Sourdough Discard Dumplings for Soup

Name: Sourdough Discard Dumplings for Soup
Prep time: 18 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 3 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil; 1 medium (200 g) yellow onion, cut into ½-inch dice; 3 medium (200 g) carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch rounds; 2 ribs (100 g) celery ribs, sliced ¼ inch thick; 3 cloves (9 g) garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp (1 g) fresh thyme leaves, stripped from the stems; 6 cups (1420 ml) low-sodium chicken broth; 1 leaf (1 g) dried bay leaf; 2 cups (280 g) cooked chicken (rotisserie or leftover roast), shredded or chopped into bite-size pieces, skin removed; 1 cup (140 g) frozen peas, straight from the freezer (optional); kosher salt, to taste, added at the end; 2 tsp (10 ml) fresh lemon juice; 1 tbsp (4 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, for serving; 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; 2 tsp (9 g) baking powder, fresh (less than 6 months open); 1 tsp (3 g) kosher salt; ¼ tsp (½ g) freshly ground black pepper; 2 tbsp (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, frozen, grated on the large holes of a box grater; 1 cup (240 g) unfed sourdough discard (100% hydration), stirred well, cold or room temperature; 2 tbsp (30 ml) whole milk, cold, plus up to 1 tablespoon (15 ml) more only if the dough looks dry

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Fluffy, lightly tangy dumplings made from unfed sourdough discard, steamed right on top of a simple chicken and vegetable soup. They're a good way to use up discard, and there's no rolling or shaping. Everything cooks on the stovetop in one pot.

Prep: 18 min
Cook: 45 min
Wait: 3 min
Total: 1 hr 6 min
Makes: 12 dumplings and about 3 quarts (2.8 L) soup (6 servings)

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the soup
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
1 medium (200 g) yellow onion, cut into ½-inch dice
3 medium (200 g) carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch rounds
2 ribs (100 g) celery ribs, sliced ¼ inch thick
3 cloves (9 g) garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp (1 g) fresh thyme leaves, stripped from the stems
6 cups (1420 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
1 leaf (1 g) dried bay leaf
2 cups (280 g) cooked chicken (rotisserie or leftover roast), shredded or chopped into bite-size pieces, skin removed
1 cup (140 g) frozen peas, straight from the freezer (optional)
kosher salt, to taste, added at the end
2 tsp (10 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp (4 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, for serving
For the dumplings
1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
2 tsp (9 g) baking powder, fresh (less than 6 months open)
1 tsp (3 g) kosher salt
¼ tsp (0.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, frozen, grated on the large holes of a box grater
1 cup (240 g) unfed sourdough discard (100% hydration), stirred well, cold or room temperature
2 tbsp (30 ml) whole milk, cold, plus up to 1 tablespoon (15 ml) more only if the dough looks dry

Equipment (7)

5½-quart (5 L) wide heavy-bottomed pot or 12-inch (30 cm) deep sauté pan with a tight lid
Large mixing bowl
Box grater
Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
Two spoons or a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop
Measuring cups and spoons, or a kitchen scale
Instant-read thermometer

Steps

Before you start

Put the butter for the dumplings in the freezer at least 30 minutes ahead so it grates cleanly.
Use 100% hydration discard (equal weights flour and water). Stir it well and measure it by weight if you can. It can be cold from the fridge, and it can be any age as long as it smells pleasantly tangy and has no pink streaks or mold.
Use a wide pot with a tight-fitting lid, 11 to 12 inches across, so all 12 dumplings sit on the surface in one layer. Check that the lid fits before you start.
Have the cooked chicken shredded and the vegetables cut before you turn on the heat. This recipe is cooked entirely on the stovetop; no oven is needed.

1
Prep the soup ingredients
- Dice the onion, peel and slice the carrots, slice the celery, mince the garlic, strip the thyme leaves, and shred the chicken.
- Keep the onion, carrots and celery in one pile and the garlic and thyme in a separate small pile, because they go in at different times.
- Measure out the broth.
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Ready when: Everything is cut, measured and within reach of the stove.
Tip: Slice the carrots no thicker than ¼ inch so they turn tender in the short simmer.
2
Mix dry dumpling ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon dumpling salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley until evenly combined.
- Add the grated frozen butter and toss with your fingertips until every shred is coated in flour and separate from the others.
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Ready when: The mixture looks like coarse, shaggy flour with no clumps of butter stuck together.
Tip: Work quickly. If the butter starts to feel soft or greasy, put the bowl in the fridge for 5 minutes.
3
Stir in discard and milk
- Add the sourdough discard and 2 tablespoons milk to the bowl.
- Fold with a spatula about 15 to 20 strokes, just until no dry flour remains.
- The dough should be thick, sticky and scoopable, like drop-biscuit dough.
- If it looks dry and crumbly, stir in up to 1 more tablespoon milk.
- Leave the bowl on the counter while you start the soup.
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Ready when: A thick, sticky, slightly lumpy dough that holds its shape on a spoon; no dry flour pockets.
Tip: Don't overmix. Beating the dough develops gluten and gives you dense, chewy dumplings.
4
Soften the vegetables
- Heat the olive oil in the wide pot over medium heat for 1 minute until it shimmers.
- Add the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt from the soup salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for about 8 minutes.
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Ready when: The onion is soft and translucent and the carrots are slightly brighter, with no browning.
Tip: If the vegetables begin to brown or stick, lower the heat to medium-low.
5
Add garlic and thyme
- Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
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Ready when: The garlic smells fragrant and sweet but has not browned.
Tip: Burnt garlic turns bitter, so move on to the next step as soon as you can smell it.
6
Simmer the broth
- Pour in the chicken broth, add the bay leaf, and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer, partly covered, for 10 minutes.
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Ready when: A carrot slice is just tender when pierced with a fork, and the broth is bubbling gently.
7
Add chicken and season
- Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- Stir in the shredded chicken and the frozen peas, if using.
- Raise the heat to medium and bring the soup back to a steady, gentle simmer with small bubbles across the surface, about 3 minutes.
- Taste the broth and add salt a pinch at a time until it tastes well seasoned.
- Dumplings absorb some salt, so make it slightly more seasoned than you want the finished soup.
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Ready when: The chicken reads 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer and the broth is gently simmering, not at a rolling boil.
Tip: A rolling boil will break the dumplings apart, so keep the bubbles gentle.
8
Drop in the dumplings
- Reduce the heat to medium-low so the soup keeps a gentle simmer.
- Using two spoons or a 2-tablespoon scoop, drop 12 equal mounds of the dumpling dough (about 2 tablespoons or 38 g each) onto the surface of the soup, spacing them about ½ inch apart.
- They will sink slightly, then float.
- Work quickly and don't stir.
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Ready when: All 12 mounds are sitting on top of the simmering soup in a single layer.
Tip: Dip the spoons in the hot broth between scoops so the sticky dough slides off easily.
9
Cover and steam
- Put the lid on right away and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.
- Do not lift the lid during this time, because the dumplings cook in trapped steam and will collapse if it escapes.
- You should hear a quiet, steady simmer.
- If you hear hard bubbling or spitting, reduce the heat slightly.
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Ready when: The dumplings have roughly doubled in size and look dry and puffed on top.
Tip: Set a timer and resist the urge to peek before the 15 minutes are up.
10
Check and rest
- Lift the lid and cut into the largest dumpling.
- The center should be pale, fluffy and dry, not gummy or wet.
- If it still looks doughy, replace the lid and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Turn off the heat, replace the lid, and let the soup rest for 3 minutes so the dumplings set.
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Ready when: The center of a cut dumpling is light, airy and cooked through with no raw dough.
11
Finish and serve
- Gently stir in the lemon juice around the dumplings, taking care not to break them up.
- Taste the broth and add more salt if needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls with 2 dumplings per serving, and sprinkle with the 1 tablespoon chopped parsley for serving.
- Serve immediately while the dumplings are at their fluffiest.
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Ready when: The broth tastes bright and well seasoned, and the dumplings are tender when poked with a spoon.
Tip: Add the lemon at the end, because heat dulls its fresh flavor.

Good to know

Tips

Keep the soup at a gentle simmer the whole time. A hard boil can break up the dumplings and make them soggy.
Don't lift the lid while the dumplings steam. Trapped steam is what makes them rise and cook through.
Discard of different ages and hydration changes the dough. If yours is thinner than usual, the dough will be looser, so add an extra tablespoon of flour; if it's very stiff, use the extra tablespoon of milk.
Add other herbs to the dumpling dough, such as chives, dill or a pinch of dried sage, to match the soup.

Make ahead

The soup base (through step 7, before the dumplings) can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat it to a gentle simmer before making the dumplings. You can also whisk the dry dumpling ingredients with the butter and refrigerate them in a covered bowl for up to 1 day. Add the discard and milk only when the soup is ready, because the baking powder starts working once the dough is wet.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: don't leave the soup out for more than 2 hours. Fridge: store leftover soup and dumplings in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The dumplings will soften and absorb broth. Freezer: freeze the soup without dumplings for up to 3 months; cooked dumplings freeze for up to 1 month but become denser. Reheat in a pot over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth or water, until steaming hot (165°F/74°C), about 8 to 10 minutes. Thaw frozen soup in the fridge overnight first.

Substitutions

cooked chicken (rotisserie or leftover roast) → 1 can (15 oz/425 g) white beans, drained and rinsed, or 2 cups (280 g) sliced mushrooms sautéed with the vegetables. Use vegetable broth too for a vegetarian version. Add the beans at the same point as the chicken.
whole milk → unsweetened plain oat milk or buttermilk. Use the same amount; buttermilk gives a slightly tangier dumpling.
all-purpose flour → 1 cup (120 g) 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Dumplings will be a little more delicate, so handle them gently. Make sure your discard is also gluten-free.
unsalted butter → 3 tbsp (42 g) cold vegetable shortening or frozen vegan butter, grated. Use the same method; the texture will be nearly identical.