Knead

• Ideally, use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour to prepare the dough. Cake flour has a low protein content that produces a softer dumpling. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and shortening until you get a crumbly texture. Pour milk, a little at a time, and knead the mixture around five times into a ball of dough. Avoid over-kneading, to prevent the gluten in the flour from developing and producing chewy-textured dumplings.

Roll

• Sprinkle a little flour on a rolling pin and place the dough onto a floured surface. Roll the dough out around one-fourth-inch thick. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut the dough into rectangular strips. Set the dough strips on wax paper or parchment paper to harden, for around 30 minutes.

Cook

• Maintain the temperature of the liquid stock in which you will cook the dumplings at a low simmer level. Increasing the temperature to a rolling boil will cause the dumplings to break. Drop the dumplings into the stock and cover the vessel with a glass lid to hold the steam in and soften the dumplings. Avoid overcrowding the vessel with dumplings, as they require space to expand and fluff. Simmer for around 15 minutes.

Test

• You can check if the dumplings are ready by inserting a clean knife, toothpick, fork or skewer in the center. If the knife comes out clean, the dumplings are done. If not, simmer for an additional five minutes, or until the knife comes out clean and the dumplings are cooked and look fluffy.