Pingyao Hand-Pulled Noodles

Pingyao Hand-Pulled Noodles

　　[Ingredients] White flour or a mix of white flour and sorghum flour

　　 [Kneading the Dough] Use room-temperature water; you may add a small pinch of salt. Stir until the salt dissolves, then gradually add water while mixing until most of the flour becomes crumbly. Knead and press into a dough ball, let it rest until evenly relaxed. The resulting dough should be free of dry bits, smooth, and relatively firm. Press the dough by hand into a thick cake shape, then use a rolling pin to roll the dough out in circles. When it becomes thin enough to be rolled onto the rolling pin, sprinkle flour (dry flour) as you roll to prevent sticking. Once rolled into a very thin sheet, either fold and roll repeatedly or roll it lengthwise on the pin and then cut vertically into even strands—either thick or thin—depending on personal preference. Cut into straight noodles, willow leaf shapes, or diamond shapes, then boil in hot water until cooked.

　　 [Features] Visually appealing, and when served with seasonings and vegetables, it is excellent in color, shape, and taste, making it one of the main types of staple noodle dishes.

　　 [Tips] Adding salt to the dough makes the noodles less likely to break and gives them better elasticity. The dough should be slightly firm but not overly so; if too hard, it may produce splinters when cutting, and if too soft, it may stick together and form clumps.