How To Make Homemade Egg Noodles

When I was 23, I got my tonsils out during the last Christmas break of my college career and it was pretty much the most miserable two weeks ever. It didn’t help things that my doctor prescribed me steroids which, I didn’t know at the time but have come to discover since, make me ravenously hungry, but eating stuff hurt. So I ate noodles. A lot of noodles. When I’m sick or scared or sad or otherwise eating my feelings, it’s almost always in the form of noodles. When it comes to carbs, I can take or leave candy and most bread, but noodles are my ultimate comfort food.

My daughter got her tonsils out last week and I was fully prepared for an experience similar to the one I had when I got mine out. I mean, I know they say it’s harder for adults than kids, but she can be very mature sometimes and I was afraid that that maturity would manifest itself in the form of tonsillectomy recovery, but she was actually great. Fine. Very nearly unbothered by the whole thing. Until it came time to go back to school, and then she was suddenly incapacitated and also in need of noodles. She clearly is my daughter.

Chicken noodle soup is my favorite sick food ever. Ever ever. And really, I’m in it for the noodles just as much as anything else. My go-to recipe is this recipe from the darkest corners of the OBB archives. Up until about a year ago, I always used packaged noodles, but my ability to find my favorite noodles is fairly hit and miss, so I decided to learn to make my own noodles. I present you with my Rory Gilmore Pro-Con list of homemade noodles:

CONS: 

-You have to, you know, make them
-They’re not as pretty. When I say “not as pretty,” I mean “pretty ugly.”
-They make a bigger mess

PROS:

-If you cook them before drying them, they don’t absorb liquid like regular noodles, so if you leave them in your soup, they’re less likely to soak up all the broth.
-It’s fun and highly satisfying to make them.
-They are surprisingly easy.
-They’re so delicious. Much like homemade tortillas, once you start making your own noodles, it’s hard to go back to not-homemade noodles.

You’re going to need 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, egg yolks, a whole egg, milk, and some cold water.

Whisk together the flour and salt. Make a well in the center

and add the egg yolks, eggs,

and milk.

Using a fork, start lightly blending the mixture until it is evenly moistened and looks pebbly (kind of like scrambled eggs.)

Drizzle water, about 1 tablespoon at a time, over the mixture and mix until it starts to come together in a ball (you’ll have to use your hands at some point.) Keep mixing until all the flour has been incorporated but it’s not overly sticky. It’s hard to add too much flour here–the noodle dough will take what it needs and leave the rest.

Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of flour on a clean work surface, having more flour handy if necessary.

Roll half of the dough out onto the work surface, flouring everything along the way (your hands, rolling pin, additional flour for the work surface, etc.) Flour is your friend here–at this point, the dough won’t take in any more than it needs, but it will keep your noodles from sticking to anything and everything. Any excess will just fall off in the cooking or drying process.

Roll the dough until it is paper thin, about 1/16″.

Using a pizza wheel, cut the dough into strips (anywhere from skinny to very wide).

You can also cut the noodles to the desired length, especially if you’re cooking them right away.

You can either cook these immediately in boiling liquid (about 2-3 minutes or until they pop up to the top) or drape them on a clean dowel or pasta drying rack and allow them to dry completely. When dry, break into pieces (or don’t if you don’t want to)  and then store them in an airtight bag.

Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until tender.

Serve in your favorite noodle soup or with stroganoff, stew, or whatever else you like eating your egg noodles with!