Homemade Dumplings Recipe
My mother was one of the finest cooks I’ve ever known. Whenever she prepared a hearty stew, there were almost always soft, homemade dumplings simmering inside. We rarely ate packaged foods, and every meal was full of real, comforting flavor. That’s the same style of cooking I still cherish today.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp white sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp cold butter or margarine cut into small cubes
- 1 cup whole milk
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt until evenly combined.2. Add the cold butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles. Do not overwork it.3. Pour in the milk and stir gently until a thick, spoonable batter forms. Stop as soon as it comes together — lumps are perfectly fine.4. Let the batter rest undisturbed for 3–5 minutes to hydrate the flour and relax the dough.5. Bring your stew or soup to a steady boil. Drop heaped spoonfuls of batter directly into the liquid, spacing them apart so they have room to expand.6. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, reduce to a gentle simmer, and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Steam is what cooks the tops.7. Serve immediately, spooning stew over each dumpling.
Notes
- Do not lift the lid during cooking — releasing steam will leave the dumpling's doughy on top.
- Use cold butter straight from the fridge for the best light, tender texture.
- The batter should be made fresh each time; baking powder loses its lift if left to sit.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, stored with the stew in an airtight container.