Hello people, I'm Ben! Well reviving this message from the dead

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.f...c=2&q=noodles#

can't post on it anymore it seems

.....has anyone had any luck with making la mian? I'm trying and am so
so frustrated!! Stubborn as I am I tried different things so far but
the dough doesn't react like it should or like it's doing on the
various utube vids available. I knead the hell out of it etc.. it's no
use! Anyhow I did try the black salt but apart from a terrible smell
it doesn't seem to relax the dough for me! I tried baking soda as well
but it's not doing much either. One thing I did find however is using
tapioca starch. I had this idea because some rice noodles are made
with it. So yesterday I mixed 50g of starch to 50g of wheat flour and
guess what? I was finally able to pull the dough a bit. I could even
make fine strands but the problem is consistency: it didn't stretch
evenly leaving me with big lumps of dough in my hands (stretching
finely at the center). So next time I will try with just a third of
tapioca starch. Remember to use hot water though. Anyone trying this?

Ben