step 1
Make the dumpling dough: Place Bread Flour (1 1/2 cups) and Kosher Salt (1/2 tsp) in a medium bowl and stir with chopsticks. Slowly add in almost all the water as you whisk.
step 2
As you mix, a shaggy dough mixture will start to form. If the dough isn’t coming together, add the remainder of the water and continue to mix.
step 3
Knead the dough on a clean work surface for 7-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 20-25 minutes.
step 4
After 20-25 minutes, knead the dough for another 5 minutes then cover with a slightly damp kitchen towel. Let rest for another hour.
step 5
While the dough rests, make the filling: In a medium bowl, combine Ground Pork (8 oz), Garlic (3 cloves), Fresh Ginger (1 Tbsp), Shiitake Mushroom (1/2 cup), and Scallions (2 Tbsp).
step 6
Next, add Soy Sauce (2 Tbsp), Shaoxing Cooking Wine (1 1/2 Tbsp), Sesame Oil (1 Tbsp), Egg (1), and Kosher Salt (1/4 tsp)
step 7
Make the dipping sauce: Gently toast the Star Anise (1), Whole Coriander Seeds (1 tsp), Cinnamon Stick (1 stick), and Garlic (3 cloves) in a small, dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
step 8
Transfer spices to a small saucepan with the Black Vinegar (1/2 cup), Soy Sauce (1/2 cup), and Granulated Sugar (2 Tbsp). Bring to a boil, remove from heat and set aside.
step 9
Once the dough has rested and is soft to the touch, divide into 4 pieces and roll those pieces out into a long log about 1” thick.
step 10
Cut each log into ½-inch pieces, each piece should weigh between 11-13 grams and as uniform in size as possible.
step 11
Roll each piece into a ball and store, sprinkled with flour so they don’t stick, underneath a damp kitchen towel.
step 12
Working one at a time, flatten the ball into a small round disk with the palm of your hand.
step 13
Using a small rolling pin or dowel work, start to flatten the dough with the pin, rolling up from the bottom, and turning about ⅛ rotation each time you roll, so the disc begins to flatten into a dumpling wrapper.
step 14
Continue this process, adding more flour as needed so nothing sticks, until the dough has turned into about a 3 ½-inch circle.
step 15
The dough should be very thin but not so thin that the filling will rip through, with the edges being thinner than the middle of the circle.
step 16
Place the wrapper on a floured surface and cover with a damp towel. Repeat this process until all the dough is used.
step 17
Scoop about a tablespoon’s worth of filling into one dumpling and fold the wrapper in half over the filling to make a half circle.
step 18
Use floured fingers to pinch the middle of the half circle together, then start by crimping the front half of the wrapper towards the middle, repeating 2-3 more times until you get to the end of the half circle. Repeat this with the remaining unsealed half, until the entire dumpling is tightly sealed in a neat, crimped package.
step 19
Place on a lightly floured plate or tray and cover with a damp kitchen towel.
step 20
To cook: Set a large, nonstick skillet over high heat. Pour enough Vegetable Oil (as needed) to coat the bottom of the pan and fill the pan with dumplings, giving them about ½-inch of space in between.
step 21
Pour about Water (1/3 cup) into the pan and cover with a lid immediately. Caution! Oil and water will cause the pan to spit oil so be sure to cover.
step 22
Let steam until all the water has evaporated, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the lid and cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy.
step 23
Remove the dumplings from the pan and serve immediately, or continue cooking another batch of dumplings.
step 24
To serve, serve the dumplings crispy side up and pour the dipping sauce into individual bowls. Top dumplings with Scallions
