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1
Dissolve the salt in the cold water. Add the cold salted water gradually to the flour, mixing as you go, until a shaggy dough forms. Knead firmly for 10–12 minutes until the dough is smooth, dense, and strongly elastic — it should resist the hand and spring back when pressed. A dough that yields too easily is too soft for slicing.
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2
Shape the dough into a compact loaf. Cover tightly and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. The dough should remain stiff throughout; it should not relax into softness.
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3
Bring a large pot of water to a full rolling boil. Hold the rested loaf against the shoulder with the non-dominant hand. Using the curved Shanxi blade held at a 45-degree angle to the surface of the dough, slice with a controlled forward motion aimed directly at the boiling water below. Each slice should taper from 3–5 mm at the centre to near-paper thinness at the edges. This is where the dish lives or dies: the angle, the rhythm, and the stiffness of the dough together determine whether each ribbon is a graduated sliver or a thick, uneven slab. An incorrect angle or a dough too soft will defeat the technique entirely.
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4
Cook the sliced noodles in the boiling water for 2–3 minutes only. They are ready when the thin edges are tender and translucent while the thicker centre retains a perceptible chew. Remove immediately; do not hold in the water.
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5
For the tomato-egg sauce: heat the oil in a wok over high heat, scramble the beaten eggs until just set and remove. In the same wok, stir-fry the minced meat until cooked through, then add the tomatoes and cook until they collapse into a loose, fragrant sauce. Return the eggs, season with salt, and stir to combine. The sauce is ready when it smells of reduced tomato and cooked egg together, with no raw meat scent remaining.
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6
Drain the noodles and serve immediately in bowls, topped with the sauce. Dao xiao mian do not hold: serve at once.