How to sculpt dumplings with a pigtail. How to make dumplings? Form for dumplings

Dumplings are an insanely delicious dish consisting of dough and minced meat, which someone buys, while someone prefers to cook on their own.

But many of those who buy semi-finished products are actually just scared by the molding of dumplings, despite the fact that the homemade dish comes out tastier.

Especially for those who are afraid and think that it is difficult, I will show you how you can make beautiful dumplings of various shapes at home.

Modeling dumplings of various shapes

So you must have:

Dumpling dough;
Ground meat;
Rolling pin to roll out the dough;
Shape to cut out circles of dough.

The first way "Cheesecake"

Cut out two identical circles from the dough.

Put a little stuffing in the middle of one circle.

Cover the first with minced meat with the second circle.

Gently and beautifully pinch the edges between the circles of dough. It turns out such a beautiful round "cheesecake".

The second way "Bag"

Cut out one circle from the dough.

Put some stuffing in the middle.

Form a neat bag out of this circle with minced meat. In shape, such dumplings resemble Georgian khinkali.

The third way "Star"

Cut out one circle from the dough. Put a little stuffing in its middle.

Blind the edges of this circle in the middle in five places. As you can see, it turned out a small dumpling - "asterisk".

The fourth way "Flower"

How not to try to make dumplings in the form of a flower? To do this, cut out a small circle from the dough.

Bend the edges of the circle in five places to make a pentagon.

Flip the pentagon over.

Put some stuffing in the center of this figure.

Now you need to blind the edges of the pentagon in the center using the "Star" method.

Bend the edges of the dough at the outer corners. By bending the edges, we get such a lush flower.

Fifth way "Fish"

This is perhaps the most difficult way to make dumplings. But it's perfect for a kid's menu.

Cut out a circle from the dough and fold the left edge slightly.

Turn the circle over so that the left folded edge is on the reverse side. Place some stuffing in the center.

Connect the opposite edges of the "fish", but not completely.

Press the left edge of the "head of a fish" to the center.

Using kitchen scissors, mark out the “fins of the fish”.

Now, to draw a picture on the "tail" and "fins" you need to use a toothpick.

Once again, take kitchen scissors and cut the “tail” of the fish in half.

Gently pinch the "tail". That's all, "fish" - the dumpling is ready!

The sixth way "Dove"

A dumpling in the form of a "dove" is molded very quickly and easily. But how beautiful it looks.

Put a little minced meat on a circle of dough.

Seal the edges of the circle in a semicircle.

Make a beautiful pattern on the edges of the semicircle, if you can’t do it with your hands, take a fork to help.

Bend the semicircle in half so that an angle of approximately 90 degrees forms between the sides.

Here is such a cute "dove" from dumplings turned out.

Seventh way "Rose"

Well, now, in my opinion, the most beautiful way, called "Rose".

Cut out three identical circles from the dough.

Lay the circles of dough so that one edge of the circle lies slightly on the other circle. Press the joints of the circles so that they do not come apart.

In the center of this design, put minced meat with a thin sausage.

Fold the whole structure in half horizontally.

Starting from the left edge, roll it all into one bud.

As you can see, a very beautiful “rose” is obtained in the end.

So that all these beautiful ways of sculpting dumplings do not lose their shape in finished form, you need to cook such dumplings for a couple.

There are many options for modeling dumplings - it all depends on your imagination and the amount of free time. Connect the whole family to work, and you will have a wonderful evening, which will be crowned with a delicious and beautifully presented dish. So, we are learning how to make beautiful dumplings in several ways at once.

There are different types of dumplings, it all depends on the filling and their appearance, depending on how the hostess will decorate them - wrap them or pinch them beautifully. Before considering how to properly sculpt dumplings, and what methods are the most convenient, it is necessary to take into account several important nuances, without which nothing can work out:

knead the dough for a long time (at least 10 minutes) until large air bubbles inside it disappear;
for greater elasticity of the dough, you can add a little vegetable oil to it;
after kneading, remove the dough in a warm place (or refrigerator, depending on the instructions in the recipe) for about half an hour so that the gluten disperses and the dough becomes even more elastic;
for a better performance of artistic modeling, make the same circles (slightly larger than on dumplings), rolling out the dough into a large layer;
if the filling has leaked onto the edges of the dough, and it does not want to stick together, generously sprinkle the edges of the dumpling with flour and try to make it again.

traditional pigtail

The classic way to sculpt dumplings with potatoes - a pigtail. It is fast, beautiful, and the products themselves are less prone to sticking during cooking. Not everyone can pinch a dumpling beautifully. At first glance, this modeling option may seem complicated, but after a few minutes you will become a real professional in modeling dumplings with a pigtail.

Cooking

Roll out the dough into a large layer and make the same circles with a glass or a special mold. The diameter must be at least 8 cm, since you need to take into account the place for the pigtail.
Lay out the filling.
If you are right-handed: take a circle with a filling in your left hand and bend it in half (if you are left-handed, then vice versa).
Before you mold the dumplings with a pigtail, firmly connect the edges of the dough. Go over the edge twice to make the base of the braid thinner and wider so that it forms more easily and isn't too thick (thick braid may not boil through).
Bend one corner with your thumb and forefinger (thumb on top, index finger on bottom), and thus you get an "ear".
Bend the edge of the "ear" again, and you will get a new "ear". You should press hard enough so that it looks beautiful, and the pigtail does not turn around during cooking.
Thus, lead the modeling to another corner of the dumpling. The result should be a beautiful pigtail.
During the “weaving”, move not the hand with which you bend the edge, but the one in which you hold the dumpling (if you are right-handed, it will turn clockwise) - this way the weaving hand will work more evenly, and the modeling links will turn out to be as identical as possible.

If you want a more openwork braid, make clips more often, and the pigtail will be smaller (as in the photo and video). Do not be discouraged if the first time you do not succeed in making a perfect pigtail on dumplings. Just a few dumplings, and you will quickly learn how to make a classic pigtail.

Step by step original version

The traditional form of dumplings is half-moon. But no one forbids us to make it, for example, round, and at the same time decorate them with the same traditional pigtail.

Cooking step by step

Roll out the dough into a thin layer and cut the same circles with a glass.
Take one circle in your hand, put the filling on it and cover with the second circle.
Firmly blind the edges of the product in a circle.
Now you can twist the dumplings in the same way as ordinary semi-lunar dumplings: bend one section, pressing it firmly, then the next corner, and so on in a circle.

Herringbone

Beautiful modeling of dumplings is not limited to the pigtail we are used to. There is another way to pinch dumplings beautifully - this is a Christmas tree. By the way, this method can be used to make not only dumplings, but also manti and dumplings.

Cooking

Make a thin sheet of dough. Cut it into equal circles with a suitable cup or a special shape.
Take one circle of dough in your hand and put the filling in the middle. Do not put too much, especially if you are doing this for the first time. It is better to sculpt on weight - this way the products are obtained much more accurately than on the board.
Make the first tuck in the usual way and push it a little inside the circle.
Grab one edge of the circle, pinch it and pull it to the center, gluing it to the first pinch.
Do the same with the opposite edge - grab, pinch and glue to the center.
Gradually move forward along the middle seam of the dumpling. That is, you do not need to attach the edges to the first pinch all the time, but only to the previous one from the opposite side.

Fast way

You can quickly stick dumplings by hand in a very simple way, but at the same time the products themselves will look very nice.

Cooking

Roll out the dough into an oblong layer (the shape of an elongated oval).
In the center of this layer, with a teaspoon, spread the filling with balls at a distance of about 3 cm from each other.
Bend the sheet in half lengthwise. You should get a sausage with stuffing balls inside.
Seal the free edges around the balloons.
Carefully cut with a glass into equal portions, without touching the filling. You can also cut it with a knife - then you get original square dumplings.

Another option is how you can beautifully pinch dumplings without spending a lot of time - just make a circle with the filling into a crescent-shaped dumpling and go through it with a curly knife for pasties. It is very fast and no less beautiful.

But remember that knowing and being able to make dumplings with sweet or savory filling beautifully is not enough. The fillings can be different, and each of them can leak out if the dough is not properly wrapped in a dumpling. The main thing is that the dish is still tasty, and artistic modeling will favorably decorate your masterpiece and will certainly make your household ask for more.

In order for the dish to please the household, it must be not only tasty, but also beautiful. A spectacular presentation is half the success in cooking, especially when we are going to feed picky and picky little eaters. This also applies to dough products. And if we want to surprise loved ones, let's figure out how to sculpt dumplings beautifully, but so that they do not fall apart during cooking and are completely boiled.

Before considering how to properly sculpt dumplings, and what methods are the most convenient, it is necessary to take into account several important nuances, without which nothing can work out:

knead the dough for a long time (at least 10 minutes) until large air bubbles inside it disappear;
for greater elasticity of the dough, you can add a little vegetable oil to it;
after kneading, remove the dough in a warm place (or refrigerator, depending on the instructions in the recipe) for about half an hour so that the gluten disperses and the dough becomes even more elastic;
for a better performance of artistic modeling, make the same circles (slightly larger than on dumplings), rolling out the dough into a large layer;
if the filling has leaked onto the edges of the dough, and it does not want to stick together, generously sprinkle the edges of the dumpling with flour and try to make it again.

well compress the edges

squeeze the edge with two fingers, thumb and forefinger, to get a kind of "lobe"

slightly retreat from the edge and wrap the lobe pressing well

thus the following lobe is obtained

traditional pigtail

The classic way to sculpt dumplings is with a pigtail. It is fast, beautiful, and the products themselves are less prone to sticking during cooking. At first glance, this modeling option may seem complicated, but after a few minutes you will become a real professional in modeling dumplings with a pigtail.

Cooking

Roll out the dough into a large layer and make the same circles with a glass or a special mold. The diameter must be at least 8 cm, since you need to take into account the place for the pigtail.
Lay out the filling.
If you are right-handed: take a circle with a filling in your left hand and bend it in half (if you are left-handed, then vice versa).
Before you mold the dumplings with a pigtail, firmly connect the edges of the dough. Go over the edge twice to make the base of the braid thinner and wider so that it forms more easily and isn't too thick (thick braid may not boil through).
Bend one corner with your thumb and forefinger (thumb on top, index finger on bottom), and thus you get an "ear".
Bend the edge of the "ear" again, and you will get a new "ear". You should press hard enough so that it looks beautiful, and the pigtail does not turn around during cooking.
Thus, lead the modeling to another corner of the dumpling. The result should be a beautiful pigtail.
During the “weaving”, move not the hand with which you bend the edge, but the one in which you hold the dumpling (if you are right-handed, it will turn clockwise) - this way the weaving hand will work more evenly, and the modeling links will turn out to be as identical as possible.

If you want a more openwork braid, make the clips more often, and the pigtail will be smaller. Do not be discouraged if the first time you do not succeed in making a perfect pigtail on dumplings. Just a few dumplings, and you will quickly learn how to make a classic pigtail.

original version

The traditional form of dumplings is half-moon. But no one forbids us to make it, for example, round, and at the same time decorate them with the same traditional pigtail.

Cooking

Roll out the dough into a thin layer and cut the same circles with a glass.
Take one circle in your hand, put the filling on it and cover with the second circle.
Firmly blind the edges of the product in a circle.
Now you can twist the dumplings in the same way as ordinary semi-lunar dumplings: bend one section, pressing it firmly, then the next corner, and so on in a circle.

Herringbone

Cooking

Make a thin sheet of dough. Cut it into equal circles with a suitable cup or a special shape.
Take one circle of dough in your hand and put the filling in the middle. Do not put too much, especially if you are doing this for the first time. It is better to sculpt on weight - this way the products are obtained much more accurately than on the board.
Make the first tuck in the usual way and push it a little inside the circle.
Grab one edge of the circle, pinch it and pull it to the center, gluing it to the first pinch.
Do the same with the opposite edge - grab, pinch and glue to the center.
Gradually move forward along the middle seam of the dumpling. That is, you do not need to attach the edges to the first pinch all the time, but only to the previous one from the opposite side.

Fast way

You can quickly stick dumplings by hand in a very simple way, but at the same time the products themselves will look very nice.

Cooking

Roll out the dough into an oblong layer (the shape of an elongated oval).
In the center of this layer, with a teaspoon, spread the filling with balls at a distance of about 3 cm from each other.
Bend the sheet in half lengthwise. You should get a sausage with stuffing balls inside.
Seal the free edges around the balloons.
Carefully cut with a glass into equal portions, without touching the filling. You can also cut it with a knife - then you get original square dumplings.

But remember that knowing and being able to make dumplings with sweet or savory filling beautifully is not enough. The main thing is that the dish is still tasty, and artistic modeling will favorably decorate your masterpiece and will certainly make your household ask for more.

Modeling dumplings is a painstaking and time-consuming task. But if you have skill and experience, then the cooking process can bring untold pleasure, especially when it is not done alone, but gathers the whole family at the table.

There are families where making dumplings is a whole ritual: one kneads the dough, the other rolls it out, the third cuts out circles for future dumplings, the fourth prepares the filling. Well, and then, everyone sits down together at a large table, and modeling begins, which is accompanied by nice, quiet, cozy family conversations.

Such gastronomic evenings contribute to maintaining a healthy psychological atmosphere in the family. All its members communicate with each other at the same time, which is quite rare in our hectic life: either dad needs to go to work, then mom needs to wash the floor, then grandmother needs to watch the series, and Masha does her homework, and Vanya has time for a circle.

So it turns out that it is often impossible for household members to communicate all together at the same time. But if you want to make dumplings, you don’t want to, but you have to communicate. So modeling dumplings is not only an exciting activity, but also contributing to the friendly rapprochement of all family members. Well, let's not even talk about taste! Everyone loves dumplings! The main thing is that they are homemade, not store-bought. Therefore, let's go directly to the modeling itself.

How to make dumplings

Dumplings are made up of two components: dough and filling. First you need to prepare the filling, and then do the dough. If you proceed in a different order, then while you are preparing the filling, the dough may wind up and harden, and then it will be difficult to glue it together.

Unlike dumplings, where the filling is mainly meat, dumplings are made with different fillings.

Filling types:

classic potato. Mix mashed boiled potatoes (without adding water and milk) with onions fried in vegetable oil;
potato and meat. Rub raw potatoes on a grater and mix it with raw minced meat;
cottage cheese. Rub cottage cheese with granulated sugar and a raw egg;
berry. Such dumplings are good in summer, when strawberries ripen in the garden, cherries and apricots ripen. Remove the seeds from the washed berries, drain the excess juice and mix with sugar.

After you have decided on the filling and cooked it, take care of the dough. It consists of simple products: eggs, water and flour. The secret here is thorough mixing. The longer you knead it, the more elastic it will become.

When the dough is kneaded, cut off a piece from it. Hide the rest in a bowl under a kitchen towel, or better under cling film. So it won't harden. Roll out the cut part into a thin layer with a rolling pin. Using a glass, cut out circles for dumplings. Do not throw away the rest of the circles, but collect them, knead them, roll them out again and cut out more circles.

And now, when all the culinary components are ready, we move on to the modeling itself.

Decorative modeling of dumplings

True homemade dumplings look like a real work of art.

Of course, you can also make ordinary dumplings faster by simply placing the filling in the center of the dough circles and blinding the edges. But if you want to get aesthetic pleasure, you have to try a little.

We form a dumpling:

Take a piece of dough.
Put the filling in the center so that it does not reach the edges.
Fold the dumpling in half and firmly pinch the edges with two fingers so that the filling does not come out.
Then, starting from the edge, pull the edge of the dumpling with two fingers, twist it, pull it off, the next centimeter also twists it, and so on.

At the end of such manipulations, you should get a beautiful spiral rim.

Put the molded dumplings on a floured cutting board or plate and put them in the freezer.

Cooking dumplings

When all the dumplings are fashioned, it remains only to cook and eat them. To cook them, you must first boil water in a saucepan and salt it. And then throw dumplings into boiling water. You need to cook for about 10 minutes. It is customary to serve dumplings either with sunflower oil, or with butter, or with sour cream. You can fry the onion in vegetable oil and pour it over dumplings.

Dumplings should be cooked just before serving, so that they are fresh and hot. All households will run to the fragrant smell and there will be no trace of dumplings.

Only here you should eat dumplings, of course, not every day. It's still not a dietary dish, although it is very tasty. Therefore, they should not be abused. However, you can pamper yourself once a month.

Bon appetit and quiet cozy family evenings!

Good dumplings are not only tasty stuffing and properly prepared dough. In this dish, the shape of the product itself plays an important role. Therefore, before you get to work, you need to know how to sculpt dumplings. In principle, there is nothing complicated here. It's just that, as in any other business, a certain skill is needed here.

The simplest option

Vareniki are products that consist of two parts: unleavened dough and filling. The blanks must first be boiled, and then eat them. But everything is not so simple here. Improperly formed products during cooking can lose not only their appearance, but also the filling. To avoid this, you need to clearly know how to sculpt dumplings. You can do this in different ways. It is traditionally believed that the dumpling should have the shape of a crescent.

The classic version of modeling involves the following steps:

Roll out the dough into a layer. Its thickness should be no more than one and a half millimeters.
Using a cup or regular glass, divide the dough into round pieces.
Put the filling in the middle of each cake. It should be enough so that there is free space around.
Connect the opposite edges of the workpiece.
Press them firmly against each other with your fingers.

This is the easiest way to make dumplings. The result is a product in the form of a classic crescent, which then remains only to put in boiling water.

Openwork dumplings

For lovers of unusual forms, we can offer another option. It is in many ways similar to the previous method, with the exception of some points. The result should be very original openwork dumplings. How to sculpt such products? Here, too, everything is quite simple:

First you need to prepare the dough.
Roll the mass into a tight rope.
Divide it into parts.
Roll out each piece into a cake. It should be no thinner than one millimeter.
Place some filling in the center of each piece. This must be done very carefully so as not to stain the edges. Otherwise, during cooking, the product may stick out, and the filling will be outside.
Tightly connect the edges, forming a classic crescent.
Now the most crucial moment begins. Holding the product in your left hand, lift the flattened edge with the index finger of your right and press it firmly against the base.
Repeat the same steps, moving around the perimeter. As a result, a wave forms along the edge of the product.

It turns out a very beautiful dumpling. If everything is done correctly, then after heat treatment it will retain its original shape.

mechanical fixture

Cooking dumplings at home takes a lot of time. At the same time, the longest process is the formation of products. A form for dumplings can greatly facilitate the work of the hostess. Experts have developed several rather interesting designs. For example, you can consider an option that is as close as possible to the manual sculpting method. The device is a food grade plastic (or metal) product. It consists of two interconnected identical parts. On the one hand, its edges are even, and on the other, they have figured protrusions. In its original state, this device has a round shape. It has two handles attached on opposite sides.

Cooking dumplings with such a mold is very simple:

Roll out the finished dough into a thin layer.
Attach the device to it and press firmly. The result is a round blank.
Place it on the opposite side of the fixture.
Place desired amount of filling in the center.
With the help of handles, connect the edges of the mold and squeeze them firmly with your hands.
Carefully remove the rest of the dough that squeezed out with a knife.
Spread the handles apart and open the mold.
Remove the finished dumpling from it.

Such a simple and rather original shape for dumplings is very convenient to use. With it, the sculpting process is much faster and easier. This small device significantly saves time and effort that the hostess spends.

soft folds

Sometimes it is difficult to immediately determine the shape of the product. I want the finished product to be not only tasty, but also beautiful. He should already be appetizing by his appearance. Not every housewife knows how to make beautiful dumplings. But if you want, you can easily learn it. For example, products with soft wide folds look very original.

Making such a dumpling is very simple:

Take a circle of dough with filling in your left hand. The edges should be free for sculpting.
Make one wide tuck with the index finger and thumb of the right hand.
Moving around the circle, make a crease.
Attach it to the opposite edge next to the first tuck and press firmly.
Repeat the same steps around the perimeter of the workpiece.

The result is a dumpling with a slightly curved edge, from which soft wide folds will extend towards the filling. Having mastered this technique, even a novice hostess can say with confidence that she really knows how to sculpt beautiful dumplings. In addition, the products are quite durable. This option can be used for dumplings with a liquid and juicy filling.

Vareniki with cherries

Modeling is only part of the process. Therefore, the hostess must clearly know how to cook dumplings. As an example, consider the option that uses the following ingredients: 1 cup flour, 600 grams of fresh cherries, 1 egg, 220 grams of sugar, a little salt and 100 milliliters of water.

The work takes place in four stages:

First you need to do the stuffing. To do this, the berries must be thoroughly washed and the seeds removed from them. Pour the remaining mass with sugar (200 grams) and mix.
Now you need to make the dough. To do this, in one container, you need to collect all the remaining components. You should get a fairly cool and plastic dough. After that, it must be rolled out into a layer no more than three millimeters thick, and then, using an ordinary glass, divided into round blanks.
Then you can proceed to the formation of products. Put a few berries in the middle of each circle and pinch the edges in any of the already known ways. For example, soft folds can be made oncoming, or simply connect the ends around the circumference, additionally pressing down from a regular table fork.
Dip the semi-finished products in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes after they rise to the surface.

This is the standard technique. With its help, you can clearly understand how to cook dumplings. In this case, the composition of the filling or dough can be changed.

Modeling dumplings "pigtail"

Different nations have their own preferences. For example, in Ukraine, any housewife can tell you how to make pigtail dumplings. Here, this method of molding is most popular.

The methodology for this process is simple:

First, the dough prepared in advance must be rolled into a tourniquet.
Cut it into pieces with a sharp knife.
Roll each piece in flour, and then roll out with a rolling pin into a cake with a thickness of at least 2 millimeters.
Put a small amount of filling in the middle of the circle.
Fold the workpiece in half and tightly connect the edges with your fingers.
Starting on one side, pull off one corner, lift it up, and then wrap and press down. The next ear is immediately pulled with the middle finger. Everything happens at the same time.
Fasten the drawn ear by the same method next to it.
Proceed in the same way until the pattern reaches the opposite corner.

The result is a dumpling with an edge in the form of a neat pigtail. It not only looks beautiful, but due to double folding it firmly holds the filling inside.

Modeling "herringbone"

In principle, handmade dumplings can have any shape. It all depends on how the hostess wants to see them. For example, many people really like the unusual way of sculpting herringbone.

In this case it is necessary:

Fold the stuffed cake in half. The workpiece should be held to the side with the fingers of the left hand. This is an important condition.
With the fingers of the right hand, make the first regular clamp. It is necessary to squeeze the edges as tightly as possible so that later the product does not fall apart during cooking.
Pull up the dough on one side. Make another clamp by connecting it to the first.
Pick up the dough from the other side and make the next tuck next to it.
Repeat the steps, alternately pinching the dough on opposite sides.
Trim the edge a little.

You should get a dumpling in which neat little folds are repeated on both sides in a checkerboard pattern. Outwardly, such a pattern partly resembles a Christmas tree. This is probably where the name of this sculpting method came from.

Quick and easy

There are a variety of ways to sculpt dumplings. Most often, this work requires a lot of time and patience. And what should the hostess do if you need to feed a large family? You will need a lot of dumplings. For such a case, a quick sculpting method is suitable.

It is very convenient and extremely simple:

Roll out the dough into a long rectangular layer about 10 centimeters wide.
In the middle, lay out the filling in small slides. The distance between portions should be at least 2-3 centimeters.
Fold one end over and fold the dough in half lengthwise.
Use your fingers to press down the layers around the filling on all sides. You have to be very careful not to tear the dough.
Place a regular glass over each ledge and press firmly. Get a neat dumpling with smooth edges.

Using this technique, the work will go much faster. In a matter of minutes, you can cook a whole mountain of dumplings. With this method, most of the time is spent only on rolling out the dough.