Sourdough Dumplings (Quick & Easy Discard Recipe) - Hopewell Heights (2024)

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This quick & easy sourdough dumplings recipe made with sourdough discard is the perfect addition to any dumpling soup, especially bone broth chicken soup which is the ultimate comfort food and a favorite hearty meal in my home!

Sourdough Dumplings (Quick & Easy Discard Recipe) - Hopewell Heights (1)

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When it comes to homemade dumplings, I’m team biscuit dumplings all the way. Noodle dumplings are good, don’t get me wrong. But you just can’t beat fluffy, buttery, biscuit dumplings, in my opinion.

Especially these sourdough discard dumplings which are a great way to use up extra starter or even cold ferment your dumplings for a few days to get some of that tangy sourdough flavor.

These dumplings are so quick and easy, that they’re a staple in wintertime soups around here. A big bowl of soup with pillowy dumplings is such a comforting meal in the cooler months of the year Sometimes I double or triple the batch and freeze the extra for a quick partially prepped meal add-in during busy seasons. As I write this, baby number five’s arrival is getting closer and I need to think about food prepping. Making and freezing a huge batch of these easy sourdough dumplings is definitely on my to-do list.

This is my absolute favorite soup to add these dumplings to – homemade chicken and dumpling soup!

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Why You’ll Love this Sourdough Dumplings Recipe

  • This recipe is just a modification of my favorite biscuit recipe. This biscuit recipe is so versatile, it can be used in a number of recipes. So, if you like these dumplings – try cutting the dough into biscuits and baking them instead!
  • These dumplings are not at all gummy or doughy. They cook so well when added to a large pot of soup and turn out pillowy and buttery every time.
  • This recipe can be used for drop dumplings too. Just mix the dough ingredients in a large mixing bowl and drop a tablespoon of dumpling dough in a large soup pot full of soup that’s boiling at medium-high heat.
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Spend a late fall day cooking from scratch with me in my homestead kitchen. I’ll show you what we eat in a day, which includes chicken dumpling soup made with these easy sourdough dumplings.

What You’ll Need

Dumpling Dough Ingredients

1 1/4 cup flour = 155 grams

1/2 teaspoon sea salt = 3 grams

1 teaspoon sugar = 4 grams

2 teaspoons baking powder = 8 grams

6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed or grated = 85 grams

1/2 cup sourdough starter = 120 grams

1 egg = 50 grams

1/4 cup milk = 60 grams

Tools

Large Mixing Bowl

Rolling Pin

Bench Scraper

Pizza Wheel

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Sourdough Dumplings

Mix the dry ingredients. Add flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder to a large bowl and whisk to combine.

Add cold, grated/cubed butter and cut into the flour mixture with a fork.

Add the egg, sourdough starter, and milk to the bowl and stir with a spoon until the dough is shaggy.

Do not knead. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and fold the dough a few times to work all the flour in.

Roll the dough out into a square so it’s about 1/4” thick. Use a pizza cutter or bench scraper to cut the dumplings to be 1/2” x 1/2”.

Sourdough Dumplings (Quick & Easy Discard Recipe) - Hopewell Heights (4)

Add to your favorite soup that’s boiling at medium heat to medium-high heat immediately or save for later use.

FAQ

  • What is sourdough?
    • Sourdough is a type of dough made using wild yeast for fermentation and leavening. A sourdough starter is needed to make sourdough recipes. Sourdough discard is inactive sourdough starter. When sourdough discard is used in a recipe, an additional leavening agent such as commercial yeast or baking powder must be used as well.
  • How do I make a sourdough starter?
    • To make a sourdough starter, mix equal parts water and flour in a jar, cover with a loose fitting lid, and allow to ferment at room temp for 24 hours. Discard half of the mixture after the 24 hours is up, “feed” the starter equal parts water and flour, cover with a loose fitting lid, and allow to ferment at room temp for 24 hours. Repeat this process of discarding, feeding, and fermenting for 1-2 weeks and you will have a mature sourdough starter ready to bake with. See my detailed blog posts onhow to make and maintain a sourdough starter.
  • How long does it take to make sourdough dumplings?
    • Since this is a discard recipe, these sourdough dumplings are quick & easy and only take 10 minutes to make plus an additional 15-20 minutes to cook once added to your favorite dumpling soup in a large soup pot.
  • Can I use all-purpose flour to make sourdough dumplings?
    • Yes. This recipe works well with all-purpose flour. Any high-quality flour will work well in this recipe, just adjust and add less flour when using whole grains.
  • Can I long-ferment sourdough dumplings?
    • These dumplings can be cold-proofed in the fridge overnight or for a few days. Just wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to roll and cut it into dumplings.
  • Can I freeze sourdough dumplings?
    • Yes, sourdough dumplings can be frozen before cooking. To freeze, toss the dumplings in 2T flour so they are well coated and do not stick together. Spread evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze for 6 hours. After the dumplings are frozen, seal them in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Tips for making homemade dumplings

  • Use very cold butter and work quickly when mixing, rolling, and cutting the biscuit dough so the butter doesn’t melt. This will result in more pillowy dumplings.
  • Add some herbs and black pepper to your dumpling dough when mixing the dry ingredients for extra flavor.
  • Add these easy sourdough dumplings to homemade chicken soup made from a whole chicken for a rich, flavorful, hearty meal.

Storage

These sourdough discard dumplings can be stored in the fridge for 5-7 days in an airtight container. They can also be frozen. To freeze, toss the dumplings in 2T flour so they are well coated and do not stick together. Spread evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze for 6 hours. After the dumplings are frozen, seal them in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Sourdough Dumplings (Quick & Easy Discard Recipe) - Hopewell Heights (6)

Sourdough Dumplings (Quick & Easy Discard Recipe)

Yield: 4 cups sourdough dumplings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

sourdough dumplings made with sourdough discard are a quick & easy way to make your favorite soup the ultimate comfort food!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup flour = 155 grams
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt = 3 grams
  • 1 teaspoon sugar = 4 grams
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder = 8 grams
  • 6 tablespoons cold butter, cubed or grated = 85 grams
  • 1/2 cup sourdough starter discard = 120 grams
  • 1 egg = 50 grams
  • 1/4 cup milk = 60 grams

Instructions

  1. Combine flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
  1. Add cold, grated/cubed butter and cut into the flour mixture with a fork.
  2. Add the egg, sourdough starter, and milk to the bowl and stir with a spoon until the dough ball is shaggy.
  3. Do not knead. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and fold the dough a few times to work all the flour in.
  4. Roll the dough out into a square so it’s about 1/4” thick. Use a pizza cutter or bench scraper to cut the dumplings to be 1/2” x 1/2”.
  5. Add to a large pot of boiling soup immediately on medium heat to medium-high heat or save for later use. 15 minutes after you add the dumplings to the soup, use a soup spoon to lift a couple of dumplings out of the pot and test them with a fork to make sure they are done. If not, turn the dumpling soup down to low heat, wait 5 minutes, and check again.

Notes

These sourdough discard dumplings can be frozen. To freeze, toss the dumplings in 2T flour in a medium bowl so they are well coated and do not stick together. Spread evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze for 6 hours. After the dumplings are frozen, seal them in an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 189Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 333mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g

Did you make this recipe?

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Sourdough Dumplings (Quick & Easy Discard Recipe) - Hopewell Heights (2024)

FAQs

Why are my drop dumplings hard? ›

Don't Overwork the Dumpling Dough

Stir everything together until the wet and dry ingredients are combined and you don't see any more dry flour. The dough might look a little lumpy, but that's okay! Overworking the dough is one of the easiest ways to end up with tough dumplings.

How to keep dumplings from disintegrating in chicken and dumplings? ›

So that they cook perfectly, the dumplings need to steam, so cover the pot with its lid. Keep the pot at a gentle simmer when cooking the dumplings. An aggressive simmer or boiling will break them apart. Keep the heat low and cover the pot so that they steam.

How do you use a lot of sourdough discard? ›

Sourdough Recipes That Use LOTS of Discard
  1. 2 Ingredient Sourdough Discard Crackers (No Roll Recipe) ...
  2. Sourdough Discard Waffles Recipe. ...
  3. Sourdough Discard Pancakes. ...
  4. Sourdough Dutch Baby (German Skillet Pancake) ...
  5. Quick Sourdough Discard Scallion Pancakes [with dipping sauce] ...
  6. Sourdough Meatballs. ...
  7. Sourdough English Muffins.
Oct 17, 2023

How to use sourdough starter to thicken soup? ›

Quickly whisk together the soup with the sourdough starter until combined. Pour this mixture into the soup and stir. The rye starter will flavor the soup and thicken the soup as it simmers. If the soup is too thick, add a little broth or water until it reaches the desired consistency.

How do you know when drop dumplings are done? ›

The dumplings are ready when they have doubled in size, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once done, divide the dumplings between bowls and serve.

How do you keep dumplings from getting hard? ›

Cold butter or margarine is cut into the flour mixture to bind the dry ingredients together. It also keeps the dumplings light and tender. Whole milk helps create a smooth, moist dough.

Why do my dumplings fall apart when I cook them? ›

Often they burst during cooking because they have too much filling for the amount of dough. Some doughs are too dry, so the dumplings won't stay sealed. Others can be too wet and sticky and end up tearing. If the filling isn't cohesive enough, it will tumble out when you bite into it.

What will thicken dumplings? ›

Use Cornstarch to Thicken Chicken and Dumplings

To give that a little thicker texture we're going to add 1 cup of cool water to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and stir it up well. Make sure the soup is brought back to a good boil and go ahead and stir in the cornstarch mixture.

Can I leave sourdough discard out overnight? ›

How to store sourdough discard. If you are going to use the discard immediately (within the same day), you can keep the discard at room temperature. This can either be in an airtight container, or in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. It will then be ready to go when you start your recipe.

How quickly do you need to use sourdough discard? ›

At room temperature (70 F), sourdough discard should last about 1-2 days. Beyond that, it won't go bad necessarily, it will just become more acidic as time goes on (especially in warm weather). Not ideal for sweet recipes. In the fridge, it will keep for about a week or so, and in the freezer it will last indefinitely.

Can you use 2 day old sourdough discard? ›

You can use old sourdough discard if it's been stored in the fridge, however, you really want to use it up within a week - 2 weeks max.

Can you use sourdough discard to start another starter? ›

Technically, yes you can start another sourdough starter with your sourdough discard - however you don't need two sourdough starters! So as long as your starter is at least 7 days old, why not bake something yummy with the discard?

Why is my homemade sourdough bread gummy? ›

Most likely when this happens, it's not you - it's your starter. If your loaf is dense, has uneven holes and a gummy texture, most likely there wasn't enough active wild yeast in your starter to make the bread develop and rise during baking. This can be the case even if your starter seems really happy and bubbly.

What happens if you add too much flour to sourdough? ›

What Happens If You Feed a Sourdough Starter Too Much Flour? If you add more flour than water into your sourdough starter jar, it will be a very stiff starter. This is not always a bad thing, and sometimes extra flour is necessary to rectify a runny starter or make the starter peak at a later time.

Why are my dumplings crunchy? ›

If enough starch makes it to the bottom of the pan, as the water continues to evaporate, you eventually end up with a very concentrated starch slurry that forms a thin, thin coating on the bottom of the skillet. This slurry will brown and crisp—just like a pancake or a crêpe.

Can dumplings be overcooked? ›

Yes, dumplings that are overcooked will begin to fall apart and disintegrate into the soup, so try to stick to the cooking time. I always use a timer.

How do you keep dumplings from clumping? ›

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add a teaspoon of vegetable oil to stop the dumplings sticking together. Carefully drop frozen dumplings into the boiling water.

Why are dumplings dense? ›

It's a delicate balancing act: if the dough is over-worked, the dumplings will be dense and chewy; if it's not worked enough, they'll be insubstantial and won't hold together.

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