Comfort in a Bowl: Easy Chicken and Dumplings with Freshly Milled Flour

With cooler days rolling in and the hurricane bands bringing the wind and rain—can there be a better time for a warm, comforting bowl of chicken and dumplings? Chicken and dumplings have always been a Southern favorite for me. It was my mother-in-law’s signature dish for many years. Now, I’m putting my own spin on it using freshly milled flour and ditching store-bought mixes.

Here’s how I modernized this classic, healthier, fresher, and tastier than ever.

Simple Foundations: Making Chicken and Broth

You could use a rotisserie chicken for convenience—no judgment! For today’s recipe, we’re all about maximizing flavor, so I’m using homemade broth with tender chicken pulled from the bone. Start by sautéing onions, garlic, carrots, celery and spices in my favorite infused olive oil. Then, add a whole chicken and cover with water. Simmer until meat is falling off the bone. Remove all bones, pick meat off bone and set aside. Store for later use or add dumplings and enjoy right away.

Pro tip: To save time later in the week, you can get ahead by making broth and shredding chicken in advance. I threw mine in the fridge for a couple of days before coming back to finish the recipe.

Making Healthy Dumplings from Scratch

Store-bought dumpling or biscuit mixes like Bisquick used to be my go-to. But once I started eating gluten-free, they quickly fell out of rotation. You can try the gluten-free boxes, but that route didn’t work well for me. Instead, I now use freshly milled flour from soft white wheat. That’s a game-changer for making these dumplings taste hearty but light.

I used Sue Becker’s recipe for faux Bisquick drop biscuits, but with some modifications. Freshly milled flour can sometimes need more liquid than prepackaged mixes, so you can adjust as needed.

Ingredients for the Dumplings:

2 cups of freshly milled soft white wheat (retains all the bran and germ for better nutrition)
1 tablespoon of baking powder (aluminum-free, of course)
1 teaspoon of salt
¼ cup of melted butter (or oil, but butter is better)
1 cup of whole milk

Mix these simple ingredients together and drop the biscuit mixture straight into your boiling broth. If needed, add extra flour for a better consistency with the freshly milled grains—it’s all a balancing act!

Cooking Chicken and Dumplings

Once your broth is boiling, it’s time to drop in those biscuit dumplings. Spoon smaller dollops—I’m not a fan of huge dumplings, but if you like them big, go for it. Keep in mind though, bigger dumplings may need a little longer to cook. Let them simmer for about 10 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready once they’re pillowy and well-cooked through. Simple, authentic, and ready to warm up any dreary day!

Extra Flavor Hacks

Don’t let those extra ingredients go to waste! While some folks prefer to strain out things like garlic, onions, and carrots, I let them stay in my soup. The added flavor and texture make a big difference.

If you’ve got picky eaters, you can strain everything out to create a clearer broth, but for my family—and our love for hearty meals—the more flavor, the better. This is your soup, so customize it however you like!

Chocolate Banana Chocolate Chip Cake: The Sweet Ending

While we wait for our dumplings to cook, let’s talk dessert. I had some extra flour left over, and when you’ve got ripe bananas in the house, there’s only one thing to do: bread machine cake. Yep, I threw together a Chocolate Banana Chocolate Chip Cake in my Zojirushi bread machine, and it was a winner. Here’s the quick version of what I did:

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas (mashed)
3 eggs (beaten)
½ cup coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups of flour (1 cup soft white wheat, 1 cup all-purpose Einkorn)
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
7 tbsp cocoa powder
2⁄3 cup honey
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

I mixed the dry ingredients, dumped the wet ingredients in my bread machine, and used the 2-hour cake setting. About 10 minutes into the kneading, the machine beeped, and I added the chocolate chips—super easy! It turned out moist, sweet, and chocolatey in the best way.

If you don’t have a bread machine, this could easily be done in a regular baking dish in the oven. The key is the balance of the ingredients and the ripe bananas that add natural sweetness.

Let’s just say we polished off that cake pretty fast.

Essential Tips for Fresh Milling at Home

If you’re thinking about milling your own grains, do it! You don’t need a fancy mill right away, and I’ve found decent options secondhand. WhisperMills are my personal favorite, but Bread Beckers has other great recommendations too. If you live in a humid area like me, certain mills may have some challenges, so make sure to choose one suited for your climate.

When using freshly milled flour, keep a few things in mind:

Use the flour quickly! The nutrients in freshly milled grains start to degrade fast, so aim to use it within days.
Store extra flour in the freezer to preserve those nutrients.
If investing in a mill isn’t in your budget, check out local grain mills. Sometimes, you can buy fresh flour, but you’ll want to use it quickly or store it properly to get the benefits.

Conclusion

Chicken and dumplings don’t have to be a guilty pleasure—they can be healthy, comforting, and steeped in Southern tradition. By milling your own flour and keeping things fresh, you aren’t just preparing food; you’re nourishing your family (and yourself!) in the best way possible. Add in a chocolatey banana cake, and you’ve got the perfect ending to a cozy, rainy day.

What are your favorite cold-weather meals? If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out for you! I’d love to hear your experience in the comments. And as always, thank you for stopping by and sharing this kitchen journey with me.

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Chicken and Dumplings & Chocolate Banana Chocolate Chip Cake