Fresh buckwheat soba noodles

Preparation

Baking Directions:

In large mixing bowl, blend flours.

While mixing the flour together in a circular motion with your hand, stir in 1 3/4 cups of hot water in a continuous manner, stirring constantly to avoid lumps from forming.

Using hands, mix until all flour is moistened.

Using both hands, grasp the damp flour between your fingertips, pressing the flour between your palms and letting it drop back into the bowl.

Work the flour in this manner until it feels like little pebbles.

Grab a handful of flour with both hands and squeeze tightly.

You will feel the flour starting to take on body.

Break the handfuls of dough apart, let them drop back into the bowl and then form another two handfuls.

Work the flour for about 2 or 3 minutes in the above fashion repeating until the flour begins to get sticky.

This is what is called “tapping” or “blossoming” the dough.

Add the remaining water and continue working the dough by grabbing with your hands, rubbing and dropping it back into the bowl.

You will notice the pebbles expanding.

Knead in a pumping fashion, exerting lots of pressure from the shoulder area.

Old Japanese herbalists claim that making soba noodles is a therapeutic workout for tense muscles in shoulder, arms, wrists and hands.

Work the dough until it can be formed into one big smooth ball.

Continue kneading until smooth and elastic, rolling around inside of the bowl to rid the dough of hidden air pockets.

Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and form into balls.

Place in another bowl and cover with a damp cloth.

Sprinkle a large work surface with buckwheat flour and roll out a ball of dough until it is about 1/8-inch thick, making length about twice as long as width.

Lay the sheet of dough on countertop that has been lightly sprinkled with buckwheat flour.

Roll out remaining balls of dough, sprinkling each sheet lightly with buckwheat flour before layering on top of each other.

Transfer the layers to a cutting board and cut the layers in half, restacking neatly.

Fold in half.

To cut noodles, place one hand on dough as a guide and using sharp knife, cut into thin noodles about 1/8-inch wide.

Strive to work the knife in a smooth, continuous slice for uniform noodles.

When the noodles are sliced, separate gently with your hands.