Sichuan Noodles as Big as Your Bed

During my most recent visits to China, I spent hours scrolling through Chinese social media, drafting an ever-growing list of places I wanted to eat at while I was there. A blanket noodle eatery in Chengdu made the list after I was captivated by a video on Xiaohongshu (Red Note): I watched as chefs pinched off palm-sized pieces of dough; swiftly stretched them into big, thin sheets; and then tossed them through a window straight into a boiling pot.

Unfortunately, I never made it to the restaurant to taste the noodles myself, as my last few days in the city were overshadowed by an unexpected flu, making it impossible to muster the strength to travel to the other side of the city. As we all know, the things we can’t have can linger in our minds the longest, and I found myself thinking about those noodles long after I’d left China. Eventually, I decided to make a version of handmade blanket noodles with stewed beef (niúròu pūgàimiàn, 牛肉铺盖面) in my own kitchen. 

Pugaimian (铺盖面), or blanket noodles, originated in Rongchang (荣昌), a district of Chongqing. These wide, flat noodles—resembling small blankets—are said to have been created by Lan Haiyun (兰海云), who first sold them in an alleyway. According to History and Anecdotes of Chongqing (重庆掌故), Lan opened his first restaurant in the 1930s, and the noodles were originally called Jīpótóu (鸡婆头). The restaurant closed during the mid-1960s but reopened in the 1980s, when Lan further innovated on the noodles and their toppings. Over time, pugaimian gained fame across Chongqing and Sichuan. 

At every shop serving these noodles, the preparation is done fresh, after they’re ordered. The stretching and tossing of the dough is a performance in itself, captivating potential diners and adding a unique charm to the dish. Compared to many other Sichuan and Chongqing noodle dishes, which focus heavily on seasoning, blanket noodles remind me more of the Northern Chinese noodle tradition, which emphasizes texture. In this way, they’re similar to Shanxi’s hearty knife-scraped noodles (dāoxiāomiàn, 刀削面) or the delicate, thin hand-pulled noodles of Lanzhou (Lánzhōu lāmiàn, 兰州拉面).

Traditionally, blanket noodles are served in a simple chicken or bone broth, topped with stewed soft yellow peas and a pork zajiang sauce (杂酱). Nowadays, the toppings have evolved to include options like spicy chicken gizzards, stewed ribs, beef chunks and pork strips.

How to Make Blanket Noodles at Home

Making blanket noodles is a craft that requires years of practice to perfect. That said, it’s entirely possible to recreate a good approximation of these noodles at home with the right flour, sufficient resting time and some patience. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• In China, flour is categorized by how much protein it contains. For this recipe, you can use either medium-gluten flour (zhōngjīn miànfěn, 中筋面粉), with 9.5–11.5% protein, or high-gluten flour (gāojīn miànfěn, 高筋面粉), with 11.5–14% protein. I’ve been using all-purpose flour from my local German supermarkets, which contains about 11g of protein per 100g, but the protein content in flour can vary greatly depending on your country or region, so make sure to check the protein content. 
• When making the dough, I use a 50% hydration ratio, meaning I use half as much water, by weight, as the flour. I prefer to use a kitchen scale for this, so that my measurements can be accurate. Since different brands of flour absorb water differently, start with slightly less water than you’ve measured out and then add more as needed. The texture should be relatively smooth but a bit firm to the touch; it will soften as it rests. If the dough doesn’t come together, and you have a lot of dry crumbs, add a bit more water. 
• For the initial 2-minute kneading, aim for what’s called “sān guāng” (三光) in Chinese cooking: the dough should be mostly smooth (miànguāng, 面光) but not stick to your hands (shǒuguāng, 手光) or the mixing bowl (pénguāng, 盆光).
• After the initial 30-minute rest (covered by plastic wrap), the dough should look smooth. Traditionally, blanket noodles rely solely on enough resting time to become malleable. I borrow a technique from Xi’an biang biang noodles and coat the dough pieces with oil during the resting period, which makes the dough easier to work with while not sticking to the working surface or the hands. That said, even with a shortened resting time, the dough still needs to rest for at least two hours to make it elastic enough for stretching.
• Stretching the dough is the most delicate and challenging step. Through many trial-and-error sessions (and plenty of broken noodle pieces), I’ve learned to silence my inner perfectionist. Resist the urge to stretch the dough too large or too thin—especially to the point where it becomes translucent—as this will make it prone to tearing during transfer or cooking. If you’re new to noodle making, start with manageable goals: use a rolling pin to flatten the dough evenly before gently stretching the corners by hand. Focus on creating smaller, slightly thicker sheets—more of a throw blanket than a full-size one. They might not look as dramatic, but they’ll expand beautifully in the boiling water and still deliver a nice result. Once you’ve had a lot of practice, you can try doing more of the stretching by hand.

Making the Beef Stew Topping

For this recipe, I’ve paired the blanket noodles with spicy stewed beef—a classic topping in Sichuan noodle shops. The beef is slow-cooked in a rich, spicy broth flavored with doubanjiang, spices and dried chili. 

For the beef, use cuts like flank, brisket or shank that have some fat and tendon. Simmer the stew for at least 1½ hours, until the beef becomes tender. (If you’re short on time, a pressure cooker or Instant Pot can help.) My secret tip is to add a small bit of hot pot soup base to the pot; this gives the broth a rich taste reminiscent of Chengdu’s street food. 

The recipe below gives you more beef topping than you’d get at a traditional noodle stand. If you don’t want to use all of it, set the leftovers aside; they make an excellent next-day meal served over a bowl of rice or tossed with store-bought noodles.

Finishing the Noodles and Assembling the Dish

Blanket noodles are stretched, cooked and topped to order. Once your beef stew is ready, prepare each bowl one at a time:

For more fun and toothsome noodles, try Clarissa’s Gansu Vegetarian Hand-Pulled Noodles (Chao Latiaozi, 炒拉条子), Taylor’s Xinjiang Big Plate Chicken (Dapanji, 大盘鸡) and Kathy’s Mapo Eggplant Noodles ft. Dried Knife-Cut Noodles.