Homemade Fresh Rice Noodles (Ho Fun)

Ingredients and Important Notes

There are only 2 ingredients needed, not counting the water and the oil. Pay attention to my notes as it’s crucial you use the right ingredients. For amounts, see the full recipe card below.

The Gear

Though the recipe is very simple, it’s important to have the right equipment for smooth, successful noodle making. Here’s what you need:

• A large steamer. A diameter of 14 inches is ideal as it’ll fit a good size pan. If you don’t have a Chinese style multi-tier steamer, you can place a steamer rack inside a wok or a large dutch oven provided you have a lid for it.
• A pan for steaming noodles. My easiest solution is to use a cheap non-stick cake pan you can find at any dollar stores, or a stainless steel prep tray common in Japanese dollar stores. And “cheap” is because these tend to be the thinnest which is what we want.
  Here are the characteristics of a good pan for making noodle sheets:
  • Thin metal pan that is smooth. Thin and metal will ensure that each noodle sheet cools down quickly, which will speed up the process. Smoother surfaces such as stainless steel or non-stick will release the noodles more easily.
  • Non-stick, preferably. Nonstick pans makes peeling noodles off easier, but it’s not a deal breaker. Stainless steel also works with a little more fussing as you can see in the video tutorial.
  • As big as will fit into your steamer. The bigger the pan, the fewer sheets you have to make, reducing the total cooking time.
  • Rectangles are better, but round is fine. Rectangles will create evenly sized noodles, so go with this if you have a choice.
  • Low sides. Since you have to get your hands in there to peel the noodle sheets, lower sides will make this easier to access. (So a loaf pan is not ideal for this reason).

Step-by-Step: How to Make Fresh Rice Noodles

Here’s a bird’s eye view of the process, but if it’s your first time I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success. You’ll have a much better idea of what to do after watching the video!

5. Lightly but thoroughly oil your pan – using paper towel is better than a brush for this as I find a brush leaves too much oil. While you’re at it also oil the plate/tray you’re going to use to place cooked noodles.
6. Place the pan on the steamer, then stir the batter well and pour in the required amount of batter (see below for how much batter you need per sheet). Initially the batter will run to one side; use steamer tongs (or oven gloves) to wiggle the pan to even out the batter. As some of the batter cooks and clings to the pan, you will be able to get a full coverage.
7. Once the batter is evenly spread out, cover and steam for about 1 minute.
8. When it’s done, the top will look matt and you may get air bubbles underneath the noodle sheet.

9. Let the noodles cool completely. I suggest preparing an ice bath or running cold tap water over the back of the pan to cool it quickly.
10. Once completely cooled, brush the top with a generous amount of oil.
11. Use a rubber spatula to free the edges from the pan; if using nonstick, this may not be necessary but always check to make sure the edges have released.
12. Slowly peel the noodles off the pan.

13. Place the noodles down on an oiled plate.
14. If on the pan there is a big patch of residual batter left on, scrub it off with a dish brush before you do your next sheet. Small spots here and there is fine. Repeat the process, being sure to re-oil the pan each time.

How Much Batter To Use – A Formula

It’s obvious but it must be said, how much batter you need per sheet of noodle will depend on the size of the pan you’re using, so here’s a formula for calculating the amount of batter required (roughly).

Surface area of pan in sq. in. x 1.1 ml = amount of batter per sheet (ml)

So calculate the surface area of your pan in square inches (remember geometry class?), multiply it by 1.1, then round up/down to an amount that’s easy enough to measure as it does not have to be super precise.

As explained by Dr. Teeprakorn Kongraksawech, a food scientist from Oregon State University who told me:

In an industry level, a flour slurry is allowed to equilibrate for many hours before cooking it so flour becomes fully hydrated. A study compared noodles made from a 27-hr slurry vs a 3-hr slurry. The 27-hr slurry noodles were shinier, softer, and chewier. For a household/small-scale level, we may not want to wait that long. Slowly adding water and kneading will allow the flour to absorb more water.

So there, you can either knead or wait for the perfect noodles.

Storing Noodles in the Fridge

While I find that the best texture comes from noodles that were never refrigerated nor frozen, it’s not always possible or practical. Storing noodles in the fridge AND freezing are possible, and the noodles will still have a great texture in the finished dish. However, there are some important tips to keep in mind.

Tips for Refrigerating Fresh Noodles

• Refrigerated noodles will last up to one week, though it’s best to cook them as soon as possible. The longer they’ve been in the fridge, the stiffer they become, which makes them easy to break when handling. My preference is to make the noodles on one day, and cook them the next day when they’re still quite soft and pliable.
• It’s easiest to store noodles in whole sheets, well-wrapped to prevent drying out.
• When you take them out, peel the sheets apart first and restack them on the cutting board before cutting them into noodles. This makes separating the noodles easier as they are not so tightly packed together.
• If the noodles have hardened to a point where they are easy to break when you bend them, microwave them until they’re hot which will soften them up again. Don’t put stiff noodles directly into the wok as they will break when you stir them.

How to Freeze Fresh Rice Noodles

I spent years assuming that these couldn’t be frozen because…well, they look so delicate, and if they could be frozen then why are they not available frozen at the store?? But after realizing they are in fact assumptions, I experimented with freezing. Turns out, they freeze very well! Follow the steps before for the best result.

1. After cooking, divide noodle sheets into thin stacks (no more than 8 sheets per stack) so they thaw quickly.
2. Cut the noodles into strips, but don’t peel them apart – leave them in neat stacks so they take up less room in the freezer.
3. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, keeping them flat and thin so they freeze and thaw quickly. Freezing and thawing quickly will produce small ice crystals which will yield the best results.
4. Place them in a freezer bag, getting out as much air as possible, and freeze them on a flat surface. If you’ve got multiple stacks, don’t put them on top of each other at first so they freeze quickly. After they’re frozen, you can consolidate them.
5. When ready to use, bring them out and let them thaw at room temp while you prep your ingredients.
6. When you’re ready to cook, remove the wrap and place them on a plate and microwave in 1 minute increments at about 70% power, taking them out after each minute to rearrange for even heating. Once they are hot, soft and elastic, peel them apart into individual noodles. They are now ready to be added to a wok or put directly into a noodle soups. They are amazing in the famous boat noodles!

Note: In my experiments I froze my noodles for 1 week. There shouldn’t be a problem with freezing them for 1-2 months, but eventually they will get freezer burned especially if they’re not contained in a heavy-duty freezer bag.

Recipes for Your Fresh Rice Noodles

Once you’ve got these amazing noodles, try them in any of these iconic Thai dishes below. While they’re most commonly seen in stir fries, in Thailand they are also added to any kind of noodle soups. My favourite way to eat them is in pad see ew and boat noodles. *If using in noodle soups, reheat them in the microwave and place into a serving bowl, then pour hot noodle broth over them.