A competently executed process of making homemade dumplings will allow you to get a tasty and high-quality dish. The correct modeling of a popular product plays a significant role in this.
How to properly fill up dumplings? It would seem that this activity does not imply any special intricacies. I rolled out the dough, cut out circles of the required diameter from it, put a little minced meat on each, joined the edges, pressed them properly - and that's it, the product can be dipped in boiling water. But any experienced housewife will confirm that the result of performing this seemingly simple stage can directly affect the taste and quality of future dumplings.
Edges of dumplings
First you need to remember: the edges of the dumplings must be molded to the conscience. If, during cooking, the edges disperse and the minced meat falls out into the broth, the taste and appearance of the dish will be hopelessly spoiled. It is worth noting that the sticking ability of the dough depends on the ratio of water, flour and eggs.
If the edges of the future dumplings are difficult to join, it is better to grease the edges of the dough circles with a little water or an egg. When working with very soft and sticky doughs, problems can also arise, as in this case the formation of the product is difficult. Here you can advise adding a little flour and kneading the dough again or rolling it out, sprinkling the surface of the board with the same flour thoroughly and periodically turning the layer when rolling.
The next common problem is sloppy and large joints. Ironically, this also affects the quality of the popular product. It has been noticed that dumplings with small and neat "seams" are tastier than dumplings with a widely sealed edge. Therefore, try to press the edge of the circles with your fingertips, while avoiding gaps in the connection.
Methods for making dumplings
Experienced cooks sometimes make curly edges with a "pigtail", like dumplings. In principle, this method is also easy to master, if you wish. When using this method, you must adhere to a certain order. Put minced meat in the middle of a mug of dough, connect the edges, forming a dumpling in the shape of a crescent. After that, go over the "seam" again, gently grabbing the edge of the dough and turning it a little to one side. The resulting "pigtail" should not be very thick, but any result that resembles a curly connection is suitable for the first experiment.
The famous Siberian dumplings are small and molded in a slightly different way. First, minced meat is also placed in the middle of the dough mug, then the edges are connected. To achieve a rounded shape, the opposite ends of the "crescent" are pressed against each other. Now the sculpted dumplings are laid out on a surface “powdered” with flour, preferably in one row.
