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1
Trim chicken of excess skin and fat.
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2
Place chicken in a slow cooker. Pour in cold water to cover by 1 inch and add carrots, onion, celery, and bay leaf. Cover and cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low, or until chicken is falling off the bones.
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3
Remove chicken from the slow cooker and set aside to cool. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat and shred into large pieces.
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4
Strain broth into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-high, and cook until reduced to 6 cups, about 10 minutes.
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5
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Pour in the reduced broth, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and thickened, 8-10 minutes. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to slow cooker and set temperature to high.
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6
For Dumplings: In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add butter and work into the dry ingredients with fingers or pastry cutter until the texture of small peas. Gently stir in the milk and egg to form a sticky batter. Drop heaping spoonfuls of dough into simmering sauce and chicken, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until dumplings are fluffy, about 30 minutes.
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7
You may also cook in a large Dutch oven. Cook chicken 2 hours; follow other directions but cook only 15 minutes after adding dumplings.
