I received a noodle maker from Lehman's for Christmas. I had been wanting one. Well, I tried once making noodles from whole wheat flour and they were tough! Does anyone know where I can purchase durum wheat on the eastern side of they country? I found some I could buy from Walton's but the shipping cost is 3 times the cost of the wheat itself! I have not had any luck finding any durum wheat around here so I will probably have to order by mail. I did find some semolina flour from our co-op but semolina is refind durum wheat and I would prefer a whole wheat product. Also any recipes or tips for noodle making???? Thanks

-- Barb in Ky. (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), January 19, 2002

Answers

Hi Barb, don't work the dough too long. I think making small amounts works better than one big batch. If you use just flour and egg, and the dough is too dry, add a little bit of broth/water. Make enough for both you and Larry:~}

-- Cindy (SE. IN) (atilrthehony@hotmail.com), January 19, 2002.

Any noodle or pasta will be tough if it is cooked before it is totally and completely dry. Could that be your problem. What was the humidity when you made it? I love ww noodles.

My recipes are from my grandmother but here goes: you put about 1 1/2 cups flour on a big cutting board (try finding those nowadays with the lip that keeps it from moving on the countertop). Make a little bowl in the mound of flour and break an egg into it. Using a fork, first whip the egg then add about a 1/2 tsp salt to this and then mix with flour eventually kneading. Cover and let sit for 1/2 hr. Stretch, cut and dry.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), January 19, 2002.

I dump some flour in big wooden bowl, make a hole and crack 3 eggs in, I add just a touch of salt, and a touch of bakeing powder, mix with your hands, wad up into 4 balls, let sit for a bit, flatten a ball out and drench with flour and run through noodle maching, till nice and flat, Now this is where I do differant, I hang the noodle sheet over the back of chairs on towels till they dry out some, and then roll up, and slice with knife, I hang the noodles on a noodle hanger, Yes there is such a thing, Look in a good kitchen suppy store, I let the noodles get dry, careful they will fall apart. I put in containers and use with in a month or so.

-- Irene texas (tkorsborn@cs.com), January 20, 2002.

I put them in boiling broth as soon as I cut them, no drying at all. I've used semolina, whole wheat and unbleached, never had a tough problem. Instead of drying them, you can freeze them if you want/make too many.

-- Cindy (SE. IN) (atilrthehony@hotmail.com), January 20, 2002.

Thanks for the tips everyone! Perhaps in my excitement, I didn't let them dry long enough and I did get a dryer also to hang them on! I don't think I worked the dough too much but perhaps I may have. I'll try the whole wheat again as soon as my hens lay enough eggs. By the way, Cindy, Larry is not a noodle person like me so I'll only make enough for myself! I love them! Just got to get this recipe perfected. I'm going to try the semolina flour this week but I really would prefer to be able to make them from a whole wheat product. Perhaps it would work to use 1/2 semolina and 1/2 whole wheat?????? Any ideas about that anyone?

-- Barb in Ky. (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), January 21, 2002.