The so-called "dragon beard cake" is to pull the noodles to a thin and needle-piercing state, and then fry them until they are in a silk cake state.

It is made only of flour and water, and a little salt to give the base.

Other than that, there is nothing else.

[Dragon Whisker Cake] is to use such a dough to roll into a thin dough like a dragon's whisker.

Therefore, this pastry requires the most solid basic skills of pastry, and there is no way to trick it at all.

There are only three steps to this pastry, one and the noodles, the second is to roll the noodles, and the third is to fry the noodles.

All three steps are the most basic aspects of pastry making, but they must be done to perfection.

The dough usually used to steam steamed buns, pancakes, steamed buns, and dumplings is generally only between 5:2 and 5:3.

At a moisture content of 5:3, the dough is already very thin.

But for the dough used to make dragon beard noodles, the ratio of flour to water can reach 5:3.8, or even 5:4.

Only with such a high water content can the gluten of the flour be completely released.

The dough to be used for [Dragon Whisker Cake] was reconciled in advance after Li Yi came to the restaurant and put it in the refrigerator.

Li Yi didn't add edible alkali or other alkaline water, so the dough fermented very slowly, and when he made the [Awakening Lion Cake], it was just right to use.

After taking out the dough, Li Yi put it on the table, sprinkled dry flour underneath, and kneaded it vigorously.

This step is the most strenuous and requires repeated pounding, kneading, stretching, and falling.

Only in this way can the gluten in the dough be brought out.

After beating the dough evenly, Li Yi grabbed the two ends of the dough and pulled it hard to both sides.

The dough is like chewing gum, and it is pulled into a thick middle and thin at the ends.

Pulling the dough apart, Li Yi closed the two ends and grabbed it in one hand.

Then he scooped up the hanging dough and put it together with the top, and he grabbed the two ends and pulled them apart again.

Seeing his movements, Liu Yifei couldn't help but smile and said, "With your ramen skills, you can already open a Lanzhou ramen shop!" ”

Aren't you the boss lady?

Li Yi's joke came to his lips, but he didn't say it, but reminded with a smile: "It's Lanzhou beef noodles." ”

"Oh yes, you said that before."

Liu Yifei smiled, and then asked curiously: "Isn't it more intuitive to call ramen?" Why does it have to be called beef noodles? ”

"Because it's called habitual, and the source is also called beef noodles."

Li Yi explained: "According to historical records, the origin of Lanzhou beef noodles is that during the Jiaqing period, a Dongxiang student named Ma Liuqi in Gan Province learned from a classmate named Chen Weijing when he was in the capital Guozijian.

This Chen Weijing is a native of Boai County, Huaiqing Prefecture, Henan Province, and his family sells a special snack in Boai, called Xiaoche Beef.

After arriving in the capital, he used the ancestral secret recipe of braised beef, and then ate the noodles.

After discovering that his classmate Ma Liuqi was in difficulty, he often sponsored Ma Liuqi, and also taught Ma Liuqi the ancestral secret recipe of braised beef.

Later, after Ma Liuqi returned to Lanzhou, he opened a local noodle village, called Uncle Ma's beef noodles, which was also the first beef noodles in Lanzhou.

Since then, the locals have always called this type of noodles beef noodles, and they have never called ramen. ”

"So?"

Liu Yifei was a little surprised: "So, Lanzhou beef noodles are actually passed from Henan Province?" ”

"So to speak."

Li Yi said, his hands did not stop, and the dough had become even.

After noticing the glutenity of the dough, he grabbed the ends of the dough and shook it vigorously, and the bottom of the dough column rotated clockwise, forming a double-strand spiral dough column.

Then, he grabbed the ends and flung them again, and the pillars rotated counterclockwise and twisted together.

Looking at his operation, Liu Yifei was also a little curious, so she asked, "Can I try it?" ”

Li Yi stopped, pulled a piece of dough from it, and handed it to her.

After taking the dough, Liu Yifei followed Li Yi's example, pulled the noodles apart, and wanted to throw them into a spiral like him.

The gluten of the dough has been pulled apart by Li Yi, and even if Liu Yifei is getting started for the first time, she has successfully pulled it into long strips.

But when she learned Li Yi's operation, she threw the pulled face column into a spiral, and after continuing twice, she found it a little difficult to pull again.

"Huh? Why can't I pull my face open? ”

Liu Yifei pulled the pillar hard, and found that the pillar had become a lot harder.

"If you stiffen it, it won't be able to pull it open."

Li Yi explained: "This step is called slipping noodles, and the jargon is called shun gluten, which is to adjust the order of the gluten protein inside the dough, so that the direction of the gluten force of its rebound is consistent."

When you slip, you have to be left and right, positive and negative, so that the surface will not be strong, and the malleability will become better and better. ”

Liu Yifei listened carefully, while paying attention to Li Yi's movements, she started to slip again, and sure enough, it was a lot easier.

Seeing that she was already decent, Liu Yifei was very happy: "It's quite fun." ”

Soon, Li Yi slipped the noodles.

After placing the dough pillar on the cutting board, he sprinkled some dry flour on it, then kneaded the thickness of the dough pillar to an even extent, grabbed the two ends, and began to stretch it.

"Can you get ramen?"

Liu Yifei also learned his movements and tried to pull up.

"This is called stretching, and the jargon is called stretching."

Li Yi explained while stretching: "Fold it in half like this, it is called a button, and the more deductions, the thinner the noodles."

Take Lanzhou beef noodles as an example, the thickest two pillars are four-button noodles.

Two fine is six buttons, fine noodles are seven buttons, and capillary is eight buttons.

There is also a six-and-a-half-buckle three-thin, a little thicker than the thin noodles, and a little thinner than the two thin noodles, that is, only half of the sixth button is pulled.

As he spoke, Li Yi had already folded the face in his hand seven times.

At this point, the dough has become very thin, and it looks like cotton threads used for weaving.

"You're so fine!"

Liu Yifei looked at the noodles in his hand enviously: "These noodles are so even!" None of them broke. ”

As she spoke, she looked at the surface in her hand that began to break after only pulling the third button, and was a little disappointed: "Why did I break it after only pulling the third button?" ”

"That's because you didn't find the right place."

Li Yi lifted the noodles in his hand and held the top in one hand, letting the noodles hang down naturally.

Pointing to the noodles hanging from both sides of his palm, Li Yi explained: "If you want to pull ramen evenly, you must ensure that the length of the noodles on both sides is the same, not long on one side and short on the other.

When the short side is pulled, it will definitely be pulled more and more thinly.

The longer side has less force, and the thicker it will be.

If the thickness is uneven, it will cause the thin parts to be pulled finer and thinner, and finally it will not be able to bear it, and it will naturally break. ”

"How do you pull that?"

Liu Yifei looked at the noodles in his hand curiously.

"Try to make sure that the length of the faces on both sides is the same."

Li Yi inserted his palm into the vacancy in the center of the noodle, naturally drooped down, and cut the end of the noodle hanging down with the palm of his hand, signaling: "You see, to ensure that the force position of the pull is in the center of the noodle, it is generally best to use the fingers, but it will be more difficult to use the palm."

But there is a trick that can be taught, and that is to use a tool, such as a rolling pin, so that the rolling pin hangs down naturally, and it falls in the middle.

Moreover, the rolling pin is cylindrical, so the noodles can be adjusted by themselves when they are stressed, so that when the noodles are pulled, they are not easy to break. ”

4

(End of chapter)