Making dumplings from scratch is easier than it looks – the dough is just flour and water, and you'll learn the folding in three tries. Here is the whole recipe: dough, two filling options and how to cook them. Set aside an hour, ideally with a few people around the kitchen counter – dumplings are made to be made together.
The dough (about 30 dumplings)
- 300 g wheat flour – see our flour selection
- 150 ml warm water
- A pinch of salt
Mix the flour and salt, pour in the water little by little and knead for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes – the rest makes the dough supple enough to roll out thin. Shortcut: ready-made dumpling wrappers from the freezer section (see wrappers) work perfectly.
Classic pork and cabbage filling
- 300 g minced pork
- 150 g finely chopped Chinese cabbage, salted and squeezed dry
- 2 spring onions, 2 cloves of garlic and a thumb of ginger, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil – see Asian sauces
Vegetarian version: swap the meat for finely chopped mushrooms, glass noodles and cabbage – same seasoning. Mix the filling well and stir in one direction until it turns sticky; that gives juicy dumplings that hold together.
How to shape dumplings
- Roll the dough into a log and cut it into walnut-sized pieces.
- Roll each piece into a thin circle, about 8 cm – ideally thinner at the edge than in the middle.
- Place a teaspoon of filling in the middle. No more – overfilled dumplings burst.
- Fold into a half-moon and pinch firmly shut. Beginner's trick: just pinch the edge tightly together without pleats – that holds. The pleats come with practice.
Three ways to cook them
- Steamed: 8–10 minutes in a steamer basket lined with baking paper.
- Boiled: 4–6 minutes in gently simmering water until they float.
- Potsticker: fry in oil until the bottom is golden, pour in a little water, cover with a lid and finish by steaming – the same method as in our gyoza guide.
The dipping sauce
Two parts soy sauce, one part rice vinegar, a few drops of chilli oil. Done.
Frequently asked questions
Can I freeze homemade dumplings? Yes – freeze them raw on a tray until hard, then transfer to a bag. Cook straight from frozen, just add a couple of minutes.
Why do my dumplings burst? Too much filling, or dough rolled too thin at the edge. Less filling and well-pinched edges solve most of it.
What is the difference between dumplings and gyoza? Gyoza is the Japanese variety with extra-thin dough – you'll find the full overview in the dumplings guide.
The shortcut
No time to fold your own? We have over 70 ready-made varieties in the dumplings collection – gyoza, mandu and dim sum – ready in under fifteen minutes. You'll find the rest of the ingredients in the flour and sauce selections at FUDI.
If you want to fry them Japanese style, you'll find ready-made gyoza with us – and the gyoza guide shows you how to get them crispy on the bottom and steamed on top.
