How long does it take to make Boiled Dumplings?

Roll the dough out 2 mm thick and cut rounds with a glass; the filling can be finely chopped raw meat; cook about 2 minutes in water with 20 g salt per 2 liters.

1 hr 28 minTotal

22 minActive time

1 hr 6 minSetting

Step by Step

#	What to do	How long
1	In a bowl, mix the flour and salt	1 min
2	Add the oil and the water and Knead about 5 minutes	5 min
3	Cover and let the dough rest 30 minutes at room temperature	30 min
4	Heat the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat	3 min
5	Add the onion and fry 5–8 minutes, stirring now and then	6 min
6	Raise the heat to medium-high and add the meat. Press it flat over the bottom and leave it for 2–3 minutes without stirring	2 min
7	Break it up with a wooden spoon and fry for 5–7 more minutes, stirring	6 min
8	Season with salt and black pepper	1 min
9	Remove from the heat and cool the filling completely, about half an hour	30 min
10	Roll out the dough thin on a floured surface. Cut out 8 cm rounds with a glass	—
11	Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each round, fold into a half-moon and press the edges firmly	1 min
12	Cook the dumplings in boiling salted water	2 min

How to Tell It's Done

until you get a smooth, soft dough that doesn't stick to your hands
until the onion is soft and translucent and starts to turn golden at the edges
until a brown crust forms
until no pink is left and the meat browns
until they float, then about 2 more minutes, and remove with a slotted spoon

Tips

If the dough sticks, add a tablespoon of flour; if it crumbles, a tablespoon of water. Good dough is as soft as an earlobe.
Oil-and-water dough needs no rising: the rest relaxes the gluten, so the dough rolls out thin without shrinking back.
Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
Brown ground beef in the pot without pressing it: leave it as one 'cake' for a few minutes until a brown crust forms, then break it into chunks. Deep browning = deep flavor.
Fill dough only with completely cooled filling: a hot filling softens the dough, makes it hard to seal and makes the pastry soggy inside.
Roll from the center outward and give the dough a quarter turn between rolls: this keeps it even in thickness and stops it sticking to the counter. If it springs back, cover for 10–15 minutes and try again.

More Ways

For the dough: 2 cups flour, 1 cup boiling water, 2 tablespoons oil and a pinch of salt; roll out into a large sheet, cut rounds about 8 cm across, place filling in the center, fold into a half-moon, seal the edges and join the two ends together.
Cook the dumplings in boiling salted water until they float.
Kreplach for soup: cook the dumplings in the soup itself about 5 minutes, until they float.

The full recipe: Boiled Dumplings →