Homemade Udon with Ginger-Sesame Dipping Sauce

Preparing udon is easy and fun. At restaurants in Japan where large quantities of udon dough are made every day, the dough is placed in a sturdy plastic bag between large, clean towels. The noodlemaker, wearing crisp, clean Japanese-style socks, kneads the dough by stepping on it.

This recipe makes a small batch of dough, so do the kneading by hand. The freshly made noodles are served here with a creamy, ginger-flavored sesame-seed dipping sauce, but it can be served with other cold