FoodUnlocking the secret to perfect dumplings: It's all about the dough!

Unlocking the secret to perfect dumplings: It's all about the dough!

Recipe for the best pierogi dough.
Recipe for the best pierogi dough.
Images source: © Getty Images | Pawel Wewiorski

1:54 PM EST, January 26, 2024

The fundamental recipe for dough for dumplings includes flour, water, a pinch of salt, and a drop of oil. Once kneaded, the dough becomes soft and elastic. However, you can take it up a notch by including an ingredient that will make your dumplings as soft as a cloud. This is the secret of many experienced chefs. Here is where we unveil that mysterious ingredient and explain how to make the best dough.

The secret to making successful dumplings: it's all about substituting one ingredient

The timeless recipe for dough blends flour, water, and salt. While this dough should theoretically always turn out perfect, in practice, it often becomes hard and rubbery, making it challenging to make dumplings. As a result, the cooked dish can turn out thick, hard, and tasteless.

Most of us have a trusted recipe for dough on hand. It could include various additions such as eggs, milk, melted butter, or olive oil. The inclusion of a fat source makes the dough soft and elastic. Milk offers a gentle softness and flavor to the dough. Once cooked, the dough comes out exceptionally light and delightful.

However, there's another superior, yet lesser-known recipe for dough. This special recipe makes use of natural yogurt. Yogurt lends the dough an airy lightness and elasticity. Besides yogurt, boiling water is deployed, instantly amalgamating all the ingredients together.

The recipe for yogurt dough

Ingredients:

  • 8.45 fluid ounces of natural yogurt,
  • 2 cups of water,
  • 2 tablespoons of oil,
  • 1 cup of flour,
  • a pinch of salt.

Procedure:

  1. Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil, adding salt.
  2. As the water begins to boil, incorporate the oil and yogurt into it. Allow all ingredients to boil together for approximately 7 minutes.
  3. After 7 minutes, mix the flour into the liquid using a soft spatula. Once all the ingredients are blended, transfer the dough onto a countertop and allow it to cool slightly. After a few minutes, knead the dough until it becomes soft, light, and elastic.
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