Thick, broad, hand-pulled noodles seasoned with chilli, garlic and Sichuan pepper, Xi’an Biang Biang noodles offer a delectable taste and texture.
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Pin ItI had my parents over to our Red House in England last holiday season. I spent lots of time with them cooking in the kitchen as this is our favourite way to connect.
Today I’m sharing my mum’s favourite childhood dish Biang Biang Noodles, a hand-pulled noodle dish originated from her home town, Xi’an.
“Biang” the most complex Chinese character
One of the signature dishes of Xi’an cuisine, Biang Biang noodles refer to wheat flour noodles that are hand-pulled to a long, thick and broad shape (can be as wide as a belt). They have a chewy texture and are often served with a pungent, spicy dressing. Not only is this dish famous for its delectable taste and texture, it’s also renowned for the special character used in its name.
The character for “Biang” is considered to be the most complex Chinese character. Depending on the variation, it has between 42 to 71 stokes. It’s so complicated that even today this character can’t be written by a computer. The photo on the left is a Biang Biang noodle stall that I saw in Xi’an on my last Culinary Tour of China. See how complicated the first two characters are!
Choose the right flour
For Biang Biang noodles, I use British standard plain flour (all-purpose flour) with a protein content ranging between 10% and 11%. If your flour has a higher protein content (over 12%, eg. bread flour), I suggest you add a little cake flour. Otherwise, the dough might be too elastic, tending to easily return to its original form after pulling.
My recommended flour-water ratio is 2:1 in weight. After the first kneading, the dough needs to be medium-firm and it will get softer over time. The ratio may vary slightly depending on the brand. Adjust accordingly.
Allow time to rest the dough
You only need three basic ingredients to make the dough for Biang Biang noodles: flour, water and a little salt. However, another “intangible ingredient” plays an important role if you’d like a fail-proof experience. That is patience.
In other words, you need to allow the dough enough time to rest. I know the importance of this trick from watching my parents cooking long ago, but I didn’t know the reason why resting makes dough stretchy until I read a scientific article about the dough:
From the moment you bring a liquid ingredient (such as milk or water) in contact with wheat flour, the individual gluten proteins in the flour unravel and hook onto one another, creating strong bonds. With time, an elaborate network of interconnected gluten strings forms…… It is the gluten network that holds a dough together and gives it elasticity and the ability to stretch.
——The Scientific Secret of Stretchy Dough, SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
Three stages of dough resting
Plan ahead and never rush. If you keep to this golden rule, you will find it so easy to make hand-pulled noodles. The resting process takes place in three stages:
- The first resting procedure applies to the situation where you knead the dough by hands. Roughly combine the ingredients to form a dough. Leave it to rest for 10- 15 minutes then knead it again. This will help you to achieve a very smooth dough without too much effort (If using a stand mixer, simply knead at a low speed for 5 minutes).
- After dividing the dough into small pieces and coating each piece with oil, leave them to rest for at least 1 hour.
- When ready, flatten the dough piece into a rectangle shape. Do not pull it straight away. Allow it a little time to rest again. By the time you’ve flattened other pieces, the first piece will be ready to be pulled.
How to pull the noodles
Pulling noodles with your hands may seem a little intimidating. In fact, it can be quite easy if you prepare and rest the dough properly. I have a separate blog post “Hand-pulled Noodles, a Foolproof Recipe” which demonstrates hand-pulling techniques with great tips and detailed instructions.
For making Biang Biang Noodles, I use the traditional method which has a slight twist. Here is how exactly I do it (Please also refer to the video in this post):
- Press the flattened dough piece in the middle lengthways using a rolling pin or a chopstick.
- Hold each end of the dough and pull gently until it stretches to your preferred thickness.
- Put the noodle on a surface. Break it apart from the middle line to make a loop.
Make an intensely flavored dressing
Biang Biang noodles are also called You Po Che Mian/油泼扯面 which literally means “Oil pouring over hand-pulled noodles”. This name explains a particular method of seasoning “You Po”: place chilli flakes, chilli powder, ground Sichuan pepper, minced garlic and scallions on top of the cooked noodles, then pour hot oil over.
The heat immediately releases the full flavour of all the herbs and spices. I love it when the pungent fragrance suffuses my kitchen. Simply irresistible!
Other noodle dishes
Looking for more classic Chinese noodle dishes? Check out these popular recipes:
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Xi’an Biang Biang noodles
Video
Ingredients
For the noodles
- 250 g all-purpose flour, about 2 cups
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 125 ml water, ½ cup+2 tsp (see note 1)
- cooking oil, for coating the dough
For the seasoning
- 1 tablespoon scallions, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- Chili flakes, to taste
- Chili powder, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
- Salt, to taste
- 3 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon black rice vinegar
You may also need
- 1 head bok choy, or other green leafy vegetables
Instructions
Make the dough
- If using hands: Put flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Pour water over gradually while mixing with chopsticks. Combine and knead to form the rough-looking dough. Leave to rest for 10 minutes, then knead again until it develops a medium-firm, smooth texture .
- If using a stand mixer: Add flour, salt, and water to the mix bowl. Use a dough hook to mix and knead on low speed for about 8 minutes, until a smooth dough forms.
Shape the dough
- Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Knead each one again, then roll it into a gherkin shape. Thoroughly coat each dough piece with oil then place them on a plate or in a container. Cover with cling film and leave to rest for 1 hour (See note 2).
Pull the noodles (please refer to the video in the post above)
- Heat up a pot of water for cooking the noodles. While waiting, flatten each dough piece into a rectangle shape with a rolling pin. Once the water begins to boil, start the process of noodle pulling.
- Press the dough down the middle lengthwise using a rolling pin or a chopstick to create an indentation (be careful not to tear the dough).
- Hold each end of the dough and gently pull to stretch it to your desired thickness. Place the stretched dough on a surface and tear it along the indentation, creating a loop-shaped noodle.
Cook the noodles
- Immediately after pulling, place the noodle into the boiling water (do not let it sit on the counter). Repeat the procedure to pull other dough pieces. Boil four noodles per portion at a time, then repeat the process to cook the other portion.
- When the noodles are nearly cooked through, add bok choy and blanch for 20 seconds.
Season the noodles
- Put the drained noodles and blanched bok choy into 2 serving plates or bowls. Top them with chopped scallions, minced garlic, chili flakes, chili powder, ground Sichuan pepper, and salt.
- Heat up the oil in a small pan. When it starts to smoke, pour it over the aromatics and spices to sizzle. Add light soy sauce and black rice vinegar. Stir to coat the noodles evenly.
Notes
Your Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hey,
What cooking oil is the best to use?
Thanks
Neutral-flavoured oil with a high smoking point, such as sunflower, canola, corn, soybean, rapeseed, vegetable oil, etc.
Can’t wait to try out this recipe! Is it possible to make the noodles a day before or will that ruin the quality?
I highly recommend you make it on the day. You can make the dough a day in advance though. Keep it well covered and bring it back to room temperature before pulling.
So good! Loved this!
Awesome 👌 👏
Perfect recipe! Tastes exactly like my favourite Biang Biang Noodles from my local Xi’an restaurant in London. Also really easy to make and very clear to follow. Thank you so much!!!! Will definitely be following your other recipes 😀
Great to hear you enjoyed the recipe! BTW, I like those few Xi’an restaurants in London too.
So simple and delicious. I had no idea how easy it was to make your own noodles – will be doing again!
No link to video …………
Hi Frankie! The video plays automatically on this page. Do you have an ad blocker on your browser? If that’s the case, you’ll have trouble seeing it. I’m planning to make another video and publish it on my YouTube channel. So it’ll be available in the near future.
What are some non-spicy toppings you suggest to try? I am a wimp when comes to spice 😂.
You can simply reduce or omit the chill in the recipe. Or, serve them with a stir-fry on top, e.g. Tomato and Egg Stir-fry, Black Pepper Chicken, etc.
I am so happy to have found this recipe! I tried Biang Biang Noodles for the first time a couple of months ago and have tried recreating it numerous times! I will follow this recipe next time!
I am excited to try the You Po Che Mian method and will be referring to this recipe and the Hand-pulled Noodle article for my next noodle making adventure!
Happy pulling Sarah!
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