Soba Noodles: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners!
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
(Image: Kirk McKoy/LA Times)
Want More?
Get the Kitchn Daily in your inbox.