bowl of noodles. Every time you pull it, fold it back on your wrist. When you pull it to the end, shake your hands up and down several times. The noodles will be flexible, long and even in thickness. Generally, the two fine ones are 7 buckles, the thin ones are 9 buckles, and the capillary surface can reach 11 buckles