Making your own gyoza skins (also called 'wrappers') from scratch is incredibly satisfying. It's also sometimes the only solution to a problem I've run into several times, which is not being able to get hold of the packets of the Japanese gyoza skins, or at least not within the timeframe that I want them. This is what led me to experiment and develop my own vegan dumpling wrapper recipe. I'll make these then stuff them with a shitake mushrooms and vegetable filling.
So here's how you can make authentic Japanese gyoza skins from scratch using just 3 simple ingredients.
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Ingredients
Makes ~30 skins | Prep time 2 hours (including resting) | Use fresh or freeze for up to 3 months
- 150g Bread Flour
- 150g All Purpose Flour (Plain Flour)
- A big pinch or ½ teaspoon Maldon salt
- 150ml of boiled (i.e. v hot!) water (you may need a touch more if your flour is particularly thirsty
Instructions
1. Start by sieving the flour into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the salt over the top.
2. Gradually add the hot water, mixing with a spatula to combine the ingredients. At this point the dough will look shaggy.
3. Once cool enough get in there with your hands. Begin to knead and roll the dough picking up loose flour as you go. Once your bowl is ‘clean’ move on to step 4.
4. Take your dough out onto a worktop and knead for a further 10 minutes or so. It should begin to look smooth and feel a bit like ‘Play-doh’ - soft but not so soft that it sticks to your work surface. If it’s too dry then add a sprinkling of water, if too sticky add a little flour.
5. Form your dough into a fat sausage and divide into 2.
6. Roll each half into a thin long sausage, approximately 1 inch thick and 12 inches long. Wrap them in cling film and rest for at least 30 mins.
7. Unwrap one dough cylinder, cut it in half, and then split each half into two again, yielding four pieces. Cut each piece into four more parts to get 16 equal dough segments. Keep them covered to avoid drying out.
8. Take a segment and roll it into a small ball.
9. Press the ball with your hand to flatten it slightly, then dust both sides with a little cornstarch.
10. With a rolling pin, roll out each piece, starting from the centre. Apply less pressure to the middle to keep it from thinning too much. Aim for a thickness of approximately 1mm.
11. Use a 4-inch cookie cutter to cut out circular wrappers. Dust each wrapper slightly with cornstarch on both sides to prevent sticking.
12. Stack the finished skins under an inverted bowl to keep them from drying out while you work on the rest.
Hint: The dough is pretty foolproof at these quantities. I will say, however, that I’ve been guilty of adding a touch too much water (around 30ml extra) when I’ve felt like my flour was a little thirsty. This has made for a skin that is a bit too weak and sticky meaning the pleating and folding process requires an extremely delicate touch. So best avoid adding too much liquid and simply know that when you’re kneading your dough it should feel firm, pliable but not sticky. If it’s sticking to your worktop when kneading add a dusting of flour, knead it in and repeat until it stops bonding to your surface.
Customize the shape and size to your liking
Homemade gyoza skins are the foundation for delicious dumplings, and this recipe allows you to tailor their shape, size and thickness to your preference.
Equipment
I find that a dough cutter makes it easier to cut and divide the gyoza dough in to small cylinder (this is the one I use). If you're using a knife it can flatten the shape of the roll and stick, so just make sure the blade it very dry and sprinkle some extra flour over the top to sort the stickiness out.
To cut the gyoza skins into circles, I use a 4-inch cookie cutter, but a slightly smaller one works great too if that's what you have. I experimented with a few sizes and found that if I aim for between 3.5 and 4 inches it gives me the perfect size for wrapping gyoza.
Storage
I haven't yet experimented with freezing the wrappers by themselves, but I often prepare a sizable batch of gyozas by adding the filling and then stashing them away in the freezer. This little trick has turned out to be a lifesaver on more than one occasion. For my scrumptious gyoza filling and some practical tips on how to freeze your gyozas in bulk take a peek here.
Top tip
Refrain from adding too much water to your dough. Too much liquid can result in skins that are overly fragile and difficult to handle during the pleating and folding process.
Now that you've got your skins ready, it's time to fill them with your favorite gyoza filling, pleat them, and pan-fry to golden perfection. Happy gyoza making!
FAQ
No. You don't want any raising agents as you want the gyoza skins to remain flat and not risk them bubbling when they hit the oil during the frying process. You could use bread flour, which has a higher gluten content so can make the gyoza skins a little chewier.
There are a few gluten-free flours, such as rice and tapioca, that you can use to make gluten-free gyoza skins, but I haven't tried this out myself yet. I did come across this recipe for gluten-free gyoza which I thought looked very good. Michaela uses psyllium husk powder, which I expect helps the dough stay together. Let me know if you try it!
The best gyoza skins in my opinion are these Chilled Ryushobo Gyoza Dumpling Wrappers from Japan.
How to Make Gyoza Skins for Gyoza Dumplings
Ingredients
- 150 g Bread Flour
- 150 g All Purpose Flour Plain Flour
- 1 large pinch Maldon salt (or any good quality sea salt)
- 150 ml of boiled i.e. v hot! water (you may need a touch more if your flour is particularly thirsty
Instructions
- Start by sieving the flour into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the salt over the top.
- Gradually add the hot water, mixing with a spatula to combine the ingredients. At this point the dough will look shaggy.
- Once cool enough get in there with your hands. Begin to knead and roll the dough picking up loose flour as you go. Once your bowl is ‘clean’ move on to step 4.
- Take your dough out onto a worktop and knead for a further 10 minutes or so. It should begin to look smooth and feel a bit like ‘Play-doh’ - soft but not so soft that it sticks to your work surface. If it’s too dry then add a sprinkling of water, if too sticky add a little flour.
- Form your dough into a fat sausage and divide into 2.
- Roll each half into a thin long sausage, approximately 1 inch thick and 12 inches long. Wrap them in cling film and rest for at least 30 mins.
- Unwrap one dough cylinder, cut it in half, and then split each half into two again, yielding four pieces. Cut each piece into four more parts to get 16 equal dough segments. Keep them covered to avoid drying out.
- Take a segment and roll it into a small ball.
- Press the ball with your hand to flatten it slightly, then dust both sides with a little cornstarch.
- With a rolling pin, roll out each piece, starting from the centre. Apply less pressure to the middle to keep it from thinning too much. Aim for a thickness of approximately 1mm.
- Use a 4-inch cookie cutter to cut out circular wrappers. Dust each wrapper slightly with cornstarch on both sides to prevent sticking.
- Stack the finished skins under an inverted bowl to keep them from drying out while you work on the rest.
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