Soothing Kake Udon
With simple, pared-back flavors, kake udon (udon noodle soup) tastes like the stillness of an early spring day: calm and soothing. This version from Namiko Hirasawa Chen, creator of the website Just One Cookbook, pairs an extra-easy broth with the undeniable star: chewy, bouncy homemade noodles. You can use dried udon noodles for this soup recipe, but making your own with this riotous foot-stepping technique—which makes the wheat flour dough softer and more pliable—is so much more fun. Be sure to rinse the cooked udon noodles under cold water to wash away excess starch and help them retain their bounce.
If you expended all your effort making these Japanese noodles from scratch, rest easy knowing the broth comes together in a snap. While making your own dashi is not particularly difficult (all you’ll need is kombu and bonito flakes), dashi powder—which you can find at most East Asian markets or online—makes the endeavor even easier. Since the umami-charged soup base speeds things up, most of the prep time here is devoted to the homemade udon.
A tangle of green onions and a dot of fiery shichimi togarashi are more than enough garnish, but Chen recommends halved cherry tomatoes, strips of cucumber, a soft-boiled egg, or a small dollop of yuzu kosho, should you want more options. Serve alongside steamed bok choy, sautéed shiitake mushrooms, and tempura veggies for a full Japanese dinner.
This recipe is part of Make Your Own Noodles. Check out all of the recipes—plus expert tips, handy guides, and more.
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What you’ll need
Kayanoya Dashi Stock Powder Packets
$32 At Amazon
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls, Set of 6
$29 At Amazon
Kitchen Towels
$30 $20 At Amazon
French Rolling Pin
$29 At Amazon
Set of 6 Pastry Rulers
$20 At Kitchen Jukebox
Medium Saucepan with Lid
$50 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
50 minutes (plus resting)
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Noodles
Broth and Assembly
Preparation
Noodles
Step 1
Stir 2 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. plus ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt into ¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. (198 g) water in a small bowl until dissolved. Place 3¼ cups (406 g) all-purpose flour in a large bowl and drizzle salt water evenly over. Stir with a spoon or chopsticks until water is absorbed and shaggy clumps form. Knead dough firmly in bowl until a tight, mostly smooth dough forms, 8–10 minutes (there may be some dry bits but there shouldn’t be any large patches of dry flour). Form dough into a ball and place inside a 2-gal. resealable plastic bag (or, split dough in half and place each in a 1-gal. resealable plastic bag). Seal bag, pressing out excess air and let rest 30 minutes.
Step 2
Place bag with dough between 2 kitchen towels and place on the floor. Using your heels, step on dough to flatten into a thin disk (hold on to the counter so you don’t slip). Open bag and fold dough into quarters, like a piece of paper. Seal bag, pressing out air, and place back between kitchen towels. Step on dough until flat. Repeat process of folding and stepping 3 more times (5 total). The dough will feel noticeably softer at the end. Seal bag tightly and let dough rest at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours. (If storing longer than 2 hours, chill and bring to room temperature before using).
Step 3
Flatten dough on a surface to ½" thick. Roll dough out to a 12x10" rectangle about ⅛" thick. For the most even noodles, trim the edges of the dough to make a neat rectangle.
Step 4
Lightly dust dough with potato starch or cornstarch and fold in half. Using a sharp knife or a bench scraper, cut dough into ⅛"-wide noodles. Shake noodles to detangle, dusting with more potato starch as needed to prevent sticking (try to use less rather than more starch here).
Step 5
Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water (no need to salt) until al dente, 8–10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water to remove excess starch and make noodles bouncy.
Broth and Assembly
Step 6
While the noodles are cooking, bring 4¼ cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add 2 dashi stock powder packets, cover pan, and simmer 2 minutes to release flavors. Remove packet and discard. Add 3 Tbsp. soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine), 2 tsp. sugar, and ¼ tsp. kosher salt to dashi and simmer until sugar and salt are dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Step 7
Divide noodles among bowls and pour about 1 cup broth over each one. Top each with a pile of one quarter of 4 scallions, thinly sliced, and a large pinch of shichimi togarashi.
