These sourdough dumplings are a great way to use up some of your sourdough discard. If you want, you can ferment the dough for easier digestibility and richer flavor. It involves a little planning ahead but it’s super simple and requires very little hands on time.
I prefer an old fashioned homemade flat dumpling (some people refer to these as sliders) over canned biscuits or the fluffy round dumplings. It’s all personal preference, my husband grew up eating dumplings made from canned biscuits and that is still what he prefers. I like to do the fermented option to make these a little healthier and give them a rich flavor. I will usually start them the morning that I want to make the dumplings and let them sit out on the counter all day. It makes dinner time a lot easier for me if I can start things ahead of time.
How to Make Sourdough Dumplings
These really are very simple to make with few ingredients. Here is what you’ll need:
- all purpose flour
- salt
- lard, butter, or shortening (I use leaf lard)
- milk
- egg
- sourdough starter
You can make these dumplings with ripe and fed sourdough starter or discard. If you want to ferment your dumplings make sure it is fed and ripe. Otherwise, these can be made just as quickly as regular dumplings using sourdough discard.
Simply combine all ingredients into a medium mixing bowl until you have a smooth dough. If you decide to let your dough ferment, it can sit out on the counter for 6-10 hours or up to 24 hours in the fridge. When you are ready to cook your dumplings, roll the dough out on a floured cutting board or countertop to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut to the size that you like. I use a pizza cutter to make it quick and easy. Make sure all your pieces are well coated with flour. Prepare your chicken and broth to your liking. When the chicken and broth come to a full boil, drop the dumplings in one at a time. Cook 10-15 minutes and enjoy!
Sourdough Dumplings (for Chicken and Dumplings)
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 150 grams sourdough starter about a heaping half cup
- 2.5 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp lard, butter, or shortening
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- First, whisk the egg and milk together in a medium sized bowl until well combined.
- Add the sourdough starter, flour, salt, lard, and baking soda. Mix with a spatula or spoon until well combined. I like to finish combining the ingredients with my hands until I have a smooth dough.
- If you want to let your dough ferment, you can do so on the counter for 6-10 hours until or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- When you are ready to make the dumplings, prepare your broth and chicken to your liking. Make sure the broth has come to a boil before adding your dumplings.
- Lightly flour your countertop or large cutting board. Roll the dough out to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Cut dumplings to the size of your choice. Tip: I like to use a pizza cutter to make this step super quick and easy.
- Dust all the dumpling pieces lightly with flour. Add them one at a time to the boiling broth. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the dumplings begin to sink to the bottom of the pot.
- Enjoy!