• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • About Me
    • Contributors

Sees Food, Will Travel logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Travel
  • Recipes
  • About Me
    • Contributors
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Travel
    • Recipes
    • About Me
      • Contributors
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Chinese

    August 17, 2022

    Basic Dumpling Wrappers

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Note: This recipe is for pan-fried or steamed dumpling wrappers.

    I know what you are thinking. It is easier to buy dumpling wrappers at a store and spare the mental and physical exertion for assembling dumplings instead of making dough from scratch. I never found making dumpling wrappers easy despite having done this recipe countless times. From my experience, it could easily be the longest part of making dumplings. 

    Dumpling wrapper pieces on a gray plate

    But time and time again, you'll hear that dumplings represent tokens of love. If I am making dumplings for a small group of people, I do not want to dilute that love by buying dumpling wrappers!

    This basic dumpling wrapper is a great from-scratch recipe that is simple with few technical aspects to it. The best part is that as long as you have flour and water, you can make dumplings pretty much anywhere in the world! Because you will be using hot water, there will be less gluten in the dough. You can pan-fry or steam your dumplings with this wrapper recipe.

    Tip This dumpling wrapper recipe needs one condition, and that would be the temperature of the water. After making so many dumpling wrappers from scratch, I've determined that a temperature of 150 - 160°F (65 - 70°C) water will form a resilient but soft dough.

    How to Make Dumpling Dough

    Making dumpling dough is simple, but I would not call it easy. Only because it requires exact measurements than other typical Chinese recipes. Also, time and patience are both necessary to let the dough rest.

    The first step is to weigh the flour. Using a scale, put about 180 grams of flour in a bowl and then set it aside.

    Flour in a plastic bowl next to a silicone spatula

    Next, boil some water and check the temperature with a food thermometer. Boil it up to 160°F (70°C) and no more. You want to weaken the gluten but not completely destroy it. If the temperature is higher than 160°F (70°C), let it sit to bring the temperature down. 

    A closeup of a kettle with an attached thermometer on the cover

    Weigh out 80 grams of the heated water and pour it into the bowl of flour. 

    A closeup of water and flour in a plastic bowl

    You can choose to use an electric mixer and knead the dough for about four minutes before letting it rest. But I believe using bare hands to knead the dough is what adds some of the love in dumplings. 

    Kneading By Hand

    Mix the flour and water until it forms a shaggy dough. Then knead the dough with your hands for eight minutes until you can form a smooth ball. 

    Shaggy dough made with flour and water in a bowl
    Hand holding a ball of dough

    During the process, you will notice that the dough will pull the flour from the walls of bowl. So you should end up with a clean bowl at the end!

    Once you form the dough in a bowl, cover it and let it sit for fifteen minutes. Tip Place the dough ball in a ziplock bag so it retains more steam which softens the dough even more.

    A ball of dough inside a plastic bag

    Making Dumpling Pieces

    Once the fifteen minutes are up, remove the dough from the bag. It should feel soft to the touch. Make a donut by poking your finger through the center and slightly stretch it out.

    Set up a clean work surface and dust a little bit of cornstarch on top. Tip I use cornstarch, so I don't add more flour to the dough; extra flour could cause cracking.

    Use a knife to slice opposite sides of the donut so that you have two pieces that can be rolled to logs.

    Dough shaped like a donut on top of a wooden board
    Two pieces of dough on a wooden board

    Cut the dough in pieces weighing about twelve to thirteen grams. Place the pieces back in the ziplock bag or keep them covered until you are ready to use them.

    Forming Dumpling Wrappers 

    Take a dumpling piece and press down on it with the palm of your hand.

    Use a small rolling pin made for dumplings (or an evenly shaped small glass) and begin rolling the edges while you turn the dough disc a quarter turn per roll. 

    Rolling dumpling wrapper and dough pieces next to a small rolling pin

    You can run a rolling pin down the middle of a dough disc as long as you keep it thicker in the center.

    Lightly dust each side of the round dumpling wrapper with cornstarch. Set aside and keep covered until you are ready to use the wrappers.

    When to Use Dumpling Wrappers

    The best time to use fresh dumpling wrappers is as soon as you make them. If you want to pre-make dumpling wrappers, you can make each piece and then brush each side with cornstarch, so they don't stick together.

    Place the wrapper pieces stacked on top of one another in a ziplock bag and put them in the refrigerator for up to two days before using them. I haven't used fresh dumpling wrappers that sat in the fridge longer than two days.

    A dumpling being dipped in a soy sauce and vinegar

    And that's it! Use this recipe to make Chinese style pork and cabbage dumplings here. Or use any filling your heart desires!

    Interested in more Asian recipes??

    Check These Out 🤤

    • Easy Homemade Siu Mai Recipe
    • Easy Hong Kong Milk Tea Recipe
    • Black Sesame Steamed Buns

    Have You Tried This Recipe?

    Simply rate the recipe by clicking on the ⭐️s on the recipe card. Have something to say? Please leave me a comment down below telling me what you think of this recipe.

    Bonus: Let me and other readers know what you did to make this recipe your own - 💫 let's inspire each other!

    Also, follow me on Instagram [@seesfoodwilltravel] and send me a DM with a picture of what you made. I would love to share and celebrate YOUR creation with our budding community 💞

    Check out Sees Food, Will Travel on Pinterest and Facebook for more delicious updates.

    Flattened dumpling wrappers and pieces of dumpling wrappers on a gray plate

    Basic Dumpling Wrappers

    These basic dumpling wrappers are perfect for pan-fried or steamed dumplings. It's.a basic recipe with a specific temperature requirement to ensure you have a soft, yet resilient dough for your filling of choice.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 5 mins
    Resting Time 15 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Snack
    Cuisine Asian, Chinese
    Servings 24 wrappers

    Ingredients
      

    • 180 grams all-purpose flour
    • 80 grams hot water, heated to 150 - 160°F (65 - 70°C)
    • cornstarch, for dusting

    Instructions
     

    • In a bowl, add flour
    • Heat water to any temperature between 150 - 160°F (65 - 70°C) and add to the flour
    • Mix until you get a shaggy dough then use your hands to knead for 8 minutes until you can shape a smooth ball and the bowl is clean of flour
    • Cover or place in a ziplock bag to sit for 15 minutes
    • Shape into a donut by poking a hole in the ball with your finger and stretching the hole. Slice two opposite sides of the donut so you have two halves.
    • Working with one half of donut at a time, roll the piece out to the shape of a log. Then cut into pieces that weigh about 12-13 grams each.
    • Work with one piece at a time. Prepare a work surface and sprinkle some cornstarch on the surface. Flatten the dough piece with the palm of your hand.
    • Use a rolling pin to flatten and shape the dough: flatten the edges and roll as your rotate the dough piece a quarter turn at a time. Keep the center of the dough thicker than the edges
    • Dust some cornstarch on both sides of the dumpling wrapper. Use the dumpling wrappers immediately or place the wrappers in a ziplock bag until you are ready to use them.
    Keyword dumpling wrapper from scratch, dumpling wrapper recipe, homemade dumpling wrapper
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Chinese

    • Siu mai wrapper stack on a plate
      Siu Mai Wrappers
    • Plate of crispy pan friend noodles and vegetable topping
      Crispy and Crunchy Pan-Fried Noodles
    • Closeup of siu mai in bamboo steamer
      Easy Homemade Siu Mai Recipe
    • Overhead shot of salted egg yolk lava bun next to a bamboo steamer of other buns
      Salted Egg Yolk Lava Bun (Liu Sha Bao)

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Joanne!

    Living abroad has taught me how food plays an important role in making connections worldwide. I love pies, Asian food, anything made from potatoes, and wine when it comes to food.

    You can learn more about me here.

    I created this site to track my gastronomy adventures, record inspired recipes, and help others build meaningful (and delicious!) travel itineraries.

    Cheers!

    Trending Recipes

    • Closeup of ube lava cake on a blue plate
      Ube Lava Cake
    • Rolled egg omelet or gyeran mari on a plate
      Cheesy Gyeran Mari (Rolled Omelet)
    • Ube cinnamon rolls on a wood table
      Ube Cinnamon Rolls
    • Sliced maja blanca on parchment paper
      A Creamy Maja Blanca Recipe

    Delicious Food Guides

    • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner in Belém (then Lisbon)
    • Overhead view of various plates in Degenried
      Wirtschaft Degenried: A Hidden Gem Restaurant in Zurich
    • Hawksmoor steak header
      Hawksmoor & Flatiron: Steaks in London

    Don't know where to start? See everything I've ever written here.

    Footer

    Currently

    I love anything that has to do with travel, eating, and cooking.

    Nowadays I am getting to know my Filipino heritage by developing some recipes of my own. Check out some Filipino recipes - you will love it 💕

    • Contact
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy

    Filipino Recipes

    Baked ube sugar cookies
    Fried Filipino fritters on a gray plate
    Closeup of Bistek tagalog or Filipino beefsteak
    • Recipe Index
    • Travel & Food Guide Index

    stay connected

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Copyright © 2023 Sees Food, Will Travel

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie SettingsAccept
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT