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Norfolk Dumplings

A simple dumpling made from patent flour and water, boiled for 20 minutes.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 3 ingredients
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Norfolk Dumplings

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the dough

  1. Bring a saucepan of warm water to a boil.

  2. Place 1 pound of patent flour in a basin.

  3. Add enough cold water to form a smooth dough; it should not be too stiff.

  4. Shape the dough into round balls about the size of a large egg.

Boil and serve

  1. Once the water is boiling, add the dumplings and boil for 20 minutes.

  2. Remove the dumplings from the saucepan and serve.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Explore the science

What each ingredient does

Patent flour
Provides the starch and gluten-forming protein that give the dumplings their body and structure.
Cold water
Hydrates the flour so it binds into a smooth, cohesive dough that holds its shape while boiling.

The step that matters

Adding the cold water to form the dough. Flour absorbs water gradually. Too little water leaves a stiff dough that cooks up dense and heavy, while too much makes it sticky and likely to break apart in the boiling water.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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