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Delicious and classic sourdough chicken and dumplings spruced up with the flavor of sourdough starter and from scratch perfection! Enjoy this smooth, creamy broth filled with chicken, and soft, homemade sourdough dumplings.
Benefits of Adding Sourdough
I absolutely love chicken and dumplings (chicken and dumplins if you are from the south) and I love all things sourdough! The combination was so perfect. It is definitely a great cold-day kinda meal (although I’ll for sure be making it any time of the year!). One of my favorite things about this chicken and dumplings recipe is it uses sourdough discard. I am always looking for fun and creative ways to use my discard. I hate throwing it out! You can also use fresh, active starter with great results as well.
Among the many health benefits we could discuss, the biggest benefit sourdough starter brings to this recipe is the adde flavor! I have tried several dumpling recipes over the years and you truly cannot match the flavor of the sourdough. This added ingredient just takes this already delicious meal up another level!
Don’t have a sourdough starter? You can! What if I told you that I truly believe anyone can learn to make and maintain a sourdough starter? You do not have to be a scientist, have loads of time, or even understand everything about it to make delicious food and keep your starter alive! If you are wanting to learn to make your own sourdough starter from scratch you can read all about that in this post! We also sell our dehydrated starter over in the Etsy store for a quicker, more convenient start to your sourdough journey!
In the meantime get my non-sourdough recipe for Chicken and Dumplings in this post!
Making Sourdough Chicken and Dumplings From Scratch
Sure, you could buy cans of cream of chicken, chicken broth, and even canned biscuits to use for dumplings. You would have the recipe made in about half the time and it probably would not taste that bad! However, around here we are all about food from scratch. We believe in feeding ourselves and our families nourishing meals as much as possible. Real food with real ingredients.
If you are new to cooking meals from scratch this may sound complicated but I highly recommend giving it a try! You will soon notice results in your energy levels, hormone balance, and overall health. The truth is it does not even take that much longer to through a from scratch meal together when you have the ingredients and learn the process. Make sure you subscribe to your email list so you do not miss out on from scratch recipes like this one!
My Process for Making Sourdough Dumplings From Scratch
Having the right processes in place can really cut down the time and hassle of making meals from scratch. This entire meal takes me around 30-45 minutes to prepare and even shorter if I prep things ahead of time. Here’s how I make it work…
- Step One. Cut the chicken breasts in half down the middle to make them thinner then boil. This takes around 10-15 minutes if fully thawed out. Another time saving tip would be to cut the chicken pre-boiling which will cook it faster. You can even have the chicken boiled and cut/shredded days ahead of time.
- Step Two. Allow chicken to cool while starting the broth. (I like to make my broth in the same pot I boiled the chicken in making this a one pot meal for easy dish clean up!)
- Step Three. While thickening the broth, start making up the dumpling dough if you have not already prepped it. Roll it out and cut it/shape it into a ball while the broth is warming back up to cook the dumplings.
This process seems to work the best for me but you may find you need to tweak it a bit for yourself! The point is that from scratch meals do not have to take forever to make.
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Fermentation vs. Unfermented Dumplings
The choice to ferment or not ferment the dumpling dough completely comes down to dietary needs as well as convenience. This sourdough recipe does not require you to ferment the dough. However, if you have a dietary restriction such as a gluten intolerance or sensitivity you will find the best result is to always ferment the dough in any recipe even if it is not required.
Fermenting this dough requires about 6-8 hours on the countertop or 8-12 hours (overnight) in the refrigerator. This requires a lot of planning and prepping ahead of time but it is very doable.
Ingredients You Need for Sourdough Chicken and Dumplings
Here is a list of ingredients you will need for a quick and convenient overview of how to make these sourdough chicken and dumplings….
- chicken breasts
- salt
- pepper
- chicken broth
- butter
- all-purpose flour
- sourdough starter
- sugar/honey
- baking powder
- additional seasonings (to taste)
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! Leave us a comment and let us know what you think! Don’t forget to subscribe to the email list. Thanks for being here!
Sourdough Chicken and Dumplings From Scratch
Ingredients
Broth
- 4 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour heaping
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper
- extra seasoning to taste
- 3-4 cooked and shredded chicken breasts
Dumplings
- ⅓ cup sourdough discard
- ⅓ cup water
- 1½ tsp sugar or honey
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾-1¼ cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a large pot cook chicken breasts on high heat until fully cooked (about 15-20 minutes).
- Allow chicken to cool while melting butter on medium heat in a meium-large pot.
- After butter melts, add all-purpose flour one tbsp at a time and whisk well to avoid sticking/burning. Add two cups of chicken broth and whisk until the butter/flour mixture (roux) is fully dissolved. Turn heat up to medium-high and continue to stir until the broth thickens. Add the remaining four cups of broth and allow to boil and thicken for about five minutes.
- Cut or shred chicken and add to broth mixture as it is thickening.
- After broth thickens and chicken is added turn heat to low. In a medium sized mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer combine sourdough starter and water.
- Add sugar or honey, baking powder, salt, and ¾ cup of flour. Mix well. Add ¼ cup of flour until you get a thick ball of dough. The dough should be firm but pliable like a thick biscuit dough.
- Roll dough out onto floured surface and cut with a cookie cutter into the shapes you prefer or roll into balls. (We prefer a more thin, noodle like dumpling that tends to cook more evenly and quickly.)
- Turn heat back up to medium-high and bring back to a simmer/low boil. Add dough strips to boiling broth a few at a time and stir to keep them from sticking.
- Once all the dough had been added cook for an additional 5-8 minutes. Stir and enjoy!
