Prepare the Dough

1. Mix the ice-cold water with salt until all ice is melted and the salt is dissolved.
2. Add the flour into a large mixing bowl. Pour the salty water into the bowl bit by bit, and rub the flour between your thumb and fingers. Take your time; hydrating the flour without adding more water is the main goal here.
3. Roughly knead the dough for a few minutes and shape it into a ball. It will look clumpy and that's okay. Cover with cling wrap and set aside for 30 minutes-1 hour. The light autolyse allows the flour to fully hydrate and makes pulling easier.
4. After the autolyse, knead the dough until smooth, about 5-8 minutes. You can knead the same way as you would bread or any other dough. If using a stand mixer, knead on low power with the dough hook until the dough is very smooth.

Divide & Rest the Dough

1. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a roughly 7-inch by 4-inch rectangle. Cut into four long dough strips, each will be about 7-inch by 1-inch. If making thin noodles (chenmian/latiaozi), see notes.
2. Liberally oil a container or plate and toss the dough strips, making sure all surfaces are thoroughly covered with oil.
3. Cover the container with plastic wrap, and ensure that the wrap clings to the surface of the dough strips to minimize air. Set aside on the counter for at least 4 hours. If you'd like to rest the dough strips overnight in the refrigerator (like pizza dough) for a deeper flavor—make sure to bring it back to room temperature before pulling.

Pull/Smack the Noodles

1. Transfer one of the dough logs onto a large work surface. Pat dry to remove excess coating oil if necessary. Using a rolling pin, roll it out into a roughly 10-inch long, 3-inch wide sheet.
2. Using a chopstick, make a shallow indentation right in the middle of your noodle. This will be where we rip it later.
3. Now smack—or biang biang—the noodle by gently grabbing each side. Using as little force as possible, hold the dough in place using your thumbs, and smack the noodle down against the work surface about 10 times to lengthen it.
4. Tear the noodle from the center through the indentation you made with the chopstick earlier. You can rip both ends, leave them intact, or rip only one end to get an extra-long noodle (this is what we usually do).

Boil & Serve

1. Boil your noodles one at a time in salted water until they float, takes about 1-2 minutes. As the previous ones are boiling, you can prepare the next noodles.
2. Transfer them to a serving bowl using a pair of tongs or chopsticks, and serve immediately. Please see the notes below for serving ideas.
3. They don't keep well, but if necessary, you may save them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Coat them in a tiny bit of oil to avoid sticking.