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TAKEAWAYS

When I write this, it’s my second time making one of many Xi’an representative dish — hand-pulled Biang Biang Noodle 油潑扯麵. 2nd try is muccchhhh better than the 1st try (please refer to photos) and I think these are some important points:

• form a harder, dryer dough; use 2/3 water first and only add water if needed
• rest the oil-coated pieces for ENOUGH time – 2 hours!
• above two points will lead to easily, evenly stretched thin noodles!
• noodle does not need to cook long, and cook a few pieces at a time and stretch others at the same time
• do not use too much oil

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RECIPE

Ingredients for 2 portions:

• 185 – 190g All Purpose Flour
• 1g salt
• 90g water (add 2/3 first, then add if needed)

Step 1: Form a harder, dryer dough

• stretch more even later! My 1st try dough is very soft and wet than 2nd try, harder dough definitely helps!

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Step 2: Rest for 45mins, knead to smooth (~1min will do!)

Step 3: Divide into 6 – 8 small balls, knead each till smooth, rest 10mins

Step 4: Roll out to be around palm’s size, coat both sides with oil, rest for 2 hours!

• enough time for resting dough coated with oil is very important! Gluten will form so it can be easily stretched. My 1st try only rest for 1-1.5 hours, and noodle was very uneven and hard to stretch out

Step 5: Use a chopstick to press down, holding both sides and evenly stretch out till reaching ideal thickness

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Step 6: Cook 45secs ~ 1mins till transparent, floating in boiling water

• do not cook everything at once, maybe noodle from 2 small dough at once, otherwise noodle will stick together
• rinse in cold water after

Step 7: Assemble ingredients

• put noodle in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• + bok choy or other veggies
• + green onions, cilantro
• + pepper powder (I used Yunnan’s pepper powder, VERY DELICIOUS. 雲南的單山蘸水辣椒粉!)
• + sesame

Step 8: Pour hot oil over noodles

• medium high temperature to heat oil (7/10 for electric stove), oil is ready when smoke rises from oil
• do not use too much oil~~ a few tablespoons per bowl of noodle
• MIX AND ENJOY!

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IFFFF making hand-pull noodle is too much work or you want a healthier substitute, shred some oyster mushrooms, cook them in water and season them the same way you will season hand-pull noodle!!

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