Hand Made Hybrid Noodles for Newbies

People are often dissuaded from making noodles by hand, assuming that it's too much work, that you need a gadget of some kind like a crank roller, or that you need a precise recipe and a lot of practice rolling dough. It's just not true. In the past I've just said, throw some flour and water together and roll it out! But here's a trick that makes it VERY easy to roll, and even easier to cut with a knife.

Mix a cup of bread flour with a cup of rice starch (available at any Asian grocery or online, and it will be labelled rice flour - feel it, you can tell it's starchy. It will cost about a dollar for a small bag.) Add an egg, 1/2 tsp salt and slowly work in the egg by hand. Then add water a dribble at a time and knead about 5 minutes, adding a little more water if necessary, until you have a smooth dough. Oil the dough lightly. Then roll it out. Yes, immediately. It will take just a minute. (Don't add flour, only a little more oil if you need it.) Then take a knife and cut into long strips. It will take just a little patience, but it is very easy. (Don't try to roll the dough up into a tube and cut it, or it will squish.) Then boil the noodles for about 2 minutes. Here I've just added some soy, rice wine and sesame oil. They're very much like great udon. And of course I'd put them in soup. This will feed two.