Making rice noodles

We really like rice noodles! The problem is, they're not something I usually keep in the pantry. Buying them means making a special stop in town, and since we don't go very often during business hours we just never have them on hand....I started wondering if I could just make them myself.

I was surprised to learn that rice noodles are made completely differently than regular pasta. Instead of rolling and cutting dough like wheat pasta, rice noodles are created by either steaming or boiling. As I researched, I found several different methods and ingredient ratios, there didn't seem to be a "standard" recipe, which made it hard to know where to start.

I knew I wanted to make the round, string-style noodles that are perfect for stir-fries and soups. The steamed method creates flat sheets that are cut into noodles, almost like making crêpes, but I really prefer the texture of the round noodles. So I decided to buy a noodle press and experiment.

After looking through several recipes, I came up with my own starting point. I know I'll continue tweaking it, but I was pleasantly surprised with the results. They were much easier and quicker to make than I expected, and best of all...they tasted great!

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My Starting Recipe

• 1 cup rice flour

• ½ cup tapioca flour

• 1 teaspoon guar gum

• 1½ cups water

This recipe ended up being a little thinner than I wanted. The batter was fairly runny, which made it a bit difficult to press the noodles into the boiling water. They still worked, though, and the finished noodles had a great flavor and texture.

I'll definitely keep experimenting with the water ratio until I find the consistency that works best with my noodle press. That's part of the fun of making foods from scratch! Once I perfect it, I'll be sure to share my updated recipe.