Tim Chin

While dumplings exist all over China, wheat flour dumplings (jiǎo zi) are a staple of Northern China. Northern China (which contains Beijing, Tianjin, and Shaanxi Province) has a more temperate climate, with drier growing seasons and well-draining soil that supports the cultivation of wheat. Southern China (which contains Guangdong, Guizhou, and Hainan Provinces) is hotter, wetter, and the soil is more clay-like—not great for wheat, but perfect for crops like rice. (Northern China is often referred to as “wheat country,” while Southern China is known as “rice country.”)



Since wheat flour doesn’t feature heavily in Southern Chinese food, dumplings in Southern China are mostly made of rice flour or other starches—that’s a deep-dive topic for another day!



What about soup dumplings, har gow, or wontons? Those are dumplings, too, right?

Yes, for sure! But those dumplings are beyond the scope of this guide. There are tons of dumplings found all over China: Some, like jiǎo zi and <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/how-to-make-shanghai-soup-dumplings-with-andrea-nguyen">xiǎo lóng bāo (soup dumplings)</a>, use a wheat flour wrapper but are characterized by different fillings and cooking methods; others, like har gow (crystal shrimp dumplings, also known as xiā jiǎo in Mandarin), don’t have any wheat flour at all, instead relying on a cooked rice flour wrapper (sometimes fortified with wheat starch). And wontons? Those have a paper-thin wheat flour wrapper made with eggs, and they’re more popular in Cantonese cooking.

Getting to Know Jiǎo Zi

For many Chinese people—particularly in Northern China—making and eating dumplings is an integral part of celebrating the Lunar New Year. Believe it or not, it’s all about money. (Well, sort of.)



The various shapes of dumplings are said to resemble, among other things, half-moons and gold or silver ingots—symbols of wealth, prosperity, and good fortune.



More than anything, making dumplings offers a chance for families (and friends) to gather and celebrate with a group activity: One parent makes the dough, another is in charge of the filling, and the kids are left to shaping, racing to see who can pleat the most.

Dumplings: A Lunar New Year tradition

A good dumpling wrapper should have three qualities: It should be able to encase the filling without tearing; it should be pliable enough to pleat easily and elastic enough to hold its shape well, even through cooking; and it should have a pleasing cooked texture (this will depend on individual taste) that can range from thick and chewy to silky and supple. All these traits depend on the dough’s composition and the way it’s processed. We can break that idea down further into flour type, hydration, mixing method, and rolling method.

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Recipe for homemade Chinese dumpling wrappers

Homemade Dumpling Wrappers

The Wrappers

You can use any wheat flour to make dumpling dough, but using a blend and adjusting the ratio of flours in the blend can give you more control over its texture, appearance, and handling.



Northern Chinese flour is relatively high in protein content (around 11%), which produces a sturdier, chewier dumpling wrapper. It’s also milled finely (to around 50 to 70 micrometers) and much of the bran is sifted out, so it produces a smooth dough with a bright white color that’s easy to handle, thanks to reduced elasticity (i.e. snapback). There are few flours available in North America that match these parameters exactly, but we can get pretty darn close.



After extensive development, we settled on a favorite flour formula of a 70/30 blend of all-purpose flour to cake flour for a dumpling wrapper with the perfect balance of silkiness and chewiness.



00 Flour
 
00 flour, typically used for Italian pasta and pizza doughs, is a high protein flour (11.5 to 13%). “00” refers to its fine particle size, which hovers around 70 micrometers. It’s a great option for dumpling dough. Unfortunately, it can be hard to find in grocery stores.



King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
 
This is another relatively high-protein flour (11.7%), but unlike 00 flour, it isn’t milled as finely. The resulting dough is a touch more elastic and darker in color. It produces a beige dumpling dough with quite a bit of chew and a slightly rougher surface.



King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour
 
This flour clocks in around 10% protein content and is milled even finer than 00 flour (particle size can be as low as 15 micrometers). That combination yields dough that’s softer, more supple, and a bit brighter in color. Cake flour produces dumplings with a silky, tender, more delicate texture with far less chew and structure. It’s not a great option on its own, but it’s helpful in a flour blend.

Flour Type

Many flours list their protein content as a percentage, a number that can be used as shorthand for the amount of gluten-forming in the flour. In other words, the higher the protein content, the higher the gluten-forming potential of a flour. That’s important if we want stretchy, extensible doughs with plenty of chew.



Note that this is a general rule, and there are some exceptions. For example, whole wheat flour typically has a high gluten-forming protein percentage. But it also contains a good amount of bran, the fibrous outer layer protecting each grain kernel. When milled, bran breaks apart into sharp particles, which tear gluten strands apart; if the bran isn’t removed from the flour, as is the case with whole wheat flours, the flour will produce denser, rougher doughs with reduced extensibility, similar to doughs made from flours with lower protein content.

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Convert all-purpose flour into bread flour using Vital Wheat Gluten Flour.

How to Make Any Flour Into “Bread Flour”

Protein content and gluten-forming potential

Hydration—the proportion of water to the proportion of flour—dictates how dough handles. If the hydration is too high, the dough becomes too stretchy and slack, unable to retain its shape; if it’s too low, the dough fights back too much, making shaping and pleating difficult.



In general, it’s best to keep the hydration of dumpling dough in the 45 to 55% range. This number fluctuates depending on the flour you choose, mostly due to variance in water absorption capacity between flour types. For most doughs at this range, we see a balance between elasticity and extensibility, the dough sticks to itself when pleated, and it holds its shape well even after cooking.

Hydration

Want to add some color to your dough? Sure, you could add a few drops of food dye and call it a day. But we like the flavor and nuance of ingredients like beet juice or even carrot juice. They lend not only vibrant color but also subtle flavor and sweetness. We tested two methods here.



To color a dough with vegetable juice, simply juice or blend vegetables and strain them. Substitute strained juice for the water in the <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/dumpling-wrappers">dough recipe</a>.

What about flavoring or coloring dumpling dough?

Dumpling dough consists of just flour, water, and salt, and it typically does not require extensive mixing or kneading. But there is one important element: water temperature.



Hot Water Dough
 
Many dumpling doughs are “hot water doughs.” Adding boiling water to flour denatures some of the gluten-forming proteins, effectively limiting gluten development. It also partially gelatinizes the starches in flour, and the combination of these two processes leads to a smoother, more pliable, more supple dough with less elasticity or snapback—perfect for rolling out and shaping delicate wrappers. Hot water doughs also produce cooked dumplings that are very tender and silky. Finally, that jump-start to gelatinization can lead to a crispier pan-fried dumpling (gelatinization is the key to making many foods crispy).



Resting:
 
Resting is still a key feature of a successful dough wrapper. While a hot water dough is generally more pliable and extensible than a traditional dough, it still contains gluten, so it will still be elastic right after mixing. That elasticity, or snapback, is a key feature of freshly kneaded dough. Gluten proteins (specifically glutenin, a long, chain-like protein) get jumbled up and stick to each other, which makes the dough tough.



In other words: A freshly mixed wheat flour dough will fight back, and it will be tough to roll out and shape. But if we leave that dough alone, those chain-like proteins untangle slightly, reducing the number of bonds between them, making the dough more malleable and extensible (i.e. it relaxes). For rolling dumpling dough, we found that resting at least 60 minutes and up to 12 hours gave us the best results.

Mixing and Resting

Many dumpling dough recipes use cold water, with the goal of developing structure and chew above any other qualities. That structure is especially helpful for boiled dumplings, which are more likely to be agitated violently during cooking. The downside? Cold water doughs are harder to roll thin and shape.

What about cold water doughs?

Store-bought wrappers make great dumplings! While making your own gives you control over dough handling and the final texture, store-bought doughs are super convenient and give you some options. Here are a few wrappers we recommend:



<a href="https://twinmarquis.com/products/northern-style-dumpling-wrapper/">Twin Marquis Northern-Style Dumpling Wrappers</a>

These are a medium thickness dumpling wrapper, striking a balance between chew and delicate texture.



<a href="https://twinmarquis.com/products/hong-kong-style-dumpling-wrapper/">Twin Marquis Hong Kong–Style Dumpling Wrappers</a>
 
For those who prefer a thinner, more delicate wrapper with a silkier texture, this is a good option.
 


<a href="https://www.myojousa.com/product/gyoza-wrapper/">Myojo Gyoza/Potsticker Wrappers</a>

Japanese gyoza, while similar in many respects to jiǎo zi, typically have a much thinner, more translucent wrapper. These specific wrappers are made slightly thicker, somewhere between the Hong Kong– and Northern-Style Twin Marquis wrappers.

What about store-bought dumpling wrappers?

Once mixed, kneaded, and sufficiently rested, the dough needs to be rolled and shaped into disks before filling and shaping. You have two options when it comes to tools for rolling out dumpling wrappers: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Helens-Asian-Kitchen-97137-10-Inches/dp/B07NRRK353?tag=chefsteps02-20">a rolling pin</a> or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Marcato-Atlas-Roller-180-Millimeter-Instructions/dp/B000T28YKC?tag=chefsteps02-20">a pasta roller</a>. More on these two methods below.



Wrapper Thickness
 
Wrapper thickness is a subject of contentious debate, but we’ve found that a thickness of between 1.5 and 2 millimeters is optimal*.



Thin wrappers produce a more delicate, more silky texture, but they are harder to handle and shape.


 
Thick wrappers are easier to handle and shape, but they are chewier and more substantial when cooked.


Ultimately, wrapper thickness comes down to personal preference. If we had to generalize, Northern Chinese people might prefer a thicker, chewier wrapper, 2 millimeters or more in thickness, whereas Southern Chinese might prefer a thinner wrapper with far less chew.



*Below 1.5 millimeters, we start to enter Japanese gyoza territory, at which point the disks become even more difficult to shape and pleat.

Rolling Out Wrappers

This is the most traditional method for rolling out wrappers. To roll dumpling dough out by hand, the dough is shaped into ropes, then divided into roughly 10 to 15 g portions. Each portion is flattened, then rolled to a 3 1/2-inch-diameter disk using a specific rolling and turning motion with a small rolling pin: One hand rolls the dough downward with the pin while the other hand rotates the dough in 90-degree increments to maintain a uniform circular shape.



This technique requires a fair amount of practice, and there are a few downsides: There can be significant variance in thickness based on how much pressure is applied, and the process can be time-consuming, especially for novices. Hand-rolling is also easier to do with a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Helens-Asian-Kitchen-97137-10-Inches/dp/B07NRRK353?tag=chefsteps02-20">small wooden dowel</a> (between 8 and 11 inches), rather than a standard full-size rolling pin.



Some dumpling enthusiasts argue that hand-rolling results in a sturdier dumpling, since the wrapper can intentionally be rolled thinner at the edges and thicker in the center, providing a structurally sound base for the filling.



Pros
 
No waste.
 
Low barrier to entry for equipment.
 
Wrapper can be rolled thinner at the edges and thicker in the center, which will produce a sturdier dumpling.



Cons
 
Requires practice.
 
Time-consuming.
 
Potential for significant variance in thickness of the wrappers, depending on the skill of the cook.

Rolling Pin Method

This is our preferred method. If consistency and precision are the goals, there’s no better option than using a pasta roller. The dough can be rolled to exact dimensions and thickness, and there’s no guessing involved. The process is also a bit faster and more beginner-friendly—roll out dough sheets with the machine, punch circles out with a ring cutter, and you’re good to go.



The downside? There is some amount of trim and potential waste involved after punching out wrappers. But if you’ve got extra time, the trim can be re-kneaded, rested, and re-rolled for more wrappers.



Pros
 
Fast.
 
User- and beginner-friendly.
 
Uniform, consistent thickness and shape.



Cons
 
There will always be a little trim or waste.
 
Requires special equipment.

Pasta Roller Method

Once you’ve rolled or punched out all of your wrappers, it’s customary to store them in neat stacks before shaping—especially if you’re not shaping right away. The problem? Wrappers tend to stick together over time and separating them can deform them before filling.



To prevent sticking, it’s common to dust each wrapper with a dry alternative starch, like cornstarch, potato starch, or tapioca starch. These starches do not bond as easily to wheat starch, preventing sticking. And because they aren’t absorbed by the dough, the starch won’t alter the hydration and texture of the wrappers.

How to keep dumpling wrappers from sticking together

While fillings can vary by region and personal preference, there are certain guidelines to follow when making jiǎo zi:



The filling should be reasonably homogenous and hold its shape when packed. It should exhibit some degree of binding, which aids in shaping the dumplings.



There shouldn’t be a massive textural difference between the wrapper and the filling. (No one wants to bite into a tender dumpling, only for a hockey puck of a meatball to drop right out onto the plate. That’s the dumpling equivalent of the dreaded onion ring pull-out.)



The filling is often a combination of meat and vegetables (though vegetarian/vegan fillings are perfectly acceptable). Meat to vegetable ratios range from 1:1 to as high as 3:1 by weight.



Seasonings and aromatics are essential, but they shouldn’t overwhelm the flavor of the core ingredients. 

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Recipe for classic pork, shrimp, and cabbage dumplings.

Pork, Shrimp, and Cabbage Dumplings

Crab and Mushroom Dumplings

The Filling

Ground or minced raw meat and seafood aren’t just used in dumpling fillings because they’re tasty. They’re also rich in myosin, the sticky protein in muscle fibers. When chopped or ground, vigorously stirred, and exposed to salt, muscle fibers release myosin, which helps bind the mixture without the need for additives like eggs or starch. (We leverage the sticky qualities of myosin in our <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/pork-shrimp-cabbage-dumplings">Pork, Shrimp, and Cabbage Dumplings</a>, as well as ground meat preparations like <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/poulet-farci">Poulet Farci</a> and our <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/sous-vide-spam">DIY Sous Vide Spam</a>.)



If you’re not using ground meat or are using a precooked protein, like lump crab meat in our <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/crab-mushroom-dumplings">Crab and Mushroom Dumplings</a>, then you’ll need to use other ingredients, such as a cornstarch slurry, to bind the mixture, or, in the case of crab, a healthy amount of lard—saturated fats like lard solidify at room temperature, which helps firm up the mixture.

Meat and Seafood

Vegetables add flavor and texture to a filling, but they also serve as a bulking agent, making a little meat go a long way. But they aren’t included just to cut costs; vegetable matter helps to regulate the bounciness of the meat component, producing a more desirable texture. Here are some common additions:



Cabbage: Cabbage is by far the most popular choice for Chinese dumpling fillings. It’s often salted or blanched, then wrung out to purge excess moisture before being added to the dumpling filling. Doing so yields a moist, tender filling that doesn’t read too watery or mushy. We like Taiwanese flat cabbage, napa, or even savoy cabbage for this application.



Mushrooms: Mushrooms—particularly rehydrated dried shiitakes or wood ear mushrooms—add earthy flavor but more importantly, they offer textural variation and elevate the perception of chewy “meatiness.”



Water chestnuts or jicama: These watery, crunchy, slightly sweet vegetables add a pleasing crunch to fillings that would otherwise scan as soft or mushy (also see: our <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/xiu-mai-vietnamese-meatballs">Vietnamese xíu mại recipe</a>). They often retain their crunch even after cooking.

Vegetables

Seasoning and aromatics should complement and enhance the flavor of the meat and vegetables, but they shouldn’t be distracting or overpowering. A handful of seasonings and aromatics are commonly used in dumplings:



Seasonings: Light soy sauce, salt, white pepper, toasted sesame oil, chicken or pork fat, chicken bouillon powder. 



Aromatics: Scallions, ginger, garlic, garlic chives.

Seasonings and Aromatics

Finally, the fun part!



Entire books could be devoted to shaping dumplings. We’ve found no less than 30 different ways to shape and pleat. But let’s back up a sec: Why is shaping or pleating important in the first place?



Shaping: The shape of the dumpling affects how it will cook and, consequently, determines the ideal cooking method. It also will determine the texture of the cooked dough.



Pleating: When done correctly, pleating increases the number of sealing points, reducing the chances of a dumpling unraveling or breaking when cooked. It also influences the overall shape, gives the dumpling a beautiful appearance, and can change the texture (and required cooking time) of the dough.



To illustrate these ideas, consider two pan-fried dumplings: one a pleated half-moon and the other an unpleated half-moon.



Cinching the dough to form pleats will naturally create a flat bottom side to the dumpling, which is ideal for pan-frying, as it maximizes surface area contact with a pan and can therefore crisp more evenly and efficiently. At the same time, wherever the dough is pleated, it becomes thicker, as multiple layers of dough are pushed together. Thicker portions of dough will take longer to cook to become tender.



So while the pleated half-moon will be crispier and have better browning, it will take a little longer for the dough to cook through. In light of that, the unpleated half-moon is in fact better suited to an alternative cooking method, like boiling or (since it lacks pleats, and the wrapper is therefore less secure) steaming.

Shaping and Pleating

For a 3 1/2-inch diameter wrapper, the general guideline is between 15 and 18 g of filling (about a tablespoon, usually). This number depends on the filling itself (whether it packs densely or more loosely) and the final intended shape.

How much filling should I use?

Shaping and pleating are skills that require practice and repetition, but there are a few things you can do to set yourself up for success:



The filling should approximate the final shape: For example, for a half-moon shape, forming the filling in the wrapper as a roughly flat oval or rectangle gives a good starting point for shaping.



While shaping, do your best to avoid unintentionally stretching the dough: Working with the dough, rather than trying to force it to conform to a specific shape, is important. Be gentle!



Pleat more aggressively: Pleating requires a little stretching and deformation of the dough. Whereas shaping requires a gentle hand, you can be a little more aggressive with dough handling and crimping while forming pleats.



Consistency is key: When making successive pleats, try to maintain a consistent size and distance between the pleats. Uniform spacing between pleats results in a tidy, clean shape.

Shaping and pleating tips

Here are 12 common shapes, grouped by shape and organized by how difficult it is to make them.

Dumpling Shapes for All Skill Levels

Difficulty: 🥟 
 
Best for: Boiling



The most basic shape. The wrapper is filled, folded in half, then pressed at the edges to seal.

Half-Moon (Bàn Yuè Jiǎo Zi)

Difficulty: 🥟 
 
 Best for: Boiling



A basic shape that ensures a better seal. Starting from the normal half-moon, pinch the middle together to form a rustic shape.

Pinched Half-Moon

Difficulty: 🥟 
 
Best for: Pan-frying or steaming



A basic shape that might be even easier to shape than the unpleated half-moon, this shape represents a class of shapes that are partially sealed. It’s only suited to pan-frying or steaming, since the filling is not fully sealed, and boiling would risk blowing the contents apart. The filling also tends to firm up more, since any juices tend to leak out during the cooking process.

Open Potsticker

Difficulty: 🥟🥟 
 
Best for: Pan-frying or steaming



This shape looks like a piece of candy or four-pointed box. It’s relatively easy to shape, but it requires special attention to seal the edges properly. It has a large flat bottom that makes it ideal for pan-frying.

Potsticker

Difficulty: 🥟🥟🥟 
 
Best for: Pan-frying or steaming



Starting from the basic potsticker shape, the ends of each long side are brought together and pinched, forming a tight parcel with a divot in the center.

Pinched Potsticker

Difficulty: 🥟🥟 

Best for: Steaming or pan-frying



Starting from the normal half-moon, the ends are wrapped and pinched together, forming a circular shape that resembles an ingot of gold or silver.

Ingot (Yuán Bǎo Jiǎo Zi)

Difficulty: 🥟🥟
 
Best for: Boiling, steaming, or pan-frying



The pleated half-moon is arguably the most well-known dumpling shape, and there are many variations. It’s also one of the most versatile shapes, and it’s great steamed, boiled, or pan-fried.

2-Pleat Half-Moon (Yuè Yá Jiǎo Zi)

Difficulty: 🥟🥟 

Best for: Boiling, steaming, or pan-frying

Bidirectional 4-Pleat Half-Moon

Difficulty: 🥟🥟🥟 

Best for: Boiling, steaming, or pan-frying

Bidirectional 6-Pleat Half-Moon

Bidirectional 8-Pleat Half-Moon

Difficulty: 🥟🥟🥟🥟 

Best for: Boiling, steaming, or pan-frying

Unidirectional 8-Pleat Half-Moon

Difficulty: 🥟🥟🥟🥟🥟 

 Best for: Steaming or pan-frying



This shape is the toughest and most time-consuming pleating method we’ll demonstrate. It requires some practice, but the result closely resembles a willow or tea leaf.

Pleated Leaf (Liǔ Yè Xíng)

There are three common ways to cook dumplings: boiling, steaming, and pan-frying. These methods produce different textures, and some are better suited to specific shapes of dumplings.

Cooking

Boiling is simple and effective, albeit brute-force, method for cooking dumplings. Boiling guarantees a fully cooked wrapper. At the extreme, boiling is capable of producing the most tender, silkiest texture, since there is ample water and heat necessary to gelatinize the wrapper. If you prefer a smooth, slippery exterior and softer eating texture with very little resistance, boiling is the way to go.



“Boiling” is a bit of a misnomer, since a rolling boil will jostle and knock the dumplings around a lot, which increases the risk of the wrapper breaking or the filling leaking out. What you’re going for is more of a steady simmer.



Traditionally, Chinese cooks employ a technique called “diǎn shuǐ”: cold water is added at intervals in three separate additions to keep the water from rising to a full boil, which limits the amount of jostling in the pot. The alternative is to use precise temperature control, either by maintaining a low simmer or using equipment like <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/product/control-freak-home">the Control Freak™ Home</a>.



What you’ll need:
 
Large pot.
 
Spider strainer or slotted spoon.



Cook time for fresh dumplings: 6 minutes
 


Cook time for frozen dumplings: 8 minutes

Boiled Dumplings

Compared to boiling, steaming is a gentle cooking method. It’s best for delicate fillings and thinner wrappers, as well as open-faced or unsealed shapes. There’s also less risk of overcooking dumplings when steaming.



The texture of steamed dumplings tends to be firmer and chewier than boiled dumplings.



What you’ll need:


Bamboo steamer. 
 
Wok or large pot. 
 
Perforated parchment rounds or cabbage leaves to line steamer baskets.



Cook time for fresh dumplings: 10 minutes 
 


Cook time for frozen dumplings: 12 minutes

Steamed Dumplings

Pan-frying produces dumplings with the most textural variation: It has the semi-tender texture of steaming, with the crispiness of a pan-fried bottom. We found using a nonstick pan and starting the dumplings in cold oil produced the best results. Once the bottoms brown slightly, we add water and steam them, before letting the water evaporate to fully brown and crisp the dumplings.



This unique steam-fry method tends to give a bubbly, crackly appearance to the dumplings, if executed properly.
 


What you’ll need:
 
Nonstick skillet with a lid.
 
Neutral oil.

Water.



Cook time for fresh dumplings: 3 minutes uncovered, 5 to 6 minutes covered, 3 minutes uncovered 




Cook time for frozen dumplings: 3 minutes uncovered, 7 to 8 minutes covered, 3 minutes uncovered

Pan-Fried Dumplings

The crispy, lacy skirt that sometimes surrounds some pan-fried dumplings isn’t typical of Chinese cuisine. In fact, it’s most commonly associated with Japanese gyoza, in a preparation known as hanetsuki gyoza, or “winged” gyoza.



That said, the preparation has become popular because ... well, it looks cool, and the dumplings are accompanied by more crispy stuff. If you want a lacy skirt, here’s how to do it:



Make a slurry of about 20 g flour or cornstarch or potato starch (or a combination of the two), 30 g water, and 5 g neutral oil (flour slurries will take on more browning, while starch slurries will be crispier with less browning). Use the slurry instead of water for the steaming step when pan-frying dumplings.



Once the dumplings have steamed, remove the cover and continue cooking the dumplings until the skirt is crispy and set. Using a spatula, gently release the skirt and attached dumplings from the pan.

What about dumplings with that cool lacy skirt?

In more traditional settings, jiǎo zi are often served without any sauces or accoutrements. For purists, it’s all about the texture of the wrapper and flavor of the filling. But it’s nevertheless common to serve dumplings with a dipping sauce.



At minimum, black or Chinese red vinegar, soy sauce, or chile oil are passed at the table, especially in Northern China. These ingredients can be mixed into a cohesive dipping sauce, but the gist of it is: The sauces should complement, not overpower the flavor of the dumplings. We’ve developed an <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/dumpling-sauce">All-Purpose Dumpling Sauce</a> that pairs well with pretty much any dumpling.


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All-Purpose Dumpling Sauce

Serving

While making dumplings from scratch can be a bit of a project, there are a couple key stopping points and opportunities to make things ahead of time.



Rolled or cut wrappers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. To defrost, let them sit overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter until pliable, about 3 hours.



Fillings can be prepared and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Defrosted filling should be stirred until recombined before filling dumplings.



Shaped dumplings can be stored on a parchment-lined sheet pan, wrapped tightly in plastic, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. They can also be frozen, uncovered, on a 1/2 sheet pan lined with parchment until solid, then transferred to freezer zipper-lock bags and frozen for up to 2 months.



With all those options at your disposal, you’ve got plenty of ways to get your dumpling fix, any time you want.

Make Ahead and Make a Lot

Frozen dumplings are the ultimate convenience food: Buy a big (affordable) bag at the grocery store, stash it in your freezer, and in minutes you can prepare a plate of tasty and plump dumplings any number of ways.And there’s nothing wrong with that! But the ubiquity of prepared dumplings, many of which are perfectly fine, may make the prospect of making them yourself seem silly. Why go through the trouble when there’s tons of variety in the freezer case?Because homemade dumplings are better in every way!Even if you grab a stack of prepared dumpling skins and make the filling(s) yourself, your dumplings will be way better than the frozen ones pulled out of a branded bag, and you can customize the fillings to suit your specific tastes. And if you go the extra mile and <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/dumpling-wrappers">make the wrappers</a> yourself, they’ll be even better, and you’ll have more options: silky and delicate thin skins, chewy and sturdy thicker skins, and everything in between.And, of course, making anything yourself is fun—and that’s particularly true of shaping and pleating dumplings, and since extra hands make quick work, you can get your family and friends involved!This guide will walk you through every step of making Chinese wheat flour dumplings (jiǎo zi) —from making the dough and fillings to shaping, folding, and cooking them in several ways.

The Ultimate Guide to Chinese Dumplings (Jiǎo Zi)