Homemade Egg Noodles
By Linda Rowland
This recipe spans at least five generations on my side of the family. I learned from my mom, Wanda Perkins, and she learned from her mom, Minnie Norton, and daughter Melanie Calabrese is learning from me as well as my granddaughter, Maddie. Hopefully, this tradition stands the test of time for many more generations.
The thing that excites our family during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays is that our meal will include homemade noodles. They add to the aura when the steaming noodles cover the mashed potatoes, dressing, and slices of turkey or ham as our gravy.
When Grandma Norton made them they were all done by hand. Now we have heavy-duty mixers and attachments to roll out the batch of prepared dough. But they are still cut by hand and spread out on wax/butcher paper to dry. Once dried they are bagged up and stored until that wonderful day comes to reconstitute them for the holiday meal everyone is anticipating.
Homemade Egg Noodles
Serves: 6-8 people
Ingredients:
4 large eggs
3+ cups flour
(additional flour is for cutting board)
1 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons water
Directions for making the dough:
1. In the large mixing bowl, place the eggs, salt and 2 tablespoons of water. Using the flat beater, mix the ingredients on speed 2 for 30 seconds. Add 1 cup flour and mix on speed 1 until flour is blended in.
2. Using a dough hook turn to speed 1 and add 1 cup of flour at a time and let it knead for about 2 minutes for each cup of flour. If needed, add additional water 1 tablespoon at a time. When the dough grabs onto the hook stop mixing.
3. Knead dough with your hands for 1-2 minutes on floured board. If sticky add a little more flour. Form the dough in a roll and cut the dough into 4 even sections and wrap each piece in saran wrap.
4. Let the wrapped dough rest at least 20 - 30 minutes.
5. Attach the Pasta Sheet Roller to the stand mixer. Take 1 section of dough and flatten it by hand until its about half-inch thick. Set the Roller to setting #1 and feed the flattened piece through the attachment twice. Repeat the process by feeding the dough through pasta roller one time on settings #2, #3 and #4.
6. Place the dough on a floured cutting board and cut into about 3-4 inch strips on a floured board. Place the strips on top of each other with plenty of flour in between so they don't stick together. Then cut into tiny strips.
7. Place cut noodles on a floured butcher paper to dry overnight. Once the noodles are dried put in a plastic bag. If you are not cooking them immediately, then you can store them in the freezer. Repeat until all 4 sections are cut.
Cooking Directions:
1. Put about 2-3 quarts of turkey or chicken broth in large pot and bring to a boil.
2. Add the noodles carefully into the pot a little at a time and carefully stir so the noodles don't stick together.
Turn the temperature down to medium boil. Add 1/4-1/2 cup of butter and salt and pepper to taste. Add water if the broth is too thick.
3. Cook for about 30 minutes or until noodles are done.
