How to Wrap Dumplings

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: July 30, 2021 References Tested

Dumplings are a delicious Asian dish, made by filling thin sheets of dough with meat or veggies. There are a lot of ways to wrap dumplings, but 2 of the most popular shapes are the pleated crescent and the purse. Try them for yourself at home using store-bought dumpling wrappers or making your own dough with flour, water, and salt. Now step away from the takeout menu and into the kitchen!

Ingredients

Homemade Dumpling Wrappers

2 cups (256 g) of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon (2.8 g) of salt
³⁄₄ cup (180 ml) of boiling water

Makes about 30 wrappers

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Wrapping a Pleated Crescent Shape

1
Place 1 tbsp (14 g) of filling in the center of a round dumpling wrapper. Use a spoon to scoop out the filling of your choice. Pile it as close to the middle of the circular wrapper as possible.^{[1]
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- You can use any type of filling you’d like, such as pork or veggies.
Tip: For this particular shape, it helps to shape your filling in an oval, rather than a circle, to make it easier to fold the crescent.
2
Brush water around the entire outer edge of the wrapper. Dip a pastry brush in water, then run it around the outside edge of the wrapper. This moistens the edge so it sticks together better and the dumpling won’t fall apart.^{[2]
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- If you don’t have a pastry brush, use your finger dipped in water instead.
- Use enough water so that the edge is moist but not completely saturated. If it’s too soggy, the wrapper will rip.
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3
Fold one side of the wrapper over onto the other side. Line up the edges as you fold the dumpling wrapper in half over the filling. Make sure the edges are perfectly aligned and that one edge isn’t hanging over the other. This creates a half moon shape.^{[3]
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- Don’t pull too hard on the wrapper or you’ll tear it. If you’re having trouble folding it over, you might need to remove some of the filling.
4
Make pleats along the joined edges of the wrapper to seal it. Start at one corner of the open side of the wrapper. To make the pleats, fold tiny sections of the dough over onto itself as you pinch the 2 edges together. This creates an effect that looks like a folded fan. Continue the pleating and pinching until the entire open side is sealed.^{[4]
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- Pinch the dough tightly as you work your way around the edge so that none of the filling falls out when you cook the dumplings.
- You can make your pleats as big or as small as you’d like them.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Folding a Purse Shape Dumpling

1
Pile 1 tbsp (14 g) of filling into the middle of a round dumpling wrapper. Set a scoop of filling in the center of the wrapper and pack it as tightly as you can into a pile in the middle. If it’s too spread out, it will be difficult to fold the wrapper up.^{[5]
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- Choose whatever type of filling you prefer.
Tip: If you have square dumpling wrappers, turn them into circles by pressing a cookie cutter into the dough to trim off the corners.
2
Use a pastry brush to moisten the outer edge of the wrapper. Brush water around the outside of the wrapper with a pastry brush. Avoid getting the wrapper too wet or soggy. Use just enough water so the dough is damp.^{[6]
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- You can also dip your finger in water and run it around the edge if you don't have a pastry brush.
- Instead of water, you can also use an egg wash. Beat an egg yolk and brush it around the wrapper.
3
Press the opposite edges of the wrapper together halfway up the dumpling. Bring 2 opposite sides together and pinch them between your fingers to seal them. Stop when you get to the center of your filling so that half the wrapper is closed and half of it is still open.^{[7]
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- If you're struggling to pinch the wrapper over the filling, remove some of the filling so you have more space to fold the dough.
4
Bring the middle of the open edge up to meet the fold at the top. Pull the open edge up into the center of the dumpling so that it intersects the point where you stopped pinching the fold. As you do this, the wrapper will form 2 new open edges on either side of the middle.^{[8]
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- Be careful not to stretch the wrapper too hard or it will rip.
5
Seal each of the 2 remaining open edges by pinching the dough together. Find the 2 edges that form a "Y" shape with your original fold. Pinch the edges together on each open side, just like you did on your first fold, so that the dumpling is sealed in a triangle shape with a point at the center.^{[9]
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- If the edges pop open, pinch them more firmly or brush a little more water onto them to help them stay sealed.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Homemade Dumpling Wrappers

1
Mix 2 cups (256 g) of flour and 1/2 teaspoon (2.8 g) of salt together. Pour the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Then whisk them together until they’re thoroughly combined.^{[10]
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- Don’t substitute any other type of flour, like whole wheat, for the all-purpose flour. Otherwise, the texture of the wrapper will be too dense.
- You can use either a whisk or a spoon to mix the dry ingredients.
2
Add ³⁄₄ cup (180 ml) of boiling water to the dry ingredients. Carefully pour the boiling water into the bowl with the flour and salt mixture, stirring it constantly. Mix it all together until it’s smooth and there are no clumps of flour.^{[11]
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Tip: To boil the water, heat it on the stove until it’s bubbling or microwave it for 1 to 2 minutes.
3
Use your hands to knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Push the dough away from you with the heel of your hand, then fold it back over itself before rotating the dough and repeating the pushing and folding. Continue kneading until the dough is stretchy and smooth but not sticky.^{[12]
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- If your dough is dry and cracking, sprinkle in a little more water to moisten it.
- You may need to let the dough cool for 2 to 3 minutes before kneading it if your hands are sensitive to heat.
4
Cover the dough in plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes. Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and set it somewhere that is room temperature. Wait at least 30 minutes to let the dough soften.^{[13]
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- Use a kitchen timer or the clock app on your phone to keep track of the time.
5
Roll 2 tbsp (28 g) of dough between your hands to form a sphere. Pull off a piece of dough and lightly roll it between the palms of your hands. Do this until the dough is the shape of a small ball.^{[14]
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- For larger wrappers, pinch off more than 2 tbsp (28 g) of dough. For smaller wrappers, use less.
6
Use a rolling pin to flatten the sphere into a ¹⁄₁₆ in (1.6 mm) thick circle. Place the sphere of dough on a clean, flat surface. Then, roll it out using a rolling pin until it’s no more than ¹⁄₁₆ inch (1.6 mm) thick. Check that the entire wrapper is an even thickness.^{[15]
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- To prevent the dough from sticking, sprinkle flour onto the flat surface before rolling your wrapper.
Did you know?

If you don’t have a rolling pin, you can use an empty drinking glass or wine bottle.
7
Continue rolling and flattening spheres until you’ve used all the dough. Once you’ve shaped your first wrapper, pinch off another 2 tbsp (28 g) of dough, roll it into a sphere, and flatten it with the rolling pin before repeating again. When you’re finished, you’ll have about 30 wrappers. ^{[16]
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- Store the wrappers in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Community Q&A

Question

How do you wrap an easy square dumpling?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Dab a little water on the edges of a square dumpling or wonton wrapper, then place the filling in the middle. Fold the edges over to make a triangle, and squeeze the edges to seal the dumpling. Grab the short edges of the dumpling and pull them together so that they wrap around the filling in the middle. Squeeze the corners together.
Question

How many pleats should a dumpling have?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

It really depends on the style of dumpling. A classic Chinese dumpling may have 2-4 pleats, or even more depending on how elaborate your folding technique is.
Question

What types of dumplings are there?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

The word “dumpling” can describe any kind of dish made from dough wrapped around a filling. Many cultures around the world have their own types of dumplings, so there are hundreds of types. A few examples include dim sum, gnocchi, pierogi, cepelinai, and knish.