Easy Drop Dumplings for Stew

These are the dumplings your grandmother dropped into a pot of beef stew without measuring twice, and they turn out pillowy and light every single time.

Five ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, shortening, and milk. That’s the whole list.

Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until it looks like cornmeal, stir in the milk, and drop spoonfuls right into your bubbling stew.

Twelve minutes with the lid on tight (no peeking!) and you’ve got soft, steamy dumplings that soak up all that rich broth underneath.

Pro Tips

• Do not lift the lid during the 12 minutes of cooking. The steam is what cooks the dumplings through. Every peek lets it escape and you’ll end up with dense, doughy centers.
• Mix the dough lightly. The moment it comes together, stop. Overworked dumpling dough turns heavy and gummy.
• Make sure the stew is at a steady, rolling boil before dropping the dumplings in. A slow simmer won’t generate enough steam.

Variations

• Herbed: Stir a tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley or chives into the dry ingredients for a pop of color and flavor.
• Cheese dumplings: Add a quarter cup of finely grated Parmesan to the flour mixture before cutting in the shortening.