Much thanks pointclick. You gave me some definite answers during a lot of contradicting information. I read your post before trying out the dough this morning so I knew it probably wasn't going to work now. But I still tried. Good to know that while salt and an alkaline help, they are not the key to the stretching of the dough.
The dough in the morning did stretch a lot better. But still broke before getting an arms width. This wasn't for the final stretching, but preliminairy stretching where you'd twirl it back together, to stretch it out and twirl it back in the opposite direction. To further help stretch the gluten in a single direction for the final stretching.
I do like the point if low protein flours make for more stretchty doughs, but that the high protein flour makes for far better tasting noodles. So all the extra effort will be rewarded in the end. However since I live in the Netherlands. I can't get the specific 15% protein flour you mentioned. If I would go through the effort of getting Hummer flour, I might as well get the flour they use for noodles in asia, which I actually might. I have wondered if just adding some whey protein powder would help with the stretching, but if extra gluten won't help just protein powder also won't, very good to know.
The entire point of being able to do this, for me. Is to be able to make noodles better than in stores and restaurants, just with my own hands. So perhaps a noodle machine won't be for me. But the point I'll take from it is that the dough needs far more initial kneading. I've heard people say it needs 20 to 30 minutes. But for my next attempt I'll try an hour and see if after another hour of rest even the 12% protein flour becomes more stretchy.
What I picked up though on actual noodle stretching technique is to tug in small spurts, to stretch a little and then letting off before stretching again. And also that during the final stretching to twist the hands a little. You probably already knew that pointclick, but just in case.
Edit: Knowing that a sulphite will help further relax the dough is also a good tip. I might try and get my hands on some sukpher dioxide or something else to help relax the dough eventually.
