Recipe

Homemade Egg Noodles

Tender, buttery egg noodles made from scratch with flour, eggs, salt, and a splash of water. Roll them thin or keep them wide and rustic, then drop them into soup, stroganoff, or a simple bowl of buttered noodles.

By Matt Campbell

•

4.9

A close-up, photorealistic kitchen scene of freshly cut homemade egg noodles piled in loose nests on a floured wooden cutting board, with a rolling pin and a small bowl of flour softly blurred in the background, warm natural window light

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Homemade egg noodles are the kind of kitchen flex that’s secretly low drama. Flour, eggs, salt, and a little water, that’s it. No fancy tools required, no obscure ingredients, just a dough you can roll out, slice up, and turn into the coziest bowl of noodles you’ve had in a while.

The best part is the texture. Fresh egg noodles cook up tender with a slight chew and that gentle eggy richness that makes chicken noodle soup taste like it got a glow up. They also soak up sauce like champs, which is why they’re a perfect match for beef stroganoff, or just butter, black pepper, and whatever herb is hanging on in your fridge.

Hands rolling egg noodle dough with a wooden rolling pin on a lightly floured countertop, dough sheet partly rolled out into a thin rectangle, natural kitchen light, photorealistic

Why It Works

Simple dough, big payoff: Four basic ingredients become noodles that taste like you tried way harder than you did.
Flexible thickness: Roll them thin for delicate soup noodles or keep them thicker for hearty buttered noodles and stroganoff.
Quick cook time: Fresh noodles cook fast, usually in 2 to 5 minutes depending on thickness.
Great texture control: A short rest relaxes the dough so it rolls out easier and cuts cleaner.
Make ahead friendly: You can dry them briefly, refrigerate, or freeze for future cozy meals.

Pairs Well With

Storage Tips

How to Store Fresh Egg Noodles

Short dry, then refrigerate: Let cut noodles air-dry 20 to 30 minutes so they don’t clump, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 2 days (conditions vary, so use your best judgment).
Freeze for later: Toss cut noodles with a little flour, spread on a baking sheet, freeze until firm (about 1 hour), then transfer to a freezer bag. For best quality, use within 1 to 2 months.
Cooked noodle leftovers: Store cooked noodles in an airtight container with a tiny drizzle of oil or a pat of butter mixed in. Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat with a splash of broth, water, or sauce so they loosen back up.
Food safety note: Since this is egg-based dough, don’t leave raw noodles out for long stretches. A brief room-temp drying period (20 to 30 minutes) is standard. If you’re aiming for longer drying, do it in a clean, low-humidity environment and keep an eye on sanitation and freshness.

Freshly cut egg noodles formed into small nests on a parchment-lined baking sheet dusted with flour, shot from above in soft natural light, photorealistic

Common Questions

Do I need a pasta machine?

No. A rolling pin and a knife work great. The noodles will be a little more rustic, which is kind of the point.

How thin should I roll the dough?

Go by feel and light more than a ruler. For soup noodles, roll it quite thin, until you can see a faint shadow of your hand through the dough. For stroganoff or buttered noodles, leave it a little thicker for a heartier bite. If you like numbers, that’s roughly 1/16 inch for thin and closer to 1/8 inch for thicker noodles.

Why is my dough tough or springy when I roll it?

It usually just needs a rest. Cover it and let it sit 10 to 15 more minutes so the gluten relaxes, then try again.

Why is my dough cracking at the edges?

It’s too dry. Wet your fingertips and knead in a few drops of water at a time. The dough should feel firm but pliable, like smooth Play-Doh.

How long do fresh egg noodles take to cook?

Usually 2 to 5 minutes. Thin noodles cook faster. Start tasting at 2 minutes and pull them when they’re tender but not mushy. You’ll also notice they look a bit plumper and more buoyant as they cook, but taste is the real boss here.

Can I cook the noodles from frozen?

Yes. Add them straight from the freezer into boiling water. Don’t thaw. They’ll usually need about 1 to 2 extra minutes, depending on thickness.

Can I dry these completely like store-bought noodles?

You can, but home drying is humidity-dependent and should be done with care. For reliable results, I recommend freezing if you want to store longer than a day or two. If you do dry fully, make sure they’re brittle-dry before storing and keep them in an airtight container. Longer drying is best in a clean, low-humidity spot, and you’ll want to keep an eye on it for freshness and sanitation.

Can I use bread flour or whole wheat flour?

Bread flour works and makes a slightly chewier noodle. Whole wheat can work too, but start by swapping only 25 to 50 percent, since it absorbs more water and can make the noodles heavier.

Matt Campbell

I have always had a huge passion for the culinary arts, people, working as a team, and so on. I wanted to pursue my love for cooking initially at Virginia Commonwealth University with a culinary arts degree; however, I instead decided to apply myself and acquire more practical skills. My end goal is to eventually open my own restaurant or similar establishment.

Kitchen Essentials

Large mixing bowl or clean countertop for mixing
Fork or whisk
Bench scraper (helpful, optional)
Rolling pin (or pasta roller)
Sharp knife or pizza cutter
Clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap
Large pot for boiling and a colander

The first time I made egg noodles from scratch, it was because I had soup plans and exactly zero noodles in the pantry. I remember thinking, this is either going to be charming or a mess. It was both. Flour everywhere, dough a little lumpy at first, and then suddenly I had these imperfect, cozy ribbons that cooked up in minutes and made the whole pot taste like someone’s grandma had been quietly supervising. Now it’s my favorite kind of kitchen chaos, the kind that pays you back with a better bite.

Homemade Egg Noodles

(4.9 Reviews)

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 4 (about 12 oz fresh noodles)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour (240 g), plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
0 to 3 tablespoons water, as needed

Optional, but helpful: 1 teaspoon olive oil for a slightly silkier dough (skip if you want classic just-the-basics noodles).

Instructions

Mix the dough. In a bowl (or right on the counter), combine flour and salt. Make a well in the center. Crack in the eggs (and olive oil, if using) and beat them with a fork, gradually pulling flour into the eggs until a shaggy dough forms. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time only if needed, just until the dough comes together.
Knead until smooth. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 6 to 8 minutes, until it’s smooth and elastic. If it sticks, dust with a little flour. If it feels dry or cracks, knead in a few drops of water. Try not to overdo the bench flour, since too much can dry the dough and make it harder to roll.
Rest the dough. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and rest 15 to 20 minutes. This makes rolling way easier.
Roll it out. Divide dough into 2 pieces (easier to manage). Roll one piece into a thin rectangle on a floured surface, dusting underneath as needed so it doesn’t grab. For thin soup noodles, roll until you can see a faint shadow of your hand through the dough. For heartier noodles, keep it a bit thicker. If you like numbers, that’s roughly 1/16 inch for thin and closer to 1/8 inch for thick. Keep the other piece covered while you work.
Cut the noodles (thin or wide). Dust the top of the dough with flour. Roll the dough up loosely into a log (don’t compress it), then slice crosswise with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
- Thin (cut width): about 1/8 inch
- Wide (cut width): 1/4 to 1/2 inch
Unfurl the slices and toss with a pinch of flour so they don’t stick.
Dry briefly (recommended). Spread noodles on a floured baking sheet or clean towel and let them air-dry 20 to 30 minutes. This helps them hold their shape and keeps them from clumping.
Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well (you want it pleasantly salty, like the sea). Add noodles and stir immediately to prevent sticking. Boil 2 to 5 minutes, until tender. Start tasting at 2 minutes. They’ll look a little plumper as they cook, but your taste test is what matters.
Use them right away. Drain well and don’t rinse. If you’re not serving immediately, toss with a small pat of butter or a drizzle of oil to keep them from sticking. Add to stroganoff, toss with butter and pepper, or drop directly into soup during the last few minutes of simmering. For chicken noodle soup, I like to cook the noodles separately if I’m planning leftovers, because they’ll keep drinking broth in the fridge.

Freshly sliced egg noodles being separated by hand on a floured wooden board, close-up detail with visible flour dust and soft kitchen lighting, photorealistic

Nutrition information is estimated.

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