These easy sourdough dumplings are simple to make and packed with flavor. Made with sourdough discard, minced parsley, and sea salt, these soft, pillowy dumplings will elevate your favorite vegetable or chicken soup.

After an unusually warm start to January here at the farmhouse, we finally have some snow in the forecast this week. 

And I can’t think of anything better to make for dinner on a snowy evening than chicken soup made with bone broth and homemade dumplings.

It is the ultimate comfort food! 

Made with sourdough discard, you can whip up this sourdough dumplings recipe quickly for a hearty meal the whole family will enjoy. 

What are sourdough dumplings?

If you’ve never had classic chicken and dumplings, you are missing out! 

Dumplings are made with a simple dough, formed into balls, and dropped into a simmering soup of your choice to be steamed to perfection. 

Along with adding flavor and texture to your soup, the starches in the dumplings create a thicker, richer broth. 

Why you will love this recipe:

Hearty and filling: No one should walk away hungry from your dinner table after serving dumplings and soup. 

Comforting: Adding sourdough dumplings to your soup makes for a comforting meal that will warm you during the cooler months of the year.

Easy and quick: Since this is a discard recipe, you can use it right out of the fridge. Once you mix the dough up, it is ready to be added to the soup! 

Sourdough Dumplings Making Tips:

• If you have extra active sourdough starter after making your bread, use it for these dumplings! Otherwise, you can use discard straight from the fridge. 
• Make sure your soup is simmering – not boiling – when you add in your dumpling dough. Otherwise, you may end up with soggy dumplings. 
• Cover your soup with a lid after adding your dumpling dough. The steam helps to cook them to perfection!
• You can mix the dough up and then leave it out for several hours to long ferment. After this, place the dough in the fridge for a few hours so they are easier to shape. 
• Double check they are done by inserting a toothpick to see if it comes out clean or take one out and cut it open. You want to make sure it has more of a bread consistency rather than a doughy texture. 

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Dumpling Ingredients:

All-purpose flour

Baking powder

Salt – I always chose sea salt.

Butter – Use cold butter cut into tablespoon-sized chunks

Sourdough discard – Use your discard straight from the fridge! You can also use active and bubbly starter if you have some leftover after making bread.

Egg

Minced parsley – This is our favorite herb to use! Feel free to experiment with others such as thyme or basil. 

Tools you may need:

Large soup pot or dutch oven

Large bowl

Measuring cups and spoons

Pastry cutter

Knife

Mixing spoon 

FAQ:

How do you serve sourdough dumplings? 

Dumplings are made by steaming in a simmering pot of soup. There are a number of recipes you can use for a soup that will be good with sourdough dumplings. We like to use chicken and your basic soup vegetables, like carrots and celery stalks in our dumpling soup. 

You could also replace the gnocchi in my creamy chicken and gnocchi soup with dumplings instead! 

If you are adding chicken, what kind of chicken is the best?

This is all personal preference. Sometimes I’ll bake a whole chicken and use the leftover cooked chicken meat in soup the next day. If I don’t have any cooked chicken on hand, I love to use skinless chicken thighs because they are usually more tender.  

How do you know when the dumplings are cooked through?

Your dumplings will simmer, covered for about 15 minutes. The dumplings should start to float and will gradually get bigger, until almost double in size. 

To check for doneness, take out one of the dumplings and cut it open to make sure the inside is cooked all the way through and no longer doughy. 

Can you freeze sourdough dumplings?

Yes! Simply form your dough into balls and add to a baking sheet. Freeze them just until they’ve hardened enough to be easier to work with. Take them out of the freezer, wrap each dough ball individually in plastic wrap and add to a freezer bag or airtight container. Place in the freezer for up to three months. 

Thaw out your dumplings for a few minutes before adding to your soup to cook. 

How To Make Sourdough Dumplings

These sourdough dumplings are so easy to make! Plus, you can use your discard straight from the fridge. 

Whip this up for a quick, hearty winter meal! 

Mix your dry ingredients

Combine flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl.

Divide your cold butter into tablespoons and cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork. 

Add your sourdough discard

Incorporate your sourdough starter, the egg, and minced parsley. 

You can use sourdough discard pulled straight from the fridge or an active and bubbly starter, if you made a little too much for your bread dough. 

Shape your dough

Once your dough comes together, scoop about 1 tablespoon of dumpling dough out and form into a ball. Continue until you’ve made all your balls. You can get about 25 dumplings from this recipe. 

Drop dumpling dough into your soup

Drop each ball into a large pot of simmering soup one at a time, making sure they do not start sticking together. The dumplings should be the last thing you add to your soup.

Cover your soup pot and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes. The dumplings will begin to float to the top and expand. 

Double check if your dumplings are done by inserting a toothpick and making sure it comes out clean or cutting one open. If it still feels doughy inside, it isn’t quite done. 

How To Make Long Fermented Sourdough Dumplings:

If you’d like to long ferment your dumpling dough, simply leave the mixed up dough out for several hours. 

After this, place your dough in the fridge for a few hours to make it easier to shape into balls. 

Find more Of My Favorite Sourdough Recipes:

• Sourdough bread bowls
• Rosemary Sourdough Bread
• Sourdough Discard Crackers
• The Easiest Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust
• Easy Homemade Sourdough Pasta

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars!