There's nothing quite like digging into a bowl full of steaming hot, Asian-style dumplings. Something is wonderfully comforting about dumplings and even more so if they're homemade. They warm your soul! Our homemade dumpling wrapper recipe brings the tastes and delights of Asian-style dumplings to your kitchen.
Dumpling wrappers are surprisingly easy to make, too; all you need is flour and water. You can make things even easier with a tortilla maker. Then, when you've got your dumpling wrappers ready to go, you can pick and choose your favorite fillings!
Dumpling wrapper recipe FAQ
Flour and water, that's all you need to prepare delicious Asian wrappers at home. Once you've practiced the techniques a few times, the preparation becomes even easier.
But, we're sure you have a few burning questions. How do you get the wrappers super-thin? Can you freeze dumpling wrappers? Rolling pin or tortilla press? We put together this detailed dumpling wrapper recipe FAQ to answer these questions, and many more!
How do I make super-thin dumpling wrappers?
The beauty of an Asian dumpling is in the taste of the dough and ingredients in the center and the wrapper's consistency and texture. Asian-style dumplings aren't thick. They aren't just thin, either. They're what can only be described as super thin!
We like to cheat at this stage. As we've already suggested, a tortilla maker is perfect for flattening out those discs of dough into dumpling wrappers. Yes, we know. Tortilla makers aren't Asian. They are distinctly Mexican. We hear you, but have you ever heard of fusion food?
A tortilla press will flatten out your dumpling wrappers in seconds, leaving you with more time to spend cooking up those filling instead. A tortilla maker also gives you the correct circular shape you need for the dumplings without cutting the dough into shape again.
If you haven't got a tortilla maker at home, you could also try using a pasta maker to get the dough into shape. The pasta maker will give you the thin consistency, but you'll need to cut the dough into shape afterward. If you don't have a tortilla maker or pasta maker, you need to roll the dumpling wrappers into shape with a rolling pin. However, using a rolling pin alone can make it challenging to get the wrappers super thin!
What's the best way to shape dumpling wrappers?
Okay, so the ingredients are simple for our dumpling wrapper recipe (you only need flour and water). While the directions are straight forward, we do understand that in practice, getting the dumplings into shape can be tricky if you've never done it before.
Asian-style dumplings have that distinctive crimp along one side, and they need to be the right shape to hold in all those juicy, succulent dumpling fillings you've prepared. The secret is to have a dumpling wrapper that's slightly thinner around the edges than it is in the middle.
That way, you can get that crimp without having the dumpling fall apart when you wrap up the fillings. You can do this individually using a rolling pin once you've flattened the discs of dough in the tortilla maker. Roll the pin lightly around the edges while turning the dough in one direction.
What fillings should I prepare for my dumpling wrapper recipe?
Okay, so this recipe is all about making the perfect dumpling wrappers, but once you've prepared your wrappers, you need something to wrap inside them!
We'll save the exact recipes for a different article, but let's say there are many other options. Every destination, country, town, or city you could imagine has its unique style of dumpling and filling. Most dumplings will be savory, with a mixture of meat, vegetables, herbs, and spices. To make it easier to fill a dumpling, you can grind the ingredients, so they are smaller.
If you're looking for Asian-style fillings, then here a few ideas:
- Lamb dumplings
- Ground beef dumplings
- Potato and leek dumplings
- Cheese dumplings
- Japanese cabbage and pork dumplings
- Pork and scallion dumplings
- Shrimp or crab dumplings
How do I cook my homemade dumpling wrappers?
There are so many different fillings and styles of dumplings, so as you can imagine, there are also many different ways to cook your dumping too!
Fillings are usually precooked, and once you've folded the filling inside the wrapper, then the simplest way to cook the dumplings is in hot, simmering water. Place the dumplings in small batches directly into the water and allow them to cook for two or three minutes.
Dumplings can also be fried lightly in oil if you're looking for a crispier rather than a soft finish. Japanese gyozas, for instance, are boiled, then lightly fried on one side only.
Asian-style dumplings are delicious when dipped in soy sauce or chili oil, but you can also use your dumplings for other recipes too. If you are are wanting more with your dumplings, you could cook up a tasty Wonton Soup or Pork Dumpling Broth.
Can I store the dumpling wrappers for later?
Dumplings wrappers should always be used immediately, where possible. It's traditional in Asian households to prepare dumpling wrappers fresh and to eat them right away (after filling and cooking them, of course). Dumpling wrappers won't keep very well in the fridge, so we don't recommend even trying to store them overnight.
Simply put, you can't prepare your dumpling wrappers for later unless you're going to freeze them appropriately. Then you'll lose most of the freshness when you thaw them at a later date. If you prepare them for freezing or make too many, store the dumpling wrappers in small stacks in airtight containers. These containers will make the wrappers easier to defrost without falling apart.
When it's time to defrost them, let them thaw naturally on the side rather than trying to microwave them. Defrosting your dumplings in a microwave causes them to fall apart before you've even had a chance to fill them and cook them!
What flour should I use in my dumpling wrapper recipe?
Our dumpling wrapper recipe is great to make at home because it uses all-purpose flour, which you probably already have stored away in your cupboards. If not, you'll find all-purpose flour in any supermarket. You don't need to go to an Asian-store to find any special brands or specific types of flour, making it super-easy!
You can add a dash of salt to the mixture if you want to create a hardier texture when you're mixing the flour with water. If you have specific dietary requirements, then you can also try using other types of flour. Gluten-free flour can be commonly found in supermarkets, for instance.
If you're not using all-purpose flour, then you'll need to experiment to get the ratios right when you first start preparing your dumpling wrappers!
What's the perfect ratio of flour to water?
Our dumpling wrapper recipe has only two ingredients, but it's still essential to get the ratios right. There's no exact science to finding the perfect balance of flour to water because everyone likes their dumplings a certain way, with a certain thickness and texture.
Our recipe suggests half a cup of water for every two cups of all-purpose flour. Other flours (even specific brands) can have different consistencies, so use this ratio as a guideline when you're preparing your dumplings.
Another variant that works well is hot water dumpling dough. Rather than using cold water, you prepare boiling water and allow it to cool slightly. Pour the warm water directly into the flour mixture and prepare as per our recipe instructions. Warm water dough needs 2/3 of a cup of water for every 2 cups of flour.
You can use warm water dumplings to create an even thinner consistency, so this is more of an advanced dumpling preparation technique. This dough works really well if you want to fry your dumplings in oil rather than boiling them. It helps to create a super-crispy finish!
If you get it wrong, don't worry! You can add more flour if it's too watery and more water if it's too floury!
That's a wrap for our dumpling wrapper recipe!
Our recipe makes a whopping 30 dumpling wrappers, but once they're loaded up with fillings and steaming on the side, you'll quickly realize that there's never enough dumplings on this earth.
We know that you're going to be craving more of those hearty, filling dumplings soon enough, so we'd recommend saving this article for next week. Trust us; this is one recipe you don't want to lose!
Bookmark our homemade dumpling wrappers recipe for your next Asian-inspired dinner.
Care to learn more? Check out our homemade flour tortilla recipe!
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