Handmade Dumpling Wrappers
A store-bought wrapper will always be thicker and more brittle than one you roll yourself. Once you feel the dough turn silky under your palm, you will stop buying the pre-cut squares entirely.
Resting is not optional
If you try to roll the dough immediately after kneading, it will fight you and shrink back into a ball. Give it at least thirty minutes for the flour to fully hydrate.
- Mixing bowl
- Rolling pin
- Damp kitchen towel
- Round biscuit cutter (optional)
What goes in.
- 2 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
- 3/4 cuphot water (not quite boiling)
- 1/4 tspfine sea salt
Tapered edges for seamless sealing
Keep the center of the wrapper slightly thicker than the edges. When you pleat the dumpling, the edges will fold together into a neat, uniform ridge.
The method.
Mix the dough
Whisk salt into flour. Pour in the hot water while stirring with chopsticks or a fork until a shaggy, uneven mass forms.
Knead until smooth
Turn the dough onto a clean counter. Knead for 8-10 minutes. It starts out rough but will become as smooth as an earlobe.
The first rest
Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Divide and shape
Roll the dough into a long log about an inch thick. Cut into 40 equal pieces. Keep them under the towel so they don't dry out.
Roll the wrappers
Flatten a piece with your palm. Use a rolling pin to flatten the edges while rotating the dough, leaving the center slightly raised.
Other turns to take.
Colored Wrappers
Replace a portion of the water with spinach juice for green wrappers or beet juice for pink.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use hot water to partially denature the proteins in the flour, making the final skin tender rather than chewy.
If the dough is too sticky, add flour one tablespoon at a time; if too dry, add water with a wet finger.
Dust your counter lightly with cornstarch instead of flour when rolling; it prevents the wrappers from sticking to each other without adding excess thickness.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I make these in advance?
You can keep the dough in the fridge for up to one day, but the wrappers are best used immediately after rolling.
Why are my wrappers snapping back?
The gluten is too tight. Let the dough rest longer or give it a few minutes to relax after you have divided it into individual pieces.
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