Shanghai Soup Dumplings

Ingredients:

For the dough:
200 grams (7 ounces) all-purpose flour
4 grams (1/2 teaspoon) salt
1 tablespoon lard or vegetable oil
120-140 grams (4-5 ounces) cold water

For the filling:
250 grams (9 ounces) ground pork
200 grams (7 ounces) chicken or pork broth
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced scallions
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon gelatin powder (optional)

For dipping sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon black vinegar
1 tablespoon chili oil (optional)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced scallions

Instructions:

1. Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the lard or oil and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add the cold water, stirring with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Gather the dough into a ball, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Make the filling: While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, broth, ginger, scallions, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, sugar, and white pepper. Mix well until the ingredients are evenly distributed. If using gelatin powder, sprinkle it over the filling and let it sit for 5 minutes before mixing again. Cover the filling and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Assemble the dumplings: Divide the dough into 20 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into a thin wrapper, about 3 inches in diameter. Place a spoonful of filling in the center of each wrapper.
4. To fold the dumplings: Hold the wrapper in one hand and gather the edges of the dough around the filling, forming pleats. Bring the pleats together and pinch the top to seal the dumpling, leaving a small opening at the top for the soup.
5. Steam the dumplings: Fill a bamboo steamer with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Place the dumplings in the steamer, leaving some space between them. Cover the steamer and steam for 8-10 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through and the filling is hot.
6. Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, black vinegar, chili oil (if using), sesame oil, ginger, and scallions. Mix well and serve alongside the steamed dumplings.

Tips:

For best results, use cold water when making the dough. This will help to prevent the dough from becoming sticky.
If the dough is too dry, add a little more water. If it is too wet, add a little more flour.
To make the dumplings easier to seal, wet your fingertips with water before pinching the top of the dumpling.
If you don’t have a bamboo steamer, you can steam the dumplings in a steamer basket or on a wire rack placed over a pot of simmering water.
Serve the dumplings immediately with the dipping sauce.

Enjoy!