Thanks to the LA Times and this visual guide to making soba noodles, we know what we'll be doing this weekend! All we'll need is some buckwheat flour, water, a rolling pin, a plastic bag, and a chef's knife. (A plastic bag?!)

Truly traditional soba takes years to master. But soba instructor Akila Inouye says that you can make a quick and easy beginner version that's perfectly passable and definitely better than what you'd buy in a store.

For this version, he likes using a plastic bag to mix the buckwheat flour and water together because it's handy and helps hold in the moisture. It's also a lot easier to make sure the water has been evenly absorbed by the flour before you begin kneading.

It's key to find a good buckwheat flour. The article's author Betty Hallock says that Bob's Red Mill buckwheat flour didn't work at all. She had better success with a stone-milled version from Cold Mountain that she found in an Asian food store.

Both Inouye and Hallock warn that it still might take a try or three before you are able to make a real batch of noodles so don't get discouraged. We think a little trial-and-error will be worth it if we have a reliable way of making homemade soba noodles in the end!

Do you make soba at home? Any recommendations for good brands of buckwheat flour?

• Read the Article: Making Soba Noodles the Easy Way from the LA Times
• Get the Recipe: Step by Step: Making Soba Noodles from the LA Times

Related: Video: Italian Grandmothers Know How to Make Pasta!

(Image: Kirk McKoy/LA Times)