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1
Add flour in a large bowl.
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2
Make a well in the center and pour in 1/2 cup cold water.
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3
Slowly stir with chopsticks or a wooden spoon, moving from the center toward the rim, to work in all the flour.
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4
(Add more water by the teaspoon until most of the flour is incorporated.)
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5
Keep stirring as a ragged, soft mass forms.
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6
Then use your fingers to gather and pat the dough together into a ball.
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7
Transfer to a slightly floured work surface and knead for 4 to 6 minutes, until smooth, fingertip-soft and slightly elastic.
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8
(You shouldn't need any additional flour on the work surface if the dough was properly made.
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9
Keep kneading, and after the first minute or two, the dough shouldn't stick to your fingers.
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10
If it does, work in a sprinkling of flour.)
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11
Press your finger into the dough, the dough should spring back, with a faint indentation remaining.
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12
Transfer dough to a bowl coated with cooking spray, cover and allow to rest for about half an hour.
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13
If you are not going to make dumplings right away, cover and refrigerate the dough, up to 1 day.
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14
For wrapping the dumplings:
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15
Divide the dough in half, keeping half wrapped.
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16
Transfer the remaining half to a work surface and gently roll into a 12-inch log about 3/4 inch in diameter.
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17
Cut the log crosswise into 18 (two-thirds inch) pieces, rolling the log gently between cuts to keep it round.
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18
Generously dust the dough with flour to keep the pieces separate, and gently flatten each round piece into a circle using the palm of your hand.
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19
Roll each piece into a 2 1/2-inch round wrapper, rolling the outer one-half inch edge very thin, like a tortilla (the center of the circle a little more than 1 inch will remain slightly thicker).
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20
Use 1 hand to roll the dowel back and forth while the other hand rotates the circle, like a steering wheel, to form the wrapper.
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21
Repeat with the remaining pieces, loosely covering each wrapper to keep it from drying out and dusting the wrappers to keep them separated.
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22
Repeat with the remaining dough half.
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23
Form the dumplings:
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24
Hold a wrapper in a slightly cupped hand.
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25
Use a spoon to center about 2 teaspoons of filling on the wrapper, gently pressing down and keeping one-half to three-fourths inch of the dough clear on all sides, your hand will automatically close slightly.
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26
Use the thumb of the hand cradling the dough to push down the filling while the fingers of the other hand pull up the edges and pinch the edges together.
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27
(Pinch the center of the dumpling first to seal, then pinch the remaining edges to enclose the filling completely.)
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28
Position the dumpling so the sealed edge rests against the palm and along your first finger.
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29
Cup your other hand around the dumpling hand and bring your thumbs together and press firmly to seal the edge.
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30
Place the dumpling, pinched side up, on a floured baking sheet or tray or a bamboo tray that is used very often by Chinese people in China.
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31
Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and keep refrigerate.
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32
Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling, covering and refrigerating them as they are made.
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33
Boil the dumplings:
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34
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
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35
Add half of the dumplings and slowly stir, using the back of a large spoon to gently release any dumplings stuck to the bottom of the pot.
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36
When the water comes to a full boil, add a cup of tepid water to the pot, gently stir and return to a boil.
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37
Repeat twice.
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38
The dumplings are ready when they have boiled 3 times and float in the water.
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39
Carefully lift the dumplings out with a slotted spoon into flat plates.
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40
Boil the remaining dumplings in a second batch.
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41
Serve the dumplings with Chinese black vinegar seasoned as desired with soy sauce and hot red pepper.
