In a bowl, add the all-purpose flour. Pour in 1/4 cup (60 grams) hot water (about 160°F) and mix well. Then add 1 1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) room temperature water. Stir until a dough forms and gluten develops. The dough will be sticky at first because the hot water makes it harder to mix, but this helps create a chewy texture.

Finely chop the chives and mix with the other filling ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.

You don’t need to knead the dough until completely smooth—just until the gluten develops and it forms a ball. Place the dough in a bag or cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes.

This is what the chive, ground pork, and seasoning mixture should look like after mixing.

Roll the rested dough into a long log and cut into small pieces. Place each piece cut side up and flatten into a small round.

Dust the dough rounds with a little flour. Place your left thumb in the center of the round, and use a rolling pin with your right hand to roll out the edges toward the center. Don’t worry if the wrappers aren’t perfectly round—they’ll still work for shaping the dumplings.

Place filling onto each wrapper and shape into a long dumpling. Lightly moisten the edges with water, pinch the top closed, and seal the sides together.

(Homemade dumplings are a bit larger—just five filled my pan!) Use a nonstick skillet if possible to prevent sticking. Add a thin layer of oil, arrange the dumplings in the pan, and cook over medium-high heat. Pour in the flour-water mixture, reduce to medium-low, cover with a lid, and steam-fry until the dumplings are cooked through and the bottoms are crispy.

A clear glass lid works best so you can watch the liquid evaporate and check the doneness of the wrappers.

After about 3–5 minutes, your pan-fried dumplings are ready to eat! Handmade, generously filled, and chewy—making them from scratch takes time, but it’s a fun way to enjoy cooking in the kitchen!