Hand-Cut Alkaline Ramen Noodles in Garlic-Shoyu Broth

Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C). Spread the baking soda in an even layer on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour to convert the sodium bicarbonate into highly alkaline sodium carbonate. Let cool completely.

Dissolve 2 teaspoons of your newly made baked baking soda and 1 teaspoon of sea salt into 190ml of warm water. This is your homemade kansui (alkaline solution). Save any remaining baked baking soda in an airtight jar for future batches.

Place the bread flour in a large mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle in the alkaline water solution while stirring constantly with chopsticks or a fork. Keep stirring until the flour hydrates into small, dry, yellow-tinted crumbs.

Press the crumbly mixture together into a cohesive ball. The dough will feel incredibly dry and stiff. Knead the dough vigorously for 8 to 10 minutes until it becomes relatively smooth. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the gluten network to relax and hydrate fully.

Divide the rested dough into 4 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time (keep the others covered), roll the dough out with a heavy rolling pin or run it through a pasta machine to a thickness of about 1.5mm. Dust both sides lightly with cornstarch to prevent sticking.

Fold the rolled dough sheet loosely into thirds and use a sharp chef's knife to cut it into thin noodles (about 1.5mm wide). Gently shake out the strands to separate them, dusting with a bit more cornstarch. Repeat with the remaining dough portions.

In a medium pot, combine the chicken broth (or dashi), soy sauce, mirin, grated garlic, and grated ginger. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and let cook for 10 minutes to infuse the flavors. Stir in the toasted sesame oil right before serving and keep warm.

Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil. Drop the fresh alkaline noodles into the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring gently to prevent clumping. Taste a noodle at 2 minutes; they should be springy and firm with a distinct snap.

Drain the noodles thoroughly (do not rinse them). Divide the noodles among four deep serving bowls. Ladle the hot garlic-shoyu broth over the noodles, and top each bowl with a halved soft-boiled egg and a generous sprinkle of sliced scallions.