Gunma Okirikomi Noodle Stew

Place 300g medium-strength flour in a bowl and make a well.

Add 150ml dough water gradually and knead by hand for 8 minutes, until no dry flour remains and the dough forms one mass.

Place the dough in a sturdy plastic bag, press it with your heel, fold, and press again until slightly firmer than an earlobe.

Rest in the bag at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.

Use the 30g dusting flour as needed and roll the dough 3 to 5mm thick.

Wrap it around the rolling pin, cut it open lengthwise, and slice into noodles about 1cm wide.

Combine 2000ml broth water, 1 piece 10cm kombu, 40g dried sardines with heads and innards removed, and 10g bonito flakes.

Soak 5 minutes, heat gently, remove the kombu at the boil, simmer 5 minutes more, and strain.

Thinly slice 60g burdock on the diagonal; cut 60g carrot and 100g daikon into quarter rounds.

Cut 150g taro into bite-size pieces, slice 4 shiitake, cut 1 fried tofu sheet into 7mm strips, and slice 40g long onion into rounds.

Pour the strained dashi into a large pot.

Add burdock, carrot, daikon, taro, shiitake, and fried tofu. Cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges of the taro are tender.

Shake loose the wide noodles and add them directly to the pot without pre-boiling.

Cook about 8 minutes over medium heat, stirring, until no raw flour taste remains in the center and the broth thickens slightly.

Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce.

Dissolve 40g miso in a ladle of broth and stir it back into the pot. Add 40g long onion, cook 2 minutes more, and serve when the noodles are tender but intact.