Doughs & batters
Lokshen Dough (Ashkenazi Egg Noodles)
Lokshen · A foundational Ashkenazi Jewish noodle dough built on eggs bound with potato flour (for Passover/kosher-for-Passover use) or wheat flour (for year-round use), thinned with a little water, and seasoned with salt. The dough is kneaded, rested, rolled paper-thin into crepe-like sheets, and sliced into delicate strips that are used in chicken soup, baked kugels, and other dishes.
The formula
1 egg : 1 tbsp water : 1 tbsp potato flour : pinch salt, per portion (Passover version)
Per-portion formula: each egg takes roughly 1 tablespoon potato flour and 1 tablespoon water. Year-round versions substitute an equal volume of all-purpose flour for the potato flour and typically use 3 eggs to ~3 cups flour, 1/2–1 tsp salt, 2–3 tbsp water.
Identity
- Egg-rich dough (eggs are the dominant structural element, not water)
- Potato-flour variant is naturally kosher for Passover because it contains no chametz grains
- Rolled exceptionally thin — crepe-paper thin — before cutting
- Kneaded long (20–25 minutes) and rested to develop a smooth, elastic dough
- Cut into fine strips (lokshen = 'twisted/turned' strips) after stacking the thin sheets
- Distinctly Ashkenazi, not Sephardic or Italian in lineage
Ingredients
| Base | Eggs | Primary structure and color; large eggs typically used, sometimes extra yolks for richness. |
| Base | Potato flour | Replaces wheat flour for the Passover/kosher-for-Passover version (and eases rolling per Vered Guttman); substitute all-purpose flour outside Passover. |
| Liquid | Water | Cold water, added sparingly to bring the dough together to a stiff elastic consistency. |
| Seasoning | Salt | A pinch to 1/2–1 teaspoon; seasons the noodles themselves since they carry flavor into the soup or kugel. |
Method
- 1Mound the potato flour (or wheat flour) on a clean board, make a well, and break the eggs into the center; sprinkle in salt and add water.The well keeps eggs contained while flour is gradually incorporated, preventing a sticky puddle and building structure from the start.
- 2Work the eggs into the flour by hand (or fork) until a soft, stiff, elastic dough forms, adding flour or water as needed.A stiff, elastic dough is needed so the sheets can be rolled paper-thin without tearing and so the noodles hold their shape in soup.
- 3Knead the dough for 20–25 minutes until smooth.Long kneading fully develops the dough so the thin sheets do not crack and the finished noodles have the right chew.
- 4Wrap in plastic or cover with a moist tea towel and rest about 30 minutes.Resting relaxes the gluten and lets the potato flour fully hydrate, making the dough easier to roll paper-thin.
- 5Divide into portions and roll each piece very thin, crepe-like, on a well-floured surface (or through a pasta machine).Handmade lokshen are famously rolled into translucent 'egg crepes' — thinness is the defining texture of the noodle.
- 6Dust the thin sheets with flour, stack them, and slice crosswise into fine strips (about 1/8–1/4 inch).Stacking lets many strips be cut at once; fine cutting gives the delicate, ribbon-like lokshen of tradition.
- 7Use immediately in soup, bake into a kugel, or dry thoroughly for storage.Fresh lokshen cook in minutes; drying preserves them for later use, especially valued on Passover.
Techniques that matter
Well (well-in-the-flour) mixing
The traditional Ashkenazi/Levantine way to incorporate eggs into flour without a bowl, common across early PBS and Astray recipes.
Long hand kneading (20–25 min)
Develops enough structure that the dough can be stretched to translucent thinness without tearing.
Moist-towel rest
Prevents a potato-flour or wheat-flour dough from drying on the surface and lets the flour absorb liquid fully.
Paper-thin rolling (egg crepes)
The signature lokshen technique — sheets thin enough to read through give the noodles their delicate, almost silken texture in soup.
Stack-and-slice cutting
Faster and more uniform than cutting each sheet individually; gives the classic fine lokshen strip.
Variations & derivatives
Year-round wheat-flour lokshenGeneral Ashkenazi home cooking
All-purpose flour replaces the potato flour at the same volume; 3 eggs to ~3 cups flour, 1/2–1 tsp salt, 2–3 tbsp cold water (PBS, Astray, Lev Haolam).
Grandmother's eggs-and-water lokshenFamily/old-country tradition
Eggs and water only, no potato flour — Vered Guttman notes this is the hardest version to roll but the most traditional for some cooks.
Food-processor lokshenModern home kitchens
PBS notes the dough can be made in a food processor in place of hand mixing, though kneading by hand is still required.
Extra-yolk enrichmentHoliday/kugel preparations
Adding extra yolks yields a richer, more golden dough suited to sweet noodle kugel.
Used in these dishes
Substitutions
- Potato flour → All-purpose (wheat) flour — Equal volume by tablespoon/cup; standard year-round swap, but NOT kosher for Passover because wheat is chametz.
- Potato flour → Potato starch — Often used interchangeably in Passover recipes; behaves nearly identically in lokshen dough.
- Whole eggs → Extra yolks + a little water — Used for richer kugel-style noodles; reduces structural whites so the dough is more tender.
- Cold water → Cold stock or milk — Occasional enrichment for kugel noodles; changes the final flavor profile.
Troubleshooting
Dough is sticky and hard to roll
Too much water or insufficient flour/potato flour; or the dough has not been kneaded long enough to come together. → Dust the board and dough with additional potato flour (or flour) and knead in until stiff and elastic.
Dough cracks at the edges when rolled thin
Dough is too dry, or it was not rested long enough for the potato flour to hydrate and the gluten to relax. → Cover with a moist towel and rest another 15–20 minutes; if still dry, work in 1 teaspoon of water at a time.
Noodles turn gummy or fall apart in soup
Dough was under-kneaded, sheets were rolled too thick, or strips were cut too wide. → Knead the full 20–25 minutes, roll until nearly translucent, and cut finer (about 1/8 inch wide).
Noodles are tough/chewy when cooked
Over-kneaded, or dough dried out during rolling. → Shorten kneading slightly, keep unused dough under a moist towel, and consider resting the shaped noodles a few minutes before cooking.