Updated 040103
First draft 011221
Let's hit it.
The process of turning buckwheat flour into noodles involves four steps: adding water, kikuneri, pasting, and cutting.
1) Distributed water addition and concentrated water addition
For many beginners, the first difficulty is adding water. In this web page, we will consider water addition to consist of two major stages. This will greatly reduce failures.
The first step is adding water to disperse the water until the buckwheat flour resembles breadcrumbs. This is called "dispersed hydration."
The second step is to add more water and collect the buckwheat flour. This is called ``kukuri-kasui''.
- If we divide the addition of water into the processes of dispersion and binding, it is possible to make almost all types of buckwheat flour using just water. To date, I have succeeded in making raw buckwheat flour using water kneading, such as ultra-coarsely ground flour with a 20-mesh level, and impregnable buckwheat flour, which is generally said to be impossible to combine with water alone. However, the concept and steps are the same. Please use this as a reference.
2) Preparation of water
The method on this website is to add water four times to make buckwheat flour into balls. The total amount of water added is 100%, and the first time is 80%. This is dispersed hydration.
From the second time onwards, add 10%--7%-->3%. This is kukuri-kasui. In other words, Kukuri-addition is basically a three-stage addition of water. In particular, the last 3% is added while checking the condition of the buckwheat flour, so it is sometimes called adjusted water addition.
If the mixture does not come together even after using all the water you have prepared, you may add an additional 1 to 2% water. Think of this as adjusting water addition.
So, for beginners, I think it's a good idea to divide the water into four containers (cups, bowls, etc.) before you start adding water. For example, if you want to add a total of 106 grams of water, first weigh out 106 grams, then divide it into three cups as 11 grams (10%), 8 grams (7%), and 3 grams (3%), and leave the rest. is 80%.
- The standard hydration rate for Takayama-milled white birch flour is 53%, so 100 grams of buckwheat flour equals 106 grams of water.For summer 2010 Shirakaba, the water content on the Takayama Seifun website is 51%, so consider 102 grams of water as the standard.
Also, prepare another cup and prepare about 3 grams in case you don't add enough water.
(If you don't know the water addition rate,
see below )
3) Water addition
Now, let's try it. Start adding water.
