Worlds Best Multi Purpose Gluten & Dairy Free Wonton Dough!
This gluten free wonton dough is truly spectacular!!! It does ALL the things. You can use it to make everything from thick chewy dumplings, and potstickers to roll it out for paper thin extra crispy egg rolls & rangoons! Any recipe online that calls for wonton dough wrappers- THIS recipe will work! I have created an assortment of recipes using it that will be posted next- BUT I wanted you to know that you can feel free to use it with ANY recipe gluten free or not that you find online. It will sub in perfectly. It is strong enough that it can be folded into any shape.
You can make it ahead, freeze it, pre-roll it out. It is SO flexible and easy to work with!
let me tell you though the headaches it caused me!! I would get it perfect for one application and then it would not work great for something else! This recipe has been tested over and over to work out every single kink! Back and forth I went testing it in everything and over and over. I worked on this dough for almost an entire month. The end result is EPIC!! I’m so incredibly proud & I just know you guys will be in shock how fantastic it is to work with & how sturdy it is- even when rolled out paper thin!!
I am all about shortcuts whenever I can find them. In most recipes online you will see that people will measure and cut the dough into squares by hand. I wasn’t in the mood for all that- so I invested in this set of square cookie/biscuit cutters. I have a variety of sizes in a circular shape as well. I don’t have the attention to detail to sit there and cut each square perfectly by hand. It was great being able to use the cutters for the rangoons and egg rolls in particular.
For this photo I had rolled the dough out for my dumpling recipe! When I use it for potstickers I like to roll it out a bit thinner than this- and for egg rolls and Rangoons its important to roll it out paper thin! (This can also be done using a pasta crank machine!) Make sure to always roll it out using Tapioca or Corn Starch!!
IMPORTANT TIPS For Working with this wonton dough:
Always make sure to knead it until it is completely smooth and well combined! It will be a bit sticky when you do this and that is how its supposed to be. Don’t question it and start adding more starch or flour :) Follow the gram measurements exactly! I left the dough a bit sticky so that you can use a generous amount of starch when rolling it out. Sometimes you’ll need to gather the bits and rolls them out a number of times and each time more starch will be incorporated into the dough. The dough will allow for that and whatever you are making will turn out fabulous. BUT You can always add a little water if it gets too dry while working with it! Sometimes when I regather scraps of dough and knead them back together I wet my hands a little first! When it gets super dry- it gets harder to roll out!
DO NOT let the dough dry out in the fridge!! You can make it several days in advance or even make it and freeze it. It is essential to store it in wrapped tightly in plastic with no air exposure or in a well sealed Tupperware container!
If you are rolling out the dough fresh you will likely only need a tiny bit of egg wash or water to seal it around the inside edges when shaping it into various dumplings, egg rolls or rangoons. However- IF you have pre-rolled and cut the dough into wonton squares or circles ( I recommend storing them with a bit of starch in between them wrapped up well in the fridge). then you may need to brush the whole surface of the (INSIDE) of the dough where the filling goes with egg wash or water as I have in my step by step photos so that it seals up nicely!
For Anything steamed or boiled- such as dumplings and potstickers you don’t need to worry about rolling the dough out paper thin. There’s flexibility around the thickness. However if you intend to fry the dough its extremely important to take the time to get it almost paper thin!! This can take a little practice but its very doable. This dough is forgiving and has great stretch. Just make sure to use enough corn or tapioca starch to prevent sticking and roll it out on parchment paper! For paper thin dough you’ll notice you are getting close to the right thickness when the dough starts to ruffle and wrinkle a little bit!
When rolling it out- I like to pick it up gently & swirl it around on the parchment often and or flip it to make sure that its not sticking! I often keep adding starch to my parchment/work surface as I go.
I recommend using this dough first for boiled/steamed applications like dumplings/postickers or wonton soup first! Its much easier and extremely forgiving. Working with ultra thin dough for frying requires more finesse and practice.
Dumplings, potstickers, egg rolls, wontons for soup, or Rangoons can all be assembled and then frozen before you cook them!! Lay them out flat on a starch covered baking sheet/pan and freeze them. Then once they are frozen they can be stacked in a freezer safe container! Add just a bit more time to cooking when cooking them from frozen!
TO MAKE IT EGG FREE please use “Just Egg” Egg replacer. Its possible that aquafaba would be a basic substitute as well but I have not tested that out to know for sure. IF you experiment please leave a comment and share how it goes!
Using a pasta crank works great to roll it out thin (Just be sure to use enough starch to prevent sticking)! But you can always just do it by hand with an old fashioned rolling pin!!
There is complete flexibility in the size that you cut your dough for various recipes. I will provide the size I went with for each of them- but feel free to go bigger in most cases if you have a cookie/biscuit cutter that isn’t the exact same size as mine. In most cases cutting the dough smaller than I recommend may make folding and shaping it a bit harder.
Ingredients (Some of these are affiliate links that earn me a few cents if you shop using them! :)
Better Batter Gluten Free Orginal Blend
This flour blend continues to amaze me. It can do so many things better than most other blends that I have tried. As a result its extremely popular. Around the holidays it tends to sell out everywhere. Usually its available on Amazon and at Walmart. Lately I have been ordering it from the Better Batter website directly. When they sell out- they tend to restock pretty quickly. Check back within a day or two if they are sold out when you look. I buy it in bulk now (Up to 40 lbs at a time) as I cant risk running out. I use it in too many recipes that we love.
What if you cant get your hands on it? This may be the case if you live outside the US. My friend Nichole from Gluten Free on a Shoestring has figured out a mock recipe for better batter. Her version should work great in this recipe! The owner (Naomi) of better batter has confirmed that the mix is similar to the official version.
Better Batter so kindly offered me a 30% off promo code to share with all of you! This can be used as often as you would like for every single purchase made directly on BetterBatter.com Use the code: BakingAngell30
Expandex
This bread is truly only possible because of the magic of expandex. It is a modified form of tapioca starch that was formulated to improve gluten free baking. The word Modified tends to worry people- so let me explain further. Essentially they studied tapioca and removed portions of it leaving only the parts that would allow for it to cause amazing elasticity (aka its name) in gluten free recipes. This flour allows me to get an incredible rise with everything I use it in. It traps the air bubbles in the dough just like regular flour with gluten does! Its honestly incredible. If you eat any processed or store bought foods you have eaten many forms of modified starch. Its nothing new- its just semi new to the home baker. Its non gmo and I typically get it from the brand Judee’s on amazon. Under no conditions can you sub it out for another regular starch. For my wonton dough it is what is giving it the incredible stretch and versatility that it has!!
Outside of the US there is a product called Ultratex 3 I have not worked with it but from what I understand its comparable! I would use that in the exact same quantity as the expandex amount that I call for.
Tapioca Starch:
(Or corn starch is the second best option) Is fantastic for rolling out this dough!! It takes away all stickiness and aids in creating an awesome chewy or crispy texture when steamed or fried. Using better batter for rolling out does not work as well as it tends to dry the dough out since its highly absorbent. Tapioca starch/flour can be found in most grocery stores and on amazon. I typically buy the brand Bobs Red Mill.
Here is a step by step guide on how I roll my egg rolls! The egg roll recipe post will include all the details needed to make them!! I included this group of photos in this post just to show you that the dough can be rolled out thin! :)
My favorite tools for working with wonton dough:
Anytime I want to cut the dough into a square shape I use this set of cookie/biscuit cutters. The two largest square sizes work great for egg rolls. The two middle sized ones work perfect for Rangoons!
Anytime I want to cut the dough into a round shape I like to use this set of cookie/biscuit cutters. The circular shape is ideal for potstickers and dumplings!
Over the years I have had a lot of rolling pins. Once I got a simple French style one I got rid of the rest of them. You really don’t need anything clunky or heavy! This style allows for the best control of pressure to get a thin dough that doesn't rip! This is the one that I use.
While not essential using an Italian pasta crank machine is definitely really helpful! Its one of those kitchen tools that you don’t NEED but they are handy to have and making homemade pasta and in this case wonton dough is always fun. It will allow you to get ultra thin long rolls of dough that are quick to cut into squares for rangoons and egg rolls. Just make sure to use enough starch between each pass to get the dough thinner so it doesn’t stick to the machine.
Parchment Paper: Any brand will do! While I could roll dough directly out on the counter I prefer using a big sheet of parchment- it just makes it easier to avoid sticking issues.
Multi Purpose Gluten Free Wonton Dough
Ingredients
- 210 grams Gluten Free Better Batter Original Blend
- 63 grams Tapioca Starch
- 35 grams Expandex
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 2 Large Eggs + 1 Egg White (Or "Just Egg" replacer for egg free)
- 87 grams Water
- 3/4 Tsp Xanthan Gum
Instructions
- Place a large bowl over a kitchen scale and carefully (and accurately) weigh out all ingredients adding them to the bowl. Start with the dry ingredients and give them a good mix then weigh in the eggs and water.
- Using a spoon mix together until a dough starts to form. Then use your hands to mix and knead the dough until its completely smooth. The dough WILL be sticky and this is how it us supposed to be! Do not mix in extra flour to account for this.
- Wrap the dough up in plastic wrap preventing any air exposure or in a tightly sealed container and store in the fridge for up to one week or freezer for one month.
- When working with the dough: Lay out parchment and sprinkle tapioca starch all over it. place 1/4 of the dough onto the parchment and sprinkle with more starch. Start to roll it out. Lift and swirl the dough around on the parchment frequently to make sure it is not sticking. Adding more starch as needed to the work surface and on top of the dough to prevent sticking. Alternatively a pasta crank machine can be used as well to roll it out- be sure to use plenty of starch for that as well.
- For any fried applications like egg rolls and Rangoons roll the dough out paper thin. For Dumplings/ Potstickers roll the dough out until it starts to ripple/ wrinkle a bit!
- Measure and cut to the size needed for the recipe and or use a round or square cookie or biscuit cutter.
Notes
You will have 1 egg yolk leftover from making the dough! I like to save this and whisk it with 1 tsp of water to use as the "glue" to seal my wonton dough shut when shaping it into dumplings, potstickers, eggrolls or rangoons.
You can roll the dough out fresh when making your chosen recipe. OR you can roll it out and cut it to size in advance. If prepping/cutting the dough in advance I recommend stacking it with a sprinkle of starch in between each later and gently wrapping it up to prevent it from drying out! It can be stored pre-cut up to 1 week in advance.
If cutting it fresh then you will only need a little bit of egg wash or water around the edges when shaping and sealing the dough. If you cut the dough in advance and place it in the fridge for even a few hours It will dry out at least a little bit. I recommend lightly brushing the entire surface of the dough with egg wash/water to give it enough moisture that it seals up nicely! Just make sure to keep the back side of the dough touching the counter/parchment completely dry to prevent it from sticking. Sticking will cause the dough to break.
