Jiaozi Wrappers

Not gonna lie, making your own wrappers is a lot of work. The store-bought ones are fine, but I think doing it yourself produces a notably superior dumpling. Also, the dough is much more supple, so they’re easier to fold.

Makes 60-65 wrappers

INGREDIENTS

For the dough

600 grams all-purpose flour

300 grams tepid water (see note)

For the rolling

One-handed rolling pin (see note)

Cornstarch (optional)

METHOD

Make the dough. In a large mixing bowl, mix the water into the flour. Bring the dough together until shaggy (it’s easiest to start with a wooden spoon and finish with your hand, after the dough starts to take shape).

Knead. Turn the dough out onto the table and knead until smooth and slightly elastic, about 10 minutes. If the dough starts to feel dry, dampen your hands and continue kneading. Form the dough into a ball and wrap tightly in plastic (or cover with a damp towel). Rest the dough for at least 1 hour.

Portion the dough. Cut into quarters. Roll the quarters into ropes (about ¾ inch diameter). Cut into ¾ inch pieces, 13-15 grams each, about the size of gnocchi. Aim for 15-16 pieces from each rope.

Form the wrappers. Use your palms to roll the dough into balls, then press to flatten them slightly. Roll out into circles that are about 3 ¼ inches in diameter. Use the bottom of a pint deli container as a size guide. Use the one-hand method: Roll the pin with your dominant hand, from the bottom edge of the dough to just past the center, turning the disk a quarter of a turn each time. This makes wrappers that are slightly thicker in the middle, which will strengthen the dumplings.

Use immediately. DO NOT STACK. I know commercial wrappers come in stacks, but hand-rolled ones will fuse back together almost immediately. Dusting them with cornstarch helps, but only for a short while. One of the advantages of hand-rolled wrappers is that they don’t really need water to help them stick, so the cornstarch is counterproductive. Best to just turn them into dumplings as you go.

Note: Tepid water allows gluten to form, making the dough chewy and strong. This is good for boiled dumplings (our preferred method of preparation). Alternatively, for pan-fried or steamed dumplings, you can make the dough with hot water. This denatures proteins, making the dough supple and easy to roll thin (and requires less kneading).

Note: You can find one-handed rolling pins for less than $10 in most culinary shops (and all Asian grocery stores). They look like little batons - about 10 inches long and not tapered. You can use a regular rolling pin, but they’re harder to control with one hand.