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Dough for dumplings with boiling water and egg
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients on the work surface. Take the flour (750 g) out of the bag in advance and leave it on the table to warm up to room temperature – cold flour is scalded by the boiling water less well. Sift the flour through a sieve straight into a large mixing bowl – this enriches it with air for a fluffier dough.
Add salt (½ tsp) to the flour and mix thoroughly with a balloon whisk until it is evenly distributed. It is essential to distribute the salt before adding any liquid ingredients – otherwise the finished dough will have "salty" and "bland" patches.
Make a small well in the centre of the flour and pour in the vegetable oil (3 tbsp). Use sunflower, corn or another odourless oil. Extra virgin olive oil is not suitable – it gives the dough a bitter aftertaste. The oil protects the egg protein from setting when the boiling water is added.
Crack 1 medium chicken egg into a separate bowl and beat it lightly with a fork or whisk until smooth, about 30 seconds. This makes a "liquid egg base" that mixes in more easily.
Add the beaten egg to the well with the oil in the flour. Using a spatula or whisk, gently start working the liquid ingredients into the surrounding flour – still without the boiling water. You will get a crumbly mass with little "islands" of egg and oil in the flour.
CRITICAL STEP: bring the water in the kettle to a rolling boil at 100°C – water that has just boiled bubbles vigorously. Warm water at 70–80°C will not scald the flour properly. Immediately measure out 1 cup (250 ml) of the boiling water.
Pour the rolling-boil water into the flour mixture with the egg and oil in a thin stream, AT THE SAME TIME stirring energetically with a whisk or spoon. You need to mix very quickly so that the boiling water scalds the whole mass evenly and doesn't cook the egg into lumps. Experienced cooks do this almost with one hand.
Once the mass has come together into a dough, keep working it with the whisk for 1–2 minutes until completely smooth. The dough is hot – don't put your hands in straight away or you will burn yourself. Use a spatula or whisk until the mass cools down.
When the dough becomes too heavy for the whisk, switch to kneading by hand. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface (do NOT dust it with flour – the dough holds its shape well as it is). Knead gently by hand for 1–2 minutes – the "golden" rule of choux dough (no more than 2 minutes!).
IMPORTANT: there is no need to knead for a long time (5–10 minutes, as with ordinary dough) – choux dough becomes tough when kneaded for too long. One to two minutes of hand work is enough to make it smooth. The finished dough is soft, elastic and tender to the touch.
A DISTINCTIVE feature of a proper choux dough: it does NOT stick to your hands, to the work surface or to the rolling pin when rolling out – even without a dusting of flour. This means the dumplings are easy and convenient to shape, without constantly dusting with flour.
Cover the finished choux dough with a clean cloth or cling film and leave it to "rest" for 10–15 minutes on the table at room temperature. During this time the gluten relaxes, the dough becomes even more pliable and will be easier to roll out with a rolling pin into a thin sheet for dumplings.
After 15 minutes the dough is completely ready to work with. You can shape dumplings, vareniki, manti or chebureki straight away – it is a universal base. You can also put the dough in the freezer in an airtight bag for 1 month – after thawing in the refrigerator for 8 hours it stays just as elastic and does not tear during cooking. The dough for dumplings with boiling water is ready!
Tips
- 1
Use ONLY water at a rolling boil (100°C) – warm water at 70–80°C will not scald the flour properly, and the dough will burst during cooking.
- 2
Mix quickly and energetically so the egg doesn't set into lumps from the hot water.
- 3
Knead by hand for NO LONGER than 1–2 minutes – choux dough becomes tough with prolonged kneading. I use the same principle to make dough for vareniki with curd cheese.
- 4
Let the dough "rest" for 10–15 minutes under a cloth – the gluten relaxes and the dough becomes even more pliable.
FAQ
What is the difference between choux dough and ordinary dumpling dough? +
The main differences. Choux dough: made with water at a rolling boil, very elastic, doesn't tear during cooking, rolls out thinly without a dusting of flour, freezes well. It takes 15 minutes to make. It is ideal for thin dumplings, manti and chebureki. Ordinary dumpling dough: made with cold water, more "springy" but less elastic, and it can burst when thinly rolled dumplings are cooked. It needs to "rest" for 30–60 minutes before shaping. It takes 30–40 minutes to make, including kneading and resting. Choux dough is the "modern" technique for a guaranteed result for both beginners and experienced cooks.
Can this dough be used for other dishes? +
Yes, choux dough is universal: dumplings of any size (a classic), vareniki with curd cheese, potato or berries (a classic), large manti with meat and onion (Uzbek cuisine), large plain chebureki (Crimean Tatar cuisine), khinkali (Georgian, with meat and herbs), wontons and dim sum (Asian cuisine), ravioli (Italian pasta), baked pies (for the oven) and Ukrainian halushki. It is a universal base for any boiled or fried filled dish. For baked goods it is better to use yeast dough – choux dough can be tough in the oven.
How long does the finished dough keep? +
Fresh dough can be used straight after its 15-minute rest – that is when it is softest and most elastic. In the refrigerator it keeps for up to 2 days in an airtight bag – take it out 30 minutes before shaping so it comes up to room temperature. In the freezer it keeps for up to 1 month in an airtight bag – thaw it in the refrigerator for 8 hours and it stays like fresh. Raw dumplings made from this dough can be frozen for 2 months in airtight bags – cook them straight from frozen, without thawing. A handy homemade convenience food "for supper".
How do you shape dumplings properly from this dough? +
Roll the dough out with a rolling pin into a thin sheet 1.5–2 mm thick without a dusting of flour (choux dough doesn't stick). Cut out circles 5–6 cm in diameter with a glass or a special cutter. Place 1 tsp of meat filling in the centre of each circle. Fold the circle in half and pinch the edges firmly from the centre to the ends. Join the ends into a little loop (round it off). Lay the finished dumplings on a board lined with parchment and lightly dusted with flour. Freeze them on the board for 2 hours, then transfer them to an airtight bag – that way the dumplings won't stick together.
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