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If you’ve ever enjoyed a comforting bowl of udon soup or stir-fried yaki udon at your favorite Japanese restaurant, you know the magic of chewy, thick udon noodles. What if I told you that you can make homemade udon noodles easily at home — with just three ingredients?
This simple recipe will show you how to make authentic udon noodles from scratch, perfect for soups, stir-fries, or even creamy fusion dishes like my Creamy Mushroom Udon.
Ingredients
- 180g Water
- 20g Salt
- 400g Flour
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: With just a handful of ingredients and simple steps, this recipe is perfect for cooks of all skill levels.
- Save Money: with rising costs of groceries this will help save some money prepping at home vs buying frozen udon.
- Fun for Kids: getting your kid involved in the kneading is a fun and unique activity for your kids to do.
- Workout: All the kneading of the dough will help keep your arms and calf’s in shape.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Prep the Dough
In a small bowl, dissolve the salt in water. Set it aside for now.
In a large bowl, measure out 400g of flour. Pour in the salt mixture a little bit at a time using your fingers to mix the water in a little bit at a time.
Repeat this until the water mixture is gone. Use your fingers to knead the dough into a rough ball.
Once you have a ball, place this ball into a gallon ziplock bag. Then let it rest for 30 minutes.
2. Kneading the dough
After the dough has rested 30 minutes, you can use a traditional Japanese method to knead the dough. Place a towel on the floor, then place the bag of dough on top of the towel then cover it with another towel. You will make a towel dough sandwich and then you can start kneading your dough with your feet. Do this for 1 minute.
After 1 minute take your dough bag and open it up. Fold your dough over about 4 times and close the bag back up. Then you can knead your dough for 10 minutes repeating this process about 3 times.
This really helps the gluten build up and make your udon noodles have that nice thick chewy texture.
3. Rest the dough
Wrap the dough back in your plastic bag and let it rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour (up to 3 hours). This relaxes the gluten and makes rolling easier. I let my dough rest for more than 3 hours because I ran a couple of errands and did not get back in time. Overall I think 3 hours is best.
4. Roll Out the Dough
After 3 hours it is time to roll out your dough. Dust your work surface with corn starch. Roll the dough into a disc. Take your dough and wrap it around the rolling pin. Then from there on only roll forward and drag it backwards. As your roll forward use your hands to gently smooth out the dough by starting in the middle and press outwards. If you follow my video it will give you a great example of this.
Keep rolling until your have a large circle about 1/4 inch wide for traditional udon. Take this disc and fold it like an accordion.
5. Cut the Noodles
Starting at the end of your accordion take either a knife or a dough scraper to cut lines of noodles. You can do this a little thin because the noodles do thicken when you boil them.
Cut all the way through your accordion fold. Once you get to the end you can grab them ends and unravel your noodles. Which is very satisfying. You can coat these noodles in some corn starch and store them in the fridge for 3 days or freeze them for longer.
6. To boil or not to boil
If you would like to eat them right away you can place them in boiling water for about 7 minutes to soften them up. Then you can use them in your favorite soups or yaki udon! If you would like a recipe example try my creamy mushroom recipe!
How to Store and Reheat
Here’s how to store and reheat it:
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Boil the noodles until they are soft and squishy.
🍜 Tips for Perfect Udon Noodles
- Use bread flour for extra chewiness if you prefer a firmer noodle.
- Rest time matters — it improves elasticity and texture.
- Don’t skip rinsing after boiling; it keeps the noodles springy and clean-tasting.
🌸 Serving Ideas
Homemade udon noodles are incredibly versatile! Try them in:
- Hot Udon Soup with dashi broth and scallions
- Yaki Udon stir-fried with veggies and soy sauce
- Or my favorite — Creamy Mushroom Udon (coming up next!)
🥢 Conclusion
Making homemade udon noodles is easier than it looks — and the chewy, satisfying texture is absolutely worth the effort. With just flour, salt, and water, you can create fresh noodles that elevate any dish, from traditional Japanese soups to modern fusion recipes.
Once you’ve tried these homemade noodles, you’ll never want to go back to store-bought! Keep a batch ready in the fridge for quick weeknight meals, and try using them in my Creamy Mushroom Udon for a cozy, flavorful twist.
Homemade cooking doesn’t have to be complicated — sometimes, the simplest ingredients create the most comforting dishes. 🍜
Don’t forget to share your creations on Instagram and tag us at @edamamabean_ or @edamamabean (tiktok). Happy cooking!
Equipment Used
- Large Pot
- Sharp Knife or bench scraper
- Rolling Pin
- Scale
- Two Towels
- Gallon Storage Bag
Shop Equipment
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Recipes Related
How to Make Homemade Udon Noodles (Easy Authentic Recipe)
Equipment
- 1 scale
- Rolling Pin
- Knife
- Large Bowl
- two towels
- gallon storage bag
Ingredients
- 180 g Water
- 20 g Salt
- 400 g Flour
Instructions
Prep the Dough
- In a small bowl, dissolve the salt in water. Set it aside for now.
- In a large bowl, measure out 400g of flour. Pour in the salt mixture a little bit at a time using your fingers to mix the water in a little bit at a time.
- Repeat this until the water mixture is gone. Use your fingers to knead the dough into a rough ball.
- Once you have a ball, place this ball into a gallon ziplock bag. Then let it rest for 30 minutes.
Kneading the dough
- After the dough has rested 30 minutes, you can use a traditional Japanese method to knead the dough. Place a towel on the floor, then place the bag of dough on top of the towel then cover it with another towel. You will make a towel dough sandwich and then you can start kneading your dough with your feet. Do this for 1 minute.
- After 1 minute take your dough bag and open it up. Fold your dough over about 4 times and close the bag back up. Then you can knead your dough for 10 minutes repeating this process about 3 times.
- This really helps the gluten build up and make your udon noodles have that nice thick chewy texture.
Rest the dough
- Wrap the dough back in your plastic bag and let it rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour (up to 3 hours). This relaxes the gluten and makes rolling easier. I let my dough rest for more than 3 hours because I ran a couple of errands and did not get back in time. Overall I think 3 hours is best.
Roll Out the Dough
- After 3 hours it is time to roll out your dough. Dust your work surface with corn starch. Roll the dough into a disc. Take your dough and wrap it around the rolling pin. Then from there on only roll forward and drag it backwards. As your roll forward use your hands to gently smooth out the dough by starting in the middle and press outwards. If you follow my video it will give you a great example of this.
- Keep rolling until your have a large circle about 1/4 inch wide for traditional udon. Take this disc and fold it like an accordion.
Cut the Noodles
- Starting at the end of your accordion take either a knife or a dough scraper to cut lines of noodles. You can do this a little thin because the noodles do thicken when you boil them.
- Cut all the way through your accordion fold. Once you get to the end you can grab them ends and unravel your noodles. Which is very satisfying. You can coat these noodles in some corn starch and store them in the fridge for 3 days or freeze them for longer.
To boil or not to boil
- If you would like to eat them right away you can place them in boiling water for about 7 minutes to soften them up. Then you can use them in your favorite soups or yaki udon! If you would like a recipe example try my creamy mushroom recipe!
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