I posted a simple gluten free egg noodle recipe recently. They’re a delicious classic recipe, but they do contain xanthan gum. Some people (myself included) don’t tolerate xanthan gum too well, which makes the noodles a bit of a treat. Around about the same time I published my gluten free wonton wrappers, which don’t contain xanthan gum. Their success got me thinking that the dough would make perfect gluten-free egg noodles without xanthan gum. What do you know? I was right.
Gluten-free egg noodles without xanthan gum
These gluten free egg noodles use eggs (obviously) for binding and elasticity. However, they also use a scald. I have never previously combined the two as eggs and boiling water don’t mix (unless you’re at breakfast). However, with a bit of patience (20 minutes, to be precise) you can have the best of both worlds.
The noodles are made with a simple mix of white rice flour and tapioca flour. This recipe would be ideal with experimenting with different flavours, but I haven’t done so yet.
Psyllium husk powder is added for elasticity and absorbing sufficient moisture to form a dough. The powder, scald and eggs work together to create a dough that is easy to roll out and holds up nicely while cooking.
Substitution notes
First off, let’s discuss the eggs. Lots of people have egg intolerances or allergies, but these are egg noodles. As such, I have not tested an egg free version. I do have a recipe for buckwheat soba noodles which are egg free (and an egg free, xanthan gum free version in my buckwheat flour e-book).
If you need gluten free egg free noodles, I highly recommend using store bought gluten free spaghetti. It’s easy, quick and generally xanthan gum free. I love Ceres Organics and Olive Green Organics here in Australia.
As discussed above, I have chosen to use white rice flour and tapioca flour here. I find this combination mimics the neutral flavour of wheat products without being hard to find or expensive. If you’d like to experiment you are more than welcome, but I haven’t tested any other versions.
There is no substitute for psyllium husk powder unfortunately. It holds everything together and absorbs enough liquid to create a nice strong dough. If you can only have xanthan gum, use my original egg noodle recipe instead.
Do I need a pasta machine to make these gluten free egg noodles?
I have successfully rolled out the lasagne sheet version of this recipe without a pasta machine. However, it would likely take time, a bit of precision and patience to roll and evenly cut noodles from this dough.
I have not tried to cut this pasta by hand. My cheap little pasta machine cuts lovely thin noodles in the most time efficient manner. If you intend to make noodles even semi regularly, I’d highly recommend buying a pasta machine. These days you can easily buy a secondhand one cheaply at an op shop.
Tips for rolling out your dough
The most important thing when it comes to gluten free dough is to have sufficient tapioca flour on hand to roll it out. Gluten free dough requires more liquid to hydrate, meaning it will be a wetter dough. Make sure the bench is always well floured to ensure no parts of the dough stick.
My second tip is to have patience! This dough is xanthan gum free and gluten free. It will be more prone to breakage than a traditional dough.
With that in mind: my preference is to put the dough through the machine as few times as possible. This gives it less opportunities to break. I like to roll as thinly as I can on the bench, then feed it straight through the pasta cutter.
A thicker sheet of pasta fed through the spaghetti cutter gives you a good thick noodle shape. This is how I make all my gluten free noodles.
I like to trim the scrappy edges off each long rolled out piece of dough. I then use water to moisten the scrappy bits and restore them to their former glory.
Tips for cooking your gluten free egg noodles
I find these noodles pretty low fuss to cook. They do break a little, but are suprisingly resilient for gluten free, xanthan gum free noodles. Some tips to set you up for success:
Bring your water to a simmer or a low boil. A high, aggressive boil can break your noodles.
Allow the noodles to cook for 10-15 seconds before gently using a fork to separate any clumps of noodle. I use a gentle whisking motion to break up the nests.
Don’t overcook the noodles – 3 minutes is plenty. Yours might take even less time, depending on how thick you have cut them.
If you can avoid it, don’t pour the boiling water over the noodles as you drain them. This can contribute to breakage. Either do it gently or remove the noodles from the pot with tongs before discarding the cooking water.
Personally, I like to give my noodles a little rinse with cold water after cooking. This just washes off any excess starch that might cause them to stick together or become gluey.
More gluten free low FODMAP noodle recipes
- 100% buckwheat soba noodles or the xanthan gum free version
- Low FODMAP chilli oil noodles
- Low FODMAP peanut butter stir fry
- All my low FODMAP pasta recipes
- Gluten free low FODMAP ramen from Intolerance Friendly Kitchen
Gluten free egg noodles without xanthan gum
Equipment
- 1 X pasta machine with spaghetti cutter
Ingredients
- 300 g fine white rice flour
- 75 g tapioca flour
- 20 g psyllium husk powder
- 150 g boiling water
- 3 extra-large eggs 45-55g per egg, weighed out of shell
- Plenty of extra tapioca flour for rolling out the dough
Instructions
To make the dough:
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the boiling water then set aside for 20 minutes for the dough to cool.
- Once sufficiently cooled, mix in the eggs. Stir the dough as much as you can, then tip it out onto a clean dry bench. There will likely be lots of dry bits and errant flour. Continue to knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth ball with no dry flour bits. It should be easy to handle – not dry and not wet. If it isn’t the right texture, make amendments (add a small amount of water or flour until you reach the described consistency).
- Liberally flour your bench with tapioca flour and divide the dough in 5 or 6 equal sized balls. Cover all but one with a tea towel.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the first piece of dough out into a long rectangle, thin enough to thread through the pasta machine. Trim the scraggly edges to ensure the rectangle is easy to put through your pasta machine. You can restore scraggly bits by kneading in small splashes of water until you reach the desired consistency.
- Cut your sheets by carefully feeding them through the spaghetti style cutter for noodles. Assemble each group of cut noodles in small nests on the bench or a clean, dry board. Gather up and scrappy bits and roll them into the next ball of dough. Continue until all the noodles have been cut.
To cook the noodles:
- Bring a medium or large pot of well salted water to a gentle boil. Add the noodles and allow them to cook and soften for 10-20 seconds before using a fork to very gently encourage them to separate into individual noodle strands.
- Cook the noodles in batches (I recommend max 3 nests at a time) for 2-3 minutes. Gently remove from the water and place into a strainer over the sink. I like to quickly rinse my noodles of any excess starch – this helps avoid them sticking together as they cool.
- Drizzle each batch of cooked noodles with a small amount of oil (I use toasted sesame) to ensure they don’t stick together as they cool. Top with your preferred sauce and serve.
Notes
- These noodles can be frozen and dropped straight into the boiling water to cook. Note that they might take a little longer to cook than unfrozen noodles.
- I recommend freezing them before cooking as opposed to after cooking.
- This batch makes 700g worth of noodles, which serves about 4-5 people if they have my appetite.
No Comments