The Best Homemade Sourdough Chicken and Dumplings

This childhood favorite is given a sourdough twist! This homemade sourdough chicken and dumpling soup is the perfect comforting meal!

In the cooler months of the year I love a hearty meal like this. Chicken and dumplings is my favorite soup of all!

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I recently did a collaboration with Ray’s Homestead where we exchanged comfort food recipes. The photos in this blog post are pictures she took while making the dumplings.

The link to her blog is: Rays Homestead

For years and years my birthday dinner was chicken and dumplings. My mom and I actually share a birthday! Honestly, I love homemade dumplings in anything! But, they are best in chicken soup in my humble opinion.

I understand her sacrifice now to cook my favorite meal even though it was her birthday too. So, this meal has a great deal of sentimental value for me.

Using sourdough to make the dumplings add a flavor boost and the long fermentation process makes them a bit more easily digestible.

If you are brand new to sourdough, start here: How to make a Sourdough Starter

What is Sourdough?

Sourdough is essentially wild yeast. You combine flour and water to ferment over several days while feeding it flour and water daily until it is active and bubbly.

This process is called the fermentation process. Lactic acid bacterial is built up and carbon dioxide builds as it ferments leading to the bubbles and airiness.

This process makes bread products a bit more easy to digest for some people as well as breaking down the starch and gluten to some extent.

It also adds tremendous flavor to you bread products.

Why you will love this recipe?

This recipe is the ultimate comfort food and perfect for those cool fall evenings.

Sourdough dumplings are added to chicken and broth to make a warm and delicious meal that can’t hardly be beat in my opinion!

A recipe that is easy to make with simple ingredients and is a wholesome meal for your family.

Ingredients you will need to make sourdough chicken and dumplings

Chicken

While I choose to use a whole chicken for the added fat and flavor, you could use chicken thighs or chicken breasts.

Water

For best results, use filtered water. Tap water tends to have chlorine which can have an off putting flavor when added to dishes.

Flour

I use freshly milled hard white wheat for my dumplings. You can use all purpose flour, bread flour, or store bought whole wheat flour. Pastry flour would also make pillowy dumplings.

This is the grain mill I use: Nutrimill Grain Mill

Olive oil

I use olive oil in all of my baking however you can use melted butter or coconut oil. If you want to use cold butter, grate it into the flour mixture and work in with a pastry cutter.

Sourdough Starter

**For a version without sourdough see in instructions down below**

Use active sourdough starter or sourdough starter. Active starter that has been fed within the last 24 hours and is bubbly and active.

Sourdough starter discard is hungry starter that may have a liquid on top and smell of acetone.

Milk

You may use whole milk, skim milk, or a milk alternative.

Salt

I use Redmond’s Real Salt for all of my baking but a good quality sea salt will work just fine.

Baking powder

Used as an added leavening agent for the dumpling dough.

Baking soda (only use in sourdough version)

The baking soda reacts with the acidity of the sourdough starter for a really fluffy dumpling.

Step by step instructions for making sourdough chicken and dumplings

For the dumplings (homemade sourdough dumplings version)

The night before in a large bowl add the flour and pour the oil in. Mix until coarse crumbs appear.

Add in the 1/2 cup sourdough starter and milk to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise on the counter at room temperature for 8-24 hours.

The next morning, dimple the dough and add the salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

Fold into the dough until well combined. This easy sourdough dumplings recipe can be added to almost any soup.

To make regular dumplings (non sourdough version)

In a medium bowl add the flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix well.

Pour in the oil and mix until you see coarse crumbs.

Add the milk and stir until just combined.

To make the chicken

In a large soup pot or dutch oven add the whole chicken and 4 cups filtered water.

Add 1-2 tsp salt. More salt will be added later when tasting. For added flavor you can add some celery stalks to the pot.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and turn down to a simmer. Cover and allow to cook until chicken is falling from the bones.

To make the chicken and dumplings

Strain the chicken from the broth and return the broth to the large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Allow the chicken to cool slightly so that it can be handled.

Remove the meat from the homemade chicken and add to the broth.

Taste the chicken broth and add salt as needed and black pepper.

Pinch pieces of the dumpling dough about the size of a ping pong ball and roll it in the palms of your hands until uniform.

Add to the simmering broth and chicken. Keep adding until all the dough is used.

You may need to stir the dumplings around to find holes to add more but that’s what you want!

Cooking the dumplings

Cook the dumplings for 5-10 minutes or until they are done all the way through. Don’t over cook or they may become tough.

Serving Suggestions

Serve hot along side green beans for a complete meal.

Serve on their own in a bowl as a hearty and comforting dish.

Reheating Instructions

To reheat, add the cold dumplings to a pot and add 1/4 cup of water. Cover and heat over low heat until warmed through stirring occasionally.

Another great way to reheat is to put in a preheated cast iron skillet with a little butter! So delicious!

Storage Tips

Allow dumplings to cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.