20230119 100% whole buckwheat (soba) noodles with CLAS

 

Please see here and here to learn more about concentrated lactic acid sourdough (CLAS). 

 

 

 

Inspired by Jo_en's post, I've started making 100% wholegrain noodles with CLAS and various grains. Buckwheat (soba) noodles are the easiest to make - the dough has no gluten, so running it back and forth in the pasta maker is unnecessary. The key is to make it fast - the longer it takes to run the dough through the pasta maker, the more likely it is to crack.

My noodle-making experience is limited to making spaghetti twice. If I can make 100% whole buckwheat noodles with CLAS in less than 30 minutes, so can you. The entire process is indeed as simple as 1-2-3! Let me show you the magic of CLAS again! 

I've made buckwheat noodles with water or a whole egg as the liquid. Both work just as well with CLAS, but more flour is usually needed when using whole eggs because it determines how much flour I must add to mix the dough to the right consistency. If I don't use egg as the liquid, I can use less flour and add water accordingly.

Ideally, I would substitute hulled buckwheat groats for a smoother texture, but the whole buckwheat is all I have.

 

 

 

Soba noodles with water

 

Ingredients

 

A.

13% whole buckwheat flour from whole buckwheat CLAS 

25% water from whole buckwheat CLAS 

87% fresh whole buckwheat flour, ground by Vitamix

season the dough to taste

I use

3% shaved bonito, ground with the whole buckwheat

2% Kirkland no-salt spice mix, ground with the whole buckwheat

 

 

B.  

24% water

 

 

 

 

Mix

 

This is probably the easiest dough I've ever mixed! As you drizzle the water into the dough, keep feeling the dough and imagining how well it will pass through the pasta maker. 

 

 

dough texture when done mixing

 

 

 

 

 

not sticky at all

 

 

Total dough weight ~ 200g

 

 

Divide into 4 x 50g dough balls 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No rest; start rolling immediately after mixing.

  

 

 

 

pasta roller #1 x 1

  

halve the dough

  

 

 

 

 

pasta roller #2 x 2

pasta roller #3 x 1

                                      fettuccine cutter x 1             You see, all done within 30 minutes by a newbie! It certainly doesn't take ten years of training to master making 100% soba noodles as some people have claimed! 

 

Place the noodles between parchment paper before boiling them.

                   CookHave three pots ready: #1. with water, oil, and seasoning (to taste) to boil the noodles for 2 minutes
   #2. place a strainer inside and pour the contents of pot #1 here. Use this pot alternately with pot #1 to cook the noodles.  #3. with ice water. Take the strainer out of pot #2 and put it here to cool the noodles. 
 soba noodles made with flour and water
  soba noodles made with flour and egg  Soba noodles with bonito kombu broth
  A simple dinner. 
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How to make whole-buckwheat CLAS

 

 ground barley malt: 25g

 Whole grain buckwheat flour: 75g

 Water T. 45°C: 180 ml

 Vinegar (5% acidity): 10 ml

 Fermentation temperature: 40°C±2°C

 Fermentation time: 24-36h

 Hydration: 190%

 End pH: around 4

 

To refresh buckwheat CLAS

1:9 (buckwheat flour in CLAS: new buckwheat flour), no vinegar needed

190% hydration @ 40°C±2°C x 12 hours

 

I set up a water bath (~low 40s C) in the Instant Pot, support the container with a trivet, and use the Instant Pot's yogurt feature to make CLAS:   

 

 

Then cover it with the lid.

 

 

Bye-bye, pH meter!