Chinese Wheat Wrappers Recipes

GYOZA (JAPANESE POTSTICKER) WRAPPERS

Steps:

• You must accurately measure the flour. Use a kitchen scale if you have one (I highly recommend getting one like this). If you use a measuring cup, please try this method: Fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off. Put the measured flour into a medium bowl. You should have close to the standard 4.25 oz (120 g) of flour per US cup.
• Gather all the ingredients.
• Sift the flour into a large bowl.
• Add the salt to the just-boiled hot water and stir until completely dissolved.
• Add the hot water to the flour little by little, stirring with a rubber spatula. Mix until the flour and water are combined completely. If the flour is still not incorporated, add more hot water, ½ Tbsp at a time, until you can form the mixture into a ball. You will eventually need to use your hands to do this.
• Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes, the texture of the dough will be much smoother. Use a dough scraper to cut the ball of dough in half (doesn't have to be an equal size).
• Shape each half into a long log about 1½ inches (3.8 cm) in diameter (it doesn't have to be perfect, especially if you use a cookie cutter later). Wrap each log with plastic wrap. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Unwrap the dough. Sprinkle a little potato starch on the work surface and cut each log crosswise into ¾ inch (2 cm) wide pieces. Since we'll be using a cookie cutter, don't worry if each piece of dough is a slightly different size.
• It's super important to cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel at all times to prevent it from drying.
• Roll each piece of dough into a ball shape.
• Press the ball onto the work surface.
• Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough, but DO NOT flatten the TOP and BOTTOM edges. This is the trick to making a nice round shape.
• Rotate the dough 90 degrees and repeat rolling the dough. Try to roll out the dough into a thin circle. If the dough is hard to roll out or shrinks back, let it rest a bit to relax the gluten and try again.
• Cooker cutter (optional): If you want a perfectly round shape for your wrappers, cut your rolled dough circle with a 3-inch (8 cm) cookie cutter. If the dough rolls back, leave it for a few seconds, then try again to cut the dough. Remove the excess dough scraps and cover them with a damp towel. Later, combine all the scraps if they still squish together and haven't dried out. Re-roll the scraps and repeat the process.
• Sprinkle each wrapper with potato starch and stack the wrappers. Make sure to cover them with a damp kitchen towel as you continue rolling the remaining dough. Once you've rolled out all the wrappers, wrap the stack of gyoza wrappers with plastic wrap and freeze or refrigerate until you're ready to use.
• You can keep the gyoza wrappers in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days and in the freezer for up to a month. Prior to use, defrost in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for 60 minutes (depending on the amount and room temperature). Do not defrost in the microwave.
• For my Gyoza recipe, please click here.
• For my Vegetable Gyoza recipe (vegetarian/vegan), please click here.

HOMEMADE DUMPLING WRAPPERS

Steps:

• Place the flour in a large bowl and set the bowl on a damp kitchen towel so it won't slip. Add the hot water in a steady stream while stirring with chopsticks or a fork. Stir until all the flour is hydrated and the mixture becomes shaggy. Let stand until cool enough to handle, 2 to 5 minutes.
• Use your hands to gather and knead the shaggy mass into a ball in the bowl. Turn out onto a work surface and knead until slightly elastic, 5 to 10 minutes. The dough should be tacky but not sticky, and it won't look completely smooth. If it sticks to the surface, flour the work surface lightly and continue kneading. Knead into a ball and cover loosely with a clean damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let stand for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
• Divide the dough in half. Roll one piece to a 1/16-inch thickness. You shouldn't need to flour the surface while rolling, but do so if the dough is sticking. Once the dough is thin enough, lift it off the surface, flour the surface lightly, and place the dough back down. Cut out 3 1/2-inch rounds as close together as possible, then gather the scraps and cover the rounds with the damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining dough and knead those scraps with the first batch of scraps, then let rest for 5 minutes before rerolling and cutting. (See Note for a more traditional way to roll the wrappers.) Use the wrappers immediately for dumplings, such as chile crisp dumplings.

WONTON WRAPPERS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, beat the egg. Mix in the water.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Create a well in the center of the mixture and slowly pour in the egg and water. Mix well. If the mixture is too dry, increase the amount of water one teaspoon at a time until a pliable dough has formed.
• On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until elastic. Cut dough into two separate balls. Cover the balls with a damp cloth for a minimum of 10 minutes.
• Cut each ball into four equal pieces. Roll the pieces into 10 1/2 by 10 1/2 inch squares. Cut each into nine 3 1/2 by 3 1/2 inch squares. Use in any recipe that calls for wonton wrappers.