Homemade Egg Noodles

 

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 medium eggs
• 1/4 cup water

In a large bowl combine the flour and salt. Make a hole in the flour, like the center of a volcano. Crack the eggs into the hole. Now use your hands to mash the eggs and flour together making a coarse and crumbly mixture. Add the water. Mix again until you have a nice, stiff dough. I like to knead the dough a few minutes to get it nice and smooth. You may need to dust it with a little flour to keep it from sticking to your hands. When you are satisfied with your ball of noodle dough cover it with a tea towel and let it rest for about 20 minutes. This is to relax the gluten in the dough, making it easier to roll out.

After the dough has rested, lay it on a pastry cloth or waxed paper. Using a rolling pin, or sturdy bottle or cup, roll the dough out thinner than pie crust. Fancy noodles are made from rolling the dough out until it is almost see-through, but I am not that dedicated. After getting the dough as thin as your patience and arm muscles suggest, let it rest again, to dry slightly, if you have the time. It is easiest to cut after resting the dough for about two hours, but I often cut it right away with a pizza cutter. Use your own best judgment in this regard. However you do it, make squares or rectangles about 1/2 inch wide. Remember they will swell up as they cook, so make them smaller than you think you should.

To cook the noodles, drop them in boiling broth or bouillon from cubes. If some meat is in with the broth, so much the better. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the noodles are tender enough for eating. Drain and serve plain with a little margarine, or don’t bother draining and serve as a soup or stew. These are quite delicious and an excellent way to make a little bit of meat go a long, long way.