Large-Batch Homemade Egg Noodles

Homemade egg noodles are one of those recipes that can look like a big project until you realize how useful one large batch can be. This version makes enough for a family gathering, a big pot of soup, or several meals, with extra noodles that can be dried and stored for later.

The dough is rich with 12 egg yolks and 6 whole eggs, but the method itself is straightforward: mix it like a soft bread dough, let it rest, roll it thin, cut the noodles, and give them time to dry. The most important part isn't a fancy technique - it's learning what the dough should feel like so you know when it needs a little more flour or water.

🍜 The Dough Should Feel Like Soft Play-Dough

The flour amount in this recipe is intentionally given as a range. Start with enough flour to bring the eggs, water, oil, and salt together, then continue working it in until the dough feels soft and pliable rather than wet or crumbly.

A good reference is soft play-dough. If the dough feels dry and cracks instead of bending, work in a little more water. If it sticks heavily to your hands or work surface, add a little more flour. The goal is a dough that is soft enough to roll but firm enough to hold its shape.

🥚 Ingredients You'll Need

Egg yolks: You'll need 12. Save the whites for another recipe rather than tossing them - they're perfect for angel food cake, meringues, or other egg-white-heavy desserts.

Whole eggs: Six whole eggs add additional moisture and structure to the dough.

Water: The recipe uses ¾ cup, with a little extra only if the dough feels too dry.

Oil: One tablespoon of a neutral oil, such as vegetable or avocado oil, helps keep the dough workable without adding a strong flavor.

Salt: A teaspoon seasons the dough without making the noodles overly salty.

All-purpose flour: You'll need about 6 to 7 cups, but let the dough tell you when it has enough rather than forcing in the full amount.

👩‍🍳 How to Make Large-Batch Egg Noodles

1. Mix the eggs

Combine the egg yolks, whole eggs, water, oil, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk or blend until everything is evenly combined.

2. Add the flour

Begin adding the flour and mix until the dough starts to come together.

Once it becomes too thick to stir easily, continue mixing and kneading by hand as you would a bread dough. Keep working it until the dough feels like soft play-dough.

If it feels dry, add a little more water. If it feels sticky, work in a little more flour.

3. Let the dough rest

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and leave it on the counter for 2 to 3 hours.

The resting time gives the dough a chance to relax before rolling, which makes the next step much easier.

You can also refrigerate the wrapped dough for up to 12 hours. If you do, let it come back toward room temperature before you begin rolling.

4. Divide and flour the dough

Cut off pieces about the size of a golf ball.

Coat each piece lightly in flour, then flatten it with your palms before running it through the pasta machine.

5. Roll the noodles

Run each piece through the thickest setting first, then gradually move to a thinner setting until the sheets reach the thickness you want. Pasta machines vary, so use the dough itself as your guide rather than relying on a specific machine number.

6. Let the sheets partially dry

Lay the pasta sheets out and allow them to dry for about 1 to 2 hours before cutting.

You want them dry enough to move through the cutter cleanly without sticking together.

7. Cut the noodles

Run the partially dried sheets through your pasta cutter.

Spread the cut noodles out on a clean surface so air can circulate around them.

8. STORE THE NOODLES

If you aren't cooking the noodles right away, let them dry at room temperature for up to about 2 hours so the surface is no longer tacky. Transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for short-term storage, or freeze them for longer storage.

⏱️ Don't Rush the Resting Time

It can be tempting to mix the dough and start rolling right away, especially when you're working with a batch this large. Give it the full 2 to 3 hours instead. The rest gives the dough time to relax, which makes it noticeably easier to roll without constantly springing back or shrinking.

If you need to work ahead, wrap the dough well and refrigerate it for up to 12 hours. Bring it back toward room temperature before rolling. If a sheet keeps fighting you or snapping back as you run it through the machine, give that piece another short rest before trying again.

🌾 When Are the Noodles Dry Enough to Cut?

Before cutting, the sheets should have had enough time to lose some of their surface moisture.

Let the rolled sheets sit for about 1 to 2 hours before running them through the cutter.

You're not trying to dry them completely at this stage. They still need to be flexible enough to move through the cutter, but they shouldn't feel so tacky that the strands immediately glue themselves back together.

🫙 Storing a Large Batch

One advantage of making this much pasta at once is that you don't have to cook all of it the same day. After cutting the noodles, spread them out or hang them on a pasta rack for up to about 2 hours, just until the surface feels dry and the strands no longer want to stick together.

For short-term storage, transfer the noodles to an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze the noodles in portions so you can pull out only what you need. Frozen homemade pasta can go straight into boiling water; just expect it to need a little longer than fresh noodles.

🍲 How to Cook and Serve Homemade Egg Noodles

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, then add the noodles and stir gently so they don't clump together. Fresh homemade egg noodles cook fairly quickly, so start checking them after about 3 minutes and keep going until they're tender all the way through. Depending on how thick you rolled them, that may take around 3 to 5 minutes. Frozen noodles can be cooked directly from the freezer and may need a few additional minutes.

These noodles work especially well in chicken soup, beef stew, or simply tossed with butter, herbs, and black pepper. You can also use them anywhere you'd normally reach for packaged egg noodles, which makes a big batch especially useful. If you want an easy casserole idea, they'd be a natural homemade swap in our Lazy Lasagna With Cottage Cheese, where egg noodles are already part of the recipe.

A Few Questions You Might Have

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 12 hours. Let it come back toward room temperature before rolling it out.

Why is my egg noodle dough too dry?

If the dough cracks or crumbles as you knead it, add water a teaspoon at a time and keep working the dough. Stop once it becomes soft and pliable; adding too much water at once can quickly take it from dry to sticky.

Why is my dough sticky?

Add a little more flour and keep kneading. Because the recipe gives a range of 6 to 7 cups, the exact amount can vary depending on how the dough comes together.

Do the noodles need to dry before cutting?

Yes. The rolled sheets are allowed to dry for about 1 to 2 hours before being run through the cutter.

How should I store homemade egg noodles?

Let the cut noodles air-dry for up to about 2 hours, then refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze them for longer storage. You can cook frozen noodles directly from the freezer; they may simply need a few extra minutes.

How many people does one batch serve?

One batch makes roughly 12 to 15 side-dish servings, depending on how generously you portion the noodles.